Profession (religious)
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Profession, in a religious sense, is a public avowal of faith according to a traditional formula. In this sense, a "professing Christian" is one who publicly claims to be following and supporting the Christian faith, usually according to one of the formal creeds, such as the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene creed, or specific denominational confessions such as the Lutheran Augsburg confession or the Reformed Westminster Confession of Faith.
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In the Roman Catholic tradition, profession also has a specifically monastic usage. Profession, in Christian monasticism, is the act of embracing the religious state by the three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, the evangelical counsels, according to the rule of a canonically approved religious order; it involves then a triple vow made to God, and binding oneself to the rule of a certain order. There are often special vows inspired by the purpose of a particular order; for example, the Friars Minor make a vow of special obedience to the pope and the Roman Catholic Church.
The origins of religious profession date from the time when Christians were recognized in the Church as followers after perfection in the practice of religious life. Profession for a long time was made by clothing with the religious habit: the aspirant could personally put on the habit or receive it, with or without ceremony, from the abbot or from the bishop. This clothing laid upon him the obligation of poverty and chastity more as a natural consequence of a donation or consecration to God than as arising from formal vows, which did not exist at that time.
Profession is either simple or solemn. Solemn profession exists at present only in the institutes approved by the Holy See as religious orders. It is always perpetual, and dispensation from it is difficult to obtain; a religious who has been dismissed from his order is still bound by the obligations of the religious life; the same is the case with one who obtains from the Holy See the indult of perpetual secularization; professed who have left their order owe to the bishop of the diocese in which they reside the obedience which they formerly owed to their religious superior. Solemn profession implies a reciprocal engagement between the religious and his order, which undertakes to maintain him, and treat him as a member of its household; except in case of special privilege, it can dismiss a professed religious in canonical form only for incorrigible persistence in some grave public fault. The professed religious who is dismissed is ipso facto suspended, and the suspension is reserved to the Holy See. According to existing law, solemn profession annuls a marriage previously contracted, but not yet consummated, and creates an impediment to any future marriage; and also renders the professed religious incapable, without the permission of the Holy See, of acquiring or of possessing and disposing of property.
Simple profession is sometimes perpetual and sometimes temporary, and therefore imperfect. At the end of a term of temporary profession, a religious is free to go back to the world, and the order has power to dismiss one who has not shown himself worthy to renew his profession, or to make a subsequent profession; but a physical infirmity which was caused after the vows, or the cause of which was known at the time of the vows, does not justify the dismissal of a religious against his will. In congregations which have no solemn vows, the Holy See ordinarily prescribes a term of temporary vows, varying from three to six years, before the perpetual vows. There are however some congregations, such as the Nuns of the Sacred Heart in which all the vows are perpetual; and pious societies without perpetual vows, such as the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul; or even without vows, like the Missionaries of Africa, or White Fathers, who have only an oath of obedience. The Holy See insists that on the expiration of temporal vows, these should be either renewed or converted into perpetual vows, as the case may be, without allowing any interval of time, during which the religious would be free from his obligations.
Simple profession sometimes is a preparation for solemn profession, and sometimes has a distinct character of its own. In all religious orders, three years at least of simple profession are a necessary condition for the validity of solemn profession, and for lay brothers, six years of simple profession and an age of at least thirty years are required. This time of simple profession may be considered as a second term of probation; it is not difficult for the religious to obtain a dispensation from his vows, and, on the other hand, the order may dismiss him for any grave cause of dissatisfaction, the sufficiency of which is left to the judgment of the superior. The dismissal of nuns, however, requires the consent of the Holy See; religious with simple or even temporary vows, who have received major orders in their institute, are in the same position, in regard to dismissal, as those who have made their final profession. Generally speaking, simple profession does not prevent a religious from retaining or acquiring property; the administration and disposition of property alone are forbidden.
- This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.
