What is the Consecration of a Virgin?
The Consecration of a Virgin is one of the oldest sacramental in the Church,
and one of the
fruits of Vatican II was the restoration of this profound
blessing on virgins living in the world.
The promulgation of this restored Rite
for laywomen was on 31 May 1970. Through this
sacramental, the virgin, after
renewing her promise of perpetual virginity to God, is set
aside as a sacred
person who belongs only to Christ.
The acting agent in the Consecration is God Himself who accepts the virgin's
promise and
spiritually fructifies it through the action of the Holy Spirit.
This sacramental is reserved to the Bishop of the
diocese. The consecrated
virgin shares
intimately in the nature and mission of the Church--she is a
living image of the Church's
love for her Spouse while sharing in His redemptive
mission.
The consecrated virgin living in the world embodies a definitive vocation in
itself. She is
not a quasi-Religious, nor is she in a vocation that is in the
process of becoming a Religious
institute or congregation. She is a consecrated
woman, nevertheless, with her bishop as her
guide. By virtue of the
Consecration, she is responsible to pray for her diocese and clergy.
At no time
is her diocese responsible for her financial support.
The consecrated virgin living in the world, as expressed in Canon 604, is
irrevocably
"consecrated to God, mystically espoused to Christ and
dedicated to the service of the
Church, when the diocesan bishop consecrates
[her] according to the approved liturgical
rite." The consecrated virgin
attends Mass daily, prays the Divine Office, and spends much
time in private
prayer. She can choose the Church-approved spirituality she prefers to follow.
Supporting herself by earning her own living, the consecrated virgin is not
obliged to take on
any particular work or apostolate. Usually, consecrated
virgins in the United States volunteer
their time to their local parish,
diocese, or Church-sponsored association. Some volunteer
their time also in
civic responsibilities.
The
Code of Canon Law
Can. 588 §1 In itself, the state of consecrated life is neither clerical nor
lay.
Can. 599 The evangelical counsel of chastity embraced for the sake of the
Kingdom of heaven is a sign
of the world to come, and a source of greater
fruitfulness in an undivided heart. It involves the obligation
of perfect
continence observed in celibacy.
Can. 604 §1 The order of virgins is also to be added to these forms of
consecrated life. Through their
pledge to follow Christ more closely, virgins
are consecrated to God, mystically espoused to Christ and
dedicated to the
service of the Church, when the diocesan Bishop consecrates them according to
the
approved liturgical rite.
§2 Virgins
can be associated together to fulfill their pledge more faithfully, and to assist
each other to
serve the Church in a way that befits their state.
Who can be consecrated?
A woman living in the world who has never married or lived in open violation
of chastity, and
who by age, prudence, and good character is deemed suitable for
dedicating herself to a life
of chastity in the service of the Church and of her
neighbour may petition her bishop to
receive the Consecration. Her local Bishop
must admit her to this Consecration; it is he who
determines the conditions
under which the candidate is to undertake a life of perpetual
virginity lived in
the world. Usually, a woman who aspires to the consecration works with
a
spiritual director and has lived a private promise of perpetual virginity for
some years
before seeking the Consecration of a Virgin.
It is understood that a laywoman aspiring to the Consecration of a Virgin is
able to support
herself by work or pension or independent means and has provided
financially for her medical
care.
A woman aspiring to the Consecration should be practicing her faith. She
accepts the teaching
of the Church and Sacred Scripture, with a readiness and
capacity for personal growth. She
should be able to give herself totally to God
and the Church.
Questions
and Answers
Yes. Her bishop must
give permission for this and there must be a fitting place. Mass
should be
celebrated there twice monthly to keep before our eyes the connection
between
the Mass and the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament.
Mary's choice inspires consecrated virginity
The Blessed Mother's decision to commit herself completely to the Lord in
virginity was
the beginning and inspiration of consecrated virginity in the
Church
"Mary's virginal life inspires in the entire Christian people esteem
for the gift of virginity
and the desire that it should increase in the Church
as a sign of God's primacy over all
reality", the Holy Father said at the
General Audience of Wednesday, 7 August, as he
continued his reflection on
Mary's choice of virginity, the fruit of the Holy Spirit's grace.
Here is a
translation of his catechesis, which was the 29th in the series on the Blessed
Mother and was given in Italian.
1. The intention to remain a virgin, apparent in Mary's words at the moment
of the
Annunciation, has traditionally been considered the beginning and the
inspiration of Christian
virginity in the Church.
St Augustine does not see in this resolution the fulfillment of a divine
precept, but a vow
freely taken. In this way it was possible to present Mary as
an example to "holy virgins"
throughout the Church's history. Mary
"dedicated her virginity to God when she did not yet
know whom she would
conceive, so that the imitation of heavenly life in the earthly, mortal
body
would come about through a vow, not a precept, through a choice of love and not
through the need to serve" (De Sancta Virg., [V, PL 40:398).
The Angel does not ask Mary to remain a virgin; it is Mary who freely reveals
her intention of
virginity. The choice of love that leads her to consecrate
herself totally to the Lord by a life
of virginity is found in this commitment.
In stressing the spontaneity of Mary's decision, we must not forget that
God's initiative is at
the root of every vocation. By choosing the life of
virginity, the young girl of Nazareth was
responding to an interior call, that
is, to an inspiration of the Holy Spirit that enlightened her
about the meaning
and value of the virginal gift of herself. No one can accept this gift without
feeling called or without receiving from the Holy Spirit the necessary light and
strength.
