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Understandingthe religiousvows
Jean-Marie HYACINTHE QUENUM1
,SJ.
Those whoare keenlyinterestedinreligiouslifeinthe RomanCatholicChurchmaywant to understand
the excitingexperiencesbehindthe religiousvowsof poverty,celibacy andobedience.
The vowedlife inthe RomanCatholicChurchisa response toGod’s call to follow Christpoor,celibate
and obedient.
It bearswitnesstothe Kingdomof God preachedandlivedbyJesusof Nazarethwhorejectedfor
humanauthenticfulfillmentwealth,pleasure,prestigeandpower.
By livingpoor,celibateandobedient,religious,male andfemale, share the lifeof the poor,opentheir
heartto the plightof the needyandserve God’speople infriendshipand incommunionwithall.
In whichhistorical andtheological contexts,emerged the religiousvowsof poverty,celibacy and
obedience?
What are the humanand biblical foundationsof the religiousvowsof poverty,celibacy andobedience?
How dowe understandinourpostmodernandmulticultural world the religiousvowsof poverty,
celibacy andobedience?
We will explore the values of the vowsof poverty,celibacy andobedience byreflectingaboutthe
mannersinwhichtheyare lived accordingtothe Church’sstatutesconcerningreligiouslifeandtothe
variousreligiouscommunities’ Constitutions.
The aim of thisreflectionhasapractical purpose.Itrelatesthe vowsof poverty,celibacyandobedience
to the radical followingof Christ inordertobuildupthe Kingdomof God.
The vowedlife isalsoa concrete and privilegedexpressionof religiousprojectof life.
The religiousprojectof life isalifestylethatfreesthe vowedperson forGod’s service inacommunity
involved inChrist’smission.
1. The story of the religiousvowsof poverty,celibacy and obedience inthe Roman Catholic
Church
The bestapproach to understand the religiousvowsinthe RomanCatholicChurch isto study the
historical andtheological contextsinwhichtheyemerged.
In the fourthcentury,some followersof JesusChristinspiredbythe HolySpirittookthe initiative to
advocate for a newlife style inthe Church closertothe spontaneousinspirationof the Gospel.
1 Jean-Marie HYACINTHE QUENUM is Doctor in Theology and JesuitNovices Master in BAFOUSSAM-Cameroon.

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Theywantedto follow closely the exampleof Jesusandhisfirstdisciples.
By protestingagainstthe establishedChurchof the Constantine era,Spirit-filledpeoplegave birthto
Christianreligiouslife.
The spiritof the Gospel hasledmenand womentoconsecrate themselvestothe Lord JesusChristin
religiouscommunitiesin ordertosearchand findGod’swill infraternal communion.
Religiouslife inthe beginningrequiredaninteriorattitude of total availability toGodinobedience, in
celibacy andinthe spiritof povertylivedinfraternalcommunion.
Before beingapublicprofessionof vowsof poverty,celibacy andobedience,religiouslifewasthe self-
donationof the consecratedpersontothe Lord JesusChristin the line of baptismin communionwith
the membersof a specificreligiouscommunity eithercontemplative oractive.
The vowsof poverty,celibacy andobedience are exteriorexpressionsof the projectof religiouslife.
The projectof religiouslife impliestotal self-donationandradical availability excludingmarriage,any
humanexclusiverelationshipandgenital expressionof sexuality.
The projectof religiouslife freesforintimacywithGodanddeepensthe fellowshipthatenablestobe at
the service of the Church andsociety.
The projectof religiouslife isbasedonGod’sgrace of imitatingChristlivedinafraternal community.
Like any humanproject,the projectof religiouslife isariskyadventure of faithrequiringcourage,hope
and interiorfreedom.
A religiousvowed life isradical followingof Christ inaparticularcommunitywhere the memberschoose
to have an expansivelove forwhoevertheyministertoinsteadof beinginvolvedinanexclusive
relationshipof love.
To live poor,celibate andobedientistochoose tobe like JesusChrist,the revealedSonof God, outof
love forhim.
By livingamonghumanbeings,JesusChrist,the incarnatedGodhasrevealedtohisfollowersthatGodis
the mysteryof the communionof the three divine personsFather,SonandHolySpirit.
Father,Sonand HolySpirit as distinctdivine persons are neverseparated.Theylive inclose friendship
withone another. Asco-equals,Father,SonandHolySpiritare totallyinlove withthe worldtheyhave
createdand theykeepsharingtheirdivine lovewithall createdbeings invitedtoshare theirfellowship.
The aim of the incarnationof the divine Sonof Godis to introduce the TrinitarianGodtohumanbeings
so that theymaylive incommunitiesof freedom,fellowshipandjustice.
By dyingon the cross outof love forhumanbeings,JesusChrististhe supreme revelationof God’slove
for humanbeings.

