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The Congregation for Institutes of
Consecrated life and societies of Apostolic Life: CIVCSA
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THE ROMAN CURIA
In the exercise of its supreme, full and immediate power over the
universal Church, the Roman Pontiff
uses Dicasters of the Roman Curia;
it is thus in his name and by his authority that the latter fulfil their
charge for the good of the Churches and the service of its pastors.
CHRISTUS DOMINUS, 9
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CIVCSA is
one of the Congregations
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One
dicaster of the Roman Curia:
the Congregations |
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http://www.vatican.va/ |
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccscrlife/index.htm |
History
Founded by Pope Sixtus V, on 27 May 1586, as the "Sacred Congregation
for Regulars" and confirmed by the Constitution "Immensa" (15 January
1588) it was united in 1601 to the "Sacred Congregation for Bishops and
other prelates".
Saint Pius X, by the Constitution "Sapienti Consilio" (29 June 1908)
separated the two institutions once more, submitted the bishops to
the Consistory and made the Congregation for Religious autonomous
The Constitution "Regimini Ecclesiae Universae" of Paul VI, of 15
August 1967, gave the Congregation for Religious the name "Congregation
for Religious and Secular Institutes".
The Constitution "Pastor Bonus" of John Paul II, of 28 June 1988,
changed this name to "Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life
and Societies of Apostolic Life", CIVCSVA.
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The Congregation is
responsible for everything which concerns institutes of consecrated life
(orders and religious congregations, both of men and of women, secular
institutes) and societies of apostolic life regarding their government,
discipline, studies, goods, rights, and privileges.
It is competent also for matters regarding the
eremetical life, consecrated virgins and their related associations, and
new forms of consecrated life. Its competence extends to all aspects of
consecrated life: Christian life, religious life, clerical life; the
relationship is of a personal character and has no territorial limits;
certain determined questions of their members, however, are remanded to
the competence of other Congregations. This Congregation also can
dispense those who are subject to it from the common law. Further, it is
competent for associations of the faithful erected with the intention of
becoming institutes of consecrated life or societies of apostolic life,
and for Third Orders Secular.
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Religious Institutes
The Religious State is a public and complete state of Consecrated
Life . To the precepts common to all the faithful are added the
three evangelical counsels, generally called, chastity, poverty,
obedience, taken on by perpetual or temporary vows to be renewed on
their expiry date (can. 607 § 2), but always public, that is to
say received as such by the Church (can. 1192 § 1). The Religious
State is involves fraternal life in community and separation from
the world which is proper to the character and end of each Institute
(can. 607 § 2 and 3).
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Institutes of Consecrated Life
Societies of Apostolic Life
Religious Institutes and Secular Institutes are the two main
categories which the make up the State of Life consecrated by the
profession of the evangelical counsels in the Church; in certain
aspects the Societies of Apostolic life (can. 731 § 1) have a
canonical legislation similar to that which rules the Institutes of
Consecrated Life, while forming a category apart.
Those lay people and clerics who take on the evangelical counsels
by a sacred connection are also considered as consecrated, becoming
thus members of an Institute of consecrated Life (can. 573 § 2).
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Societies of Apostolic Life
Societies of Apostolic Life, formerly called "Societies of common
life without vows" in the Code of Canon Law of 1917, are defined
thus by the Code promulgated in 1983, in canon 731 § 1 and 2:
"Side by side with the Institutes of Consecrated Life are found
the Societies of Apostolic Life , whose members, without Religious
vows, pursue an apostolic end proper to their Society and, taking on
fraternal life in common tend, according to their proper mode of
life, to the perfection of charity by the observation of their
Constitutions.
There are among them Societies whose members take on the evangelical
counsels by a certain connection defined by the Constitutions".
Saint Philip Neri perhaps considered as the father of Societies of
masculine apostolic life such as we know them today and Saint
Vincent de Paul that of the feminine Societies.
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Secular Institutes
The beginnings of these Institutes go back to the end of the XVIth
century, although their judicial recognition and their
insertion among the States of Consecrated Life approved by the
Church only dates back to 2 February 1947 with the Apostolic
Constitution Provida Mater Ecclesia.
The faithful consecrated to God in the secular institutes
practise the "sequela Christi" in taking on the Evangelical Counsels by a sacred connection, dedicating their lives to Christ and to
the Church and trying to contribute above all to the sanctification
of the world from the inside of it (can. 710).
The word "secular" underlines the fact that those persons who
take on this State of Consecrated Life do not change their condition
in the world and continue to live and act in the midst of the people
of God, in their usual social context (can. 711; can. 713 § 2),
according to the secular mode of life which is theirs.
Secular Institutes can be made up of clerics or lay people,
masculine or feminine.
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CIVCSVA, 3 Place Pie XII, 00193 Rome, Italy
His Eminence the Cardinal Prefect +39. 06.69884121
His Excellency Mgr the Archbishop Secretary
+39.
06. 69884584
Informations:
+39. 06. 69884128 +39. 06. 69884980
Fax: +39. 06. 69884526
E-mail: civcsva.pref@ccscrlife.va (Préfet)
civcsva.segr@ccscrlife.va (Secrétaire)
vati059@ccscrlife.va (information)
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Federations of Institutes of
Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
The premier general Congress of the States of perfection,
gathered together in Rome in the first days of December of the Holy
Year 1950, invited the Religious and Secular Institutes, masculine
and feminine from each country to join together in Federations,
Conferences or Councils of Major Superiors. This organisation of
pontifical right quickly spread to all the countries (can. 708).
The Conferences of Major Superiors have
their own Statutes approved by the Holy See who erected them (can.
709). There are also worldwide Unions (of men and women General
Superiors) and Continental (in Latin America and in Europe) approved
by the Apostolic See.
The Dicaster gave a judicial personality to the World Conference of
Secular Institutes CMIS, on the 23 May 1974.
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Role of the Vatican authorities in Consecrated Life:
UCESM has close connections with CIVSVA, see:
UCESM and CIVCSA, the Conferences of Major
Superiors
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Next page:
OIC |
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