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During the last ten years, a new form of Christian lifestyle has begun to be lived out — that of the consecrated virgin living in the world. At a time when many people are searching for ways of ministry in the Church that allow for real depth of commitment combined with real freedom of expression, it has escaped many people’s notice that the Church now gives her blessing to the ancient lifestyle of consecrated virginity. The consecrated virgin is a deeply committed woman who publicly vows to remain celibate for life, in order to give all her loving energies to Christ and his Church. But she keeps a real freedom of lifestyle, always choosing where, how and with whom she will live; she is thus free to follow the creative leading of the Holy Spirit in a way unprecedented among women religious in recent centuries.
The life of virginity has existed from earliest times. Christ claimed this lifestyle, according to Matthew, with his rather stark statement: “There are eunuchs who have made themselves that way for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can”. (Mat 19:12). He too apparently valued the lifestyle for the freedom it gave him — freedom to spend whole nights in prayer without depriving a loving wife of his attentions, and freedom to live how, where and with whom he liked, in order to best do his Father’s work.
St Paul, as “one who, by the Lord’s mercy has stayed faithful” to his Master’s celibate lifestyle (I Cor 7:25), several times describes virginity with tenderness and simplicity.
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- Copyright © 1982 Provincial Council of the English Province of the Order of Preachers
References
1 The Rite of Consecration to a life of virginity, p 143, from The Rites of the Catholic Church as Revised by the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, vol 2, pub, Pueblo, New York, 1980Google Scholar.
2 'The Relationship between hermits and communities in the West”, by Sr Benedicta Ward SLG, in Solitude and Communion. Papers on the hermit life, ed. Allchin, . SLG Press, 1975Google Scholar.
3 “The Relationship between hermits and communities in the West”.
4 Sponsa Christi. by Pius XII, 1950.
5 Preface, p ix, The Rites of the Catholic Church as Revised by Decree of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, vol 2.
6 Document on the Mutual Relations between Bishops and Religious, 1978. Issued jointly by the Sacred Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes and the Sacred Congregation for Bishops, quoted by Joseph Gallen SJ in Review for Religious, vol 39, 1980/1.
7 Introduction to the Rite of Consecration to a life of virginity, article 5, in The Rites of the Catholic Church as Revised by Decree of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, vol 2.
8 “Transfer to Consecrated Virginity”, Canon No 632, from Canon Low for Religious after Vatican II by Joseph Gallen SJ, in Review for Religious, Vol 40, 1981/1.
9 Profile of SFCC, Sisters for Christian Community, 1979, Srs Evelyn M Hill and Marilyn L Sieg SFCC, International Communication Co‐ordinators, P.O. Box 5444, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, USA.