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Throughhishuman life,JesusChristhasmanifestedGod’swayof life throughhiswords,actions,
ministry,passion,deathandresurrection.
JesusChrist’swayof life was poor,celibate andobedient.Hisentire life wasorientedtowardthe Father
to whomhe receivedintrusteverythinghe needsforhismissiononearth. The missionof Jesuswasto
dedicate hislife tothe worksof salvationtowardthe needy,the sickandthe sinners.
Religiouslife-projectisaboutsharingGod’scall to keepalive the memoryof the Gospel inthe midstof
the worldby stressingthe valuesof the Kingdomof God.
The valuesof the Kingdomof God are aboutcaring forGod’s people,sharingworldlygoodsandbuilding
up a communityof love afterthe divine loveof the TrinitarianGod.
Religiouslife projectisanattemptto incarnate divine Trinitarianloveinhistorical ecclesial communities.
2. The human and biblical foundationsof vowedlife.
Christianreligiouslife shareswiththe worldreligionssome commonvaluessuchasliberatingascetic
life,contemplation,frugality,sexualabstinence,God’squest,the questof the meaningof human
existence andthe searchof interiority.
But the originalityof Christianreligiousliferesidesinthe factthatsome baptizedtouchedbythe
commoncall to love God and the neighborchoose tolive radicallylike Christ,the revelationof God’s
love forthe world.
Thenwe can affirmwithoutdoubtthat Jesusof Nazareththroughhissimple,celibate andobedientlife
has inspiredthe vowedlifeof Christianreligiouscommunities.
The Christianreligiouscommunities are committedtolive radically like Jesus andhisfirstdisciples (Luke
9,23; Matthew16, 24;Luke 14, 26; Luke 14,33; Matthew 5, 29- 30; Matthew 19, 12) .
Theyhold worldlygoodsincommon anduse themmoderately withoutsearchingfortheirownsecurity
and comfort.
They share togetherthe valuesof the Kingdomof Godin fraternal communitythatseeksthe willof God
throughtheirparticularauthoritystructures of leadership.
Theyfindthe will of Godby correlatingthe Scripture totheirlife events andsituations.
Theyare opento the inspirationsof the Holy Spiritthatanimatestheirdiscernmentunderstoodinthe
frameworkof the livingconstitutions orrulesof theirfounders approvedbythe RomanCatholicChurch.
The membersof Christianreligiouscommunitieschoose the celibatelife byexpandingtheirlove beyond
an exclusiverelationship. TheydiscernGod’swillbypayingattention the missionentrustedbyGodto
theirparticularcommunities.

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The foundationof Christianreligiouslifeisthe spiritual desiretobe like Christwhodedicatedhislife to
the missionentrustedbyhisFatherbyassociatinghisdisciplestoa communitythatintroducesthe
Trinitarianlove of Godto the whole world.
The vowedlife isthe concrete expressionof Christiancommonvocationspecifiedradicallyinreligious
communitiesbyinspiredfounders
3. The Vowedlife intoday’s world.
The traditional wayof speakingof vowedlifemayseemoutdatedinourpostmodern andmulticultural
world.
The vowedlife isjustaradical commitmenttothe Gospel. Historically,Christianreligiouslifehasbeen
the livingmemoryof the Gospel.Christianreligiouscommunitiesthroughouthistoryhave emphasized
the heart of the Gospel whichis the sharingGod’s Trinitarianlove.
Throughthe vowof poverty,the radical followersof Christholdincommonthe valuesof the Kingdomof
God by embodyingtheirlifestyleinasimple lifeof fraternal solidarity.
Through the vowof celibacy,the radical followersof Christdevelopby choice the strongestpossible
love of God and neighborincarnatedinintense prayerlife incommunitiesthatseektoministerthe
woundedof life.
By livingcompassionatelytheircelibacy,radical followersof Christ strive toheal the dividedhumanityby
expandinglovingrelationshipsbeyondrace,ethnicity,classandgender.
Throughthe vowof obedience,radical followersof Christare discerningpeople seekingthe will of God
ininteractionwiththe leadershipstructure of theircommunitiesultimately ruledbythe Gospel,the
HolySpiritand adultdecisionmakingprocess of fellow religiousincommunion.
Concludingremarks
Livinga vowedlife of poverty,celibacyandobedience isrelatedtoa specificprojectof communal life
that keepsalive the memoryof the Gospel.
Radical followersof Christchoose the vowedlifeasa charismaticexpressionof the commoncall to
discipleship.
Theyprofessvowsof poverty,celibacyandobedience inavarietyof waysto live theirlove of Godandof
neighborasa commitmenttopursue Christ’smissionbyfollowingcloselyhislifestyle.
Religiouscommunitiesare countercultural communitiesprotestingagainst,individualism, materialism,
consumerism,negative ethnicity,classdivideandinjustices.
Theystand forfellowship,justice andsolidarityinsmall unitsof equals.

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Vowedlife liberates religiousandallowsthemtocare forGod’s people bysharingtheirdedicatedlives
for the sake of the Kingdomof God.