Consecrated virginity / OCV has
ancient origins closely linked to the Tradition of the Church whose founder is
Jesus Christ Himself. In the Early
Church it was considered a True and not merely symbolic marriage of the
virgin with Jesus the Christ. She was given the title ‘Sponsa Christi’ which
was the title of the Church itself.
The disciples [Church] had in
mind their Master’s teaching ,” It was also said: anyone who divorces his wife must give her a
written notice of divorce. But what I tell you is this: If a man divorces his
wife except in the case of unlawful union, he causes her to commit adultery.
And the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. [Mt.5 :31-32 ]”
Besides women
falling in love with Jesus Christ and His teachings, there were also sad practices
of parents vowing to dedicate their daughters to the service of the Church and to Christ through consecrated virginity.
Naturally some of them were rebellious and remarried or fell into sin. These virgins
were thought to commit adultery and denied the reception of Holy Communion.
There was varying practice in the local churches regarding the forms of penance
and reconciliation for such women. Some bishops allowed them to repent and return to full communion
and the OCV. They were more understanding to those who had been pressurized by
their parents to embrace a life of virginity and allowed
the reception of Communion at the end of their lives. As monastic life
developed and the vocation of
consecrated virginity was still considered a true marriage with Jesus Christ
and hence irrevocable, the virgins
considered unfaithful were made to lead a life of penance through stricter
regulation in enclosed monasteries.
Tradition
thus maintained the strictly indispensable
nature of consecrated virginity. With the passing of centuries even if some monastics who had received the
consecration to a life of virginity -opted to leave their monasteries for grave
reasons, they were released of all obligations except that of leading a celibate life of virginity.
Monastic life gave way to apostolic
religious life in recent centuries. The marriage of religious with Christ
became more Symbolic than true. The vows in recent times changed from Solemn to Simple in most
institutes and can be dispensed completely from serious reasons. Religious women
are symbolically the bride of Christ only as a community. Marriage with
Christ is no more the essence of
religious life, although celibacy/ chastity
has remained a central element of their vocation, seen more as a way of
life that leaves freedom and availability for the commitments of apostolic
services. In the more conservative institutes, religious women still consider
themselves the brides of Christ. The characteristics of marriage as a union
between one man and one woman and the uniqueness it implies for every married
couple however is not tangible in the
uniform, heavily institutional mentality in conservative religious
congregations that live in large groups.
Taking a
glance at ancient history as mentioned in the scriptures : The Early Christians had the hope of Jesus’ second coming, hence St Paul gave emphasis to the vocation of celibacy /virginity for
the sake of the Kingdom. There was an eschatological tension signified through the lives of virgins for whom the world was a passing phase
whereas true Life could only be found in
relationship with Christ, in the pursuit of holiness through Communion with Christ
and the Christian brethren.
The whole community of believers were one in heart and mind. No
one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but rather they shared all
things in common. With great power the apostles bore witness to the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus, for all of them were living in an exceptional
time of grace. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned land
or houses, sold them and brought the proceeds of the sale. And they laid it at
the feet of the apostles who distributed it according to each one's need. [Acts
4: 32-35]”
“Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and
as she wept she bent down to look inside; she saw two angels in white sitting
where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, and the other at the feet. They
said, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She answered, "Because they
have taken my Lord and I don't know where they have put him." As she said
this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not recognize
him. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking
for?" She thought it was the gardener and answered him, "Lord, if you
have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove
him." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him,
"Rabboni" - which means, Master. Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me; you see I have not
yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them: I am
ascending to my Father, who is your Father, to my God, who is your God." [ Jn
20:11-17 ]
The words in scripture,”Do not
cling to me.” have always seemed a
mystery to me when I compared them with the words in the
Catechism of the Catholic Church:
922. "From apostolic times Christian virgins, called by
the Lord to cling only to him with greater freedom of heart, body, and spirit,
have decided with the Church's approval to live in a state of virginity 'for
the sake of the Kingdom of heaven.' [Mt 19:12 ; cf. l Cor 7:34-36.]
923. "'Virgins who, committed to the holy plan of following Christ more
closely, are consecrated to God by the diocesan bishop according to the
approved liturgical rite, are betrothed mystically to Christ, the Son of God,
and are dedicated to the service of the Church.' By this solemn rite
(Consecratio virginum), the virgin is 'constituted . . . a sacred person, a
transcendent sign of the Church's love for Christ, and an eschatological image
of this heavenly Bride of Christ and of the life to come.'"
What is the mind of
Jesus Christ regarding the Order of Virgins ?
The Early Christians thought many of them would live to see the second
/final coming of Jesus Christ. This did not happen as expected. Virginity was embraced because it was
considered somewhat superior to married life in a passing world.
In Early Christianity, there was no specific Rite of Sacramental
marriage. The local customs were followed. Marriage was not considered a sacred
Christian vocation. During recent
centuries the theology of Catholic
Sacramental Marriage developed,
borrowing the symbolism of the Church’s marriage with Christ. The Order of Virgins which
has women Truly and also Symbolically married to Jesus Christ, is not considered an additional
Sacrament in the Church. But the Sacramentality
of consecrated virginity cannot be denied. The Prayer of consecration in the Rite of consecration of virgins begins with saying that chaste bodies are the temple of God. Then it speaks about the Fall and Redemption of humankind with particular reference to the account in the Book of Genesis, about the vocation
of marriage as well as the vocation to a life of virginity for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven.
This prayer recalls the sin of the first couple and how they are
redeemed. How virgins make a
sacrifice of marriage for the sake of the love of which it is the sign.
To people who live
under the influence of sin – the witness
of the lives of these virgins should become a sign to be internalized and to be
imprinted on their hearts and change their life-scripts from sin to liberation and redemption through the
grace of the Holy Spirit.