Mary made a firm decision for virginity
2. Although St Augustine uses the word "vow" to show those he calls
"holy virgins" the first
example of their state of life, the Gospel
does not testify that Mary had expressly made a vow,
which is the form of
consecration and offering of one's life to God which has been in use since
the
early centuries of the Church. From the Gospel we learn that Mary made a
personal
decision to remain a virgin, offering her heart to the Lord. She wants
to be his faithful bride,
fulfilling her vocation as the "daughter of
Zion". By her decision however she becomes the
archetype of all those in
the Church who have chosen to serve the Lord with an undivided
heart in
virginity.
Neither the Gospels nor any other New Testament writings tell us when Mary
made the decision
to remain a virgin. However it is clearly apparent from her
question to the angel at the time
of the Annunciation that she had come to a
very firm decision. Mary does not hesitate to
express her desire to preserve her
virginity even in view of the proposed motherhood,
showing that her intention
had matured over a long period.
Indeed, Mary's choice of virginity was not made in the unforeseeable prospect
of becoming the
Mother of God, but developed in her consciousness before the
Annunciation. We can suppose
that this inclination was always present in her
heart: the grace which prepared her for virginal
motherhood certainly influenced
the whole growth of her personality, while the Holy Spirit did
not fail to
inspire in her, from her earliest years, the desire for total union with God.
3. The marvels God still works today in the hearts and lives of so many young
people were first
realized in Mary's soul. Even in our world, so distracted by
the attractions of a frequently
superficial and consumerist culture, many
adolescents accept the invitation that comes from
Mary's example and consecrate
their youth to the Lord and to the service of their brothers and
sisters.
This decision is the choice of greater values, rather than the renunciation
of human values. In
this regard, in his Apostolic Exhortation Marialis cultus
my venerable predecessor Paul VI
emphasizes how anyone who looks at the
witness of the Gospel with an open mind "will
appreciate that Mary's choice
of the state of virginity ... was not a rejection of any of the
values of the
married state but a courageous choice which she made in order to consecrate
herself totally to the love of God" (n. 37). In short, the choice of the
virginal state is motivated
by full adherence to Christ. This is particularly
obvious in Mary. Although before the
Annunciation she is not conscious of it,
the Holy Spirit inspires her virginal consecration in view
of Christ: she
remains a virgin to welcome the Messiah and Saviour with her whole being. The
virginity begun in Mary thus reveals its own Christocentric dimension, essential
also for virginity
lived in the Church, which find, its sublime model in the
Mother of Christ. If her personal
virginity, linked to the divine motherhood,
remains an exceptional fact, it gives light and
meaning to every gift of
virginity.
Consecrated virginity is source of spiritual fruitfulness
4. How many young women in the Church's history, as they contemplate the
nobility and beauty
of the virginal heart of the Lord's Mother, have felt
encouraged to respond generously to God's
call by embracing the ideal of
virginity! "Precisely such virginity", as I recalled in the Encyclical
Redemptoris Mater, "after the example of the Virgin of Nazareth, is
the source of a special
spiritual fruitfulness: it is the source of motherhood
in the Holy Spirit." (n. 43).
Mary's virginal life inspires in the entire Christian people esteem for the
gift of virginity and the
desire that it should increase in the Church as a sign
of God's primacy over all reality and as a
prophetic anticipation of the life to
come. Together let us thank the Lord for those who still
today generously
consecrate their lives in virginity to the service of the kingdom of God.
At the same time, while in various regions evangelized long ago hedonism and
consumerism
seem to dissuade many young people from embracing the consecrated
life, we must incessantly
ask God through Mary's intercession for a new
flowering of religious vocations. Thus the face of
Christ's Mother, reflected in
the many virgins who strive to follow the divine Master, will
continue to be the
sign of God's mercy and tenderness for humanity.
L'Osservatore Romano August 21,
1996
Reprinted with permission.
COMPARISON
OF THE CONSECRATION OF VIRGINS
LIVING IN THE WORLD WITH RELIGIOUS PROFESSION
THE CONSECRATION OF VIRGINS
1. The virgin is
consecrated (dedicated) by God; passive; is open to and surrenders to
God's action
2. The bishop
receives the virgin in the name of Christ for the Church
3. Presupposes the
promise (resolve) of perpetual virginity
4. The virgin lives in the world in a lifestyle
that does not endanger or hinder her fulfilment of her
role and position
in the Church
5. As the Church is bride of Christ (Eph. 5:23-33),
the consecrated virgin is the visible sign of this
brideship and becomes
in a special way an open channel of blessings for the whole Church
6. She is morally obliged to live in accord with
the graces received at Consecration. She is to
live in the state of one
espoused to Christ, i.e., to make action in union with Christ the
substance of her daily living
RELIGIOUS PROFESSION
1. The virgin consecrates (dedicates) herself to God; active; a binding of
oneself to certain actions,
a legal contract
2. Vows are received by the superior or bishop in the name of the Church
3. The vow of chastity is made
4. By vows of obedience and poverty the religious binds herself to live in
community
5. The religious becomes a special servant of the Church according to the
purpose of her
Order or Congregation
6. She is morally obliged to fulfil the promises of her vows according to
their interpretation by
her Order or Congregation