The sacraments are efficacious
signs of grace. I personally think the consecration to a life of virginity has
the potential to be an efficacious sign
of grace, especially in today’s world where sexuality and marriage are treated as banal
rather than having a sacred
mission in the Plan of God.
Read this
[Eph 3:10-11 ;
1: 9,13 ]
Scripture says: Because of this a man shall
leave his father and mother to be united with his wife, and the two shall
become one flesh. This is a very great mystery, and I refer to Christ and the
Church.[Ephesians 5 :31-32 ]
But contrary to this potential of the witness of virginity, in today’s Church in most dioceses around the world – OCV being
countercultural - is despised, hated by
clergy who experience celibacy as a
burden, misunderstood by most sections of the Church. The Sign value of the vocation of consecrated
virginity seems negligible, especially due to the tendency of
People to compare OCV with Religious life and see the former as
worthless.
In fact
I myself sometimes wonder
whether some consecrated virgins who have a strongly individualistic and romantic
inclination towards the spirituality of
OCV without equal emphasis to love of neighbour / service to others as specific to this vocation -- may have seriously
erred in the discernment of their
vocation and were actually called to the Sacrament of Matrimony . There is an overlap of the spirituality of Consecrated virginity and the
Sacrament of Marriage.
Read this
Consecrated virginity, I believe is a vocation meant for young
women. But today’s culture is not suitable or supportive
of lifelong commitments. There is possibility of genetic shifts
making it more and more difficult
for some to stick through a wrong
decision regarding ones fundamental vocation.
Young women may be rightly frightened with the tradition of irrevocable commitment to a life of virginity / celibacy .
What then is the Pastoral response to this situation ?
The consecration to a life of virginity is considered to be permanent. There is no
formal definition regarding the possibility of a dispensation from the
obligations to service or an annulment of the consecration to a life of virginit.
According to tradition the virgin is irrevocably espoused to Christ. If she
married she was considered an adulteress.
In the
mystical journey of Union with God as
experienced during prayer there comes a
time when one moves from the finiteness of words, images, impressions, rites,
etc., and becomes immersed in the silence of contemplation when it is not the
individual but God who possesses the
person.[1] This
is possible in the life of all human persons irrespective of religion, state of
life whether single or married .
It is
unlikely that a person who has resolved to live in the state of virginity and
is moving deeper in union with God while
not living a complacent life –should feel a vocation to marriage. However if this does happen --as it is the paradigm of the present day
society, it may not be impossible to think of a possible dispensation from the
obligation to be celibate for serious
reasons.[2]The ‘prayer of consecration’ in the rite speaks about
the vocations of virginity or the
married life as gifts of God .If
she later feels a call to marriage
–perhaps there would be a shift in focus. She would then be an image of the
Church’s love for Christ as it is in the
theology of marriage, actualizing it with another person who would signify Christ. Vocation is a
freedom and not a burden imposed by the Lord.
Another identity may thus emerge or be
impressed on her without confusion. There would be a kind of re-alignment of
the seal/Design of God for her with some aspects/phrases fading and others
becoming more prominent –a change in the appearance and design of the seal of
consecration. The call to be a visible image of the Church
and its missionary dimension, maintaining an eschatological tension in
the world -may not be clearly expressed in a vocation to marriage as it would be lost in the sea of the vast
number of lay faithful. However what is
more fundamental is not ‘to be an image’ or ‘sign’ of the church’s love for Christ –which even married
couples ought to signify ---but to
really love God. Sometimes this may be missed in a complacent living as a
consecrated virgin. On the other hand, it may be possible to love God if she
feels a call to marriage which has its
own demands of chastity, provided she
continues in her call to service in
faithfulness to the fundamental call of every Christian.
Read ordo-virginum-my-research-article.html
Points for reflection
· In Early Christianity, there
was no specific Rite of Sacramental marriage.
In today’s world the Image of the
love between the Church and Christ
- should be manifest in the
witness of the lives of
Consecrated virgins as also by
Women and Men who are
sacramentally married. I am often amazed
at the witness of self-giving
love between a couple, especially
in Asian countries where
relationships still have a sense of
permanency, are valued and considered sacred. However, the influence
of Post-Christian culture in some parts of the world is rapidly influencing life in the cities in
Asia.
· Consecrated virginity that is
founded on mere romanticism and
feelings is empty. For the efficacy of the witness of OCV it requires an
active faith and desire to love God and love neighbour in tangible ways. This I personally think is
not happening around the world.
· Today’s Church needs the witness of sacramental marriage for stable families and of course with the long term effects of safeguarding
the Catholic Faith itself.
· Tradition
has believed the consecration of virgins as a true marriage with Christ
and hence permanent and
indispensable, just like sacramental marriage. If a valid marriage between a virgin and
Jesus Christ can be dispensed, there is no theology or reason for sacramentally married couples to be denied
divorce in the Church.
·
For those women who have received the consecration
to a life of virginity while the tradition
and theology of irrevocable commitment to celibacy in OCV has continued,
perhaps a dispensation to allow
them to remarry
sacramentally may become a grave
compromise on the mind of the
Church and the mind of Jesus Christ [ Mt
5: 31-32 ], creating a ‘Conscientious’
objection, although Canon Law has a
loophole since it does not mention consecrated virginity as an impediment for the validity of Sacrament of Matrimony.
· If the Church makes a formal definition respecting the permanence of
consecrated virginity as a marriage between Christ and the virgin for
those women who never feel called to sacramentally remarry, while also allowing a dispensation for those who
feel called to sacramental marriage
later, it should not create a conscientious objection.
