Rule of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites
Foreword
All
people are called to share, through charity, the holiness which
belongs to God alone: "You must be perfect as your heavenly Father is
perfect." Matthew 5: 48
The
way to the attainment of perfection, which is opened to all by
baptism, lies in the following of Christ; but Christ's grace can take
many forms, and there is in consequence, among those in quest of
holiness, a variety of gifts and charisms, which not only reflect the
boundless wealth of the mystery of God but also give rise to a great
diversity of personal vocations within the Church of the Lord.
Thus
the religious vocation is given only to those whom God has especially
marked out, but the gift, which they have received, becomes the
common heritage of the People of God.
One
finds in the ecclesial charisms of the religious life an inspiration
to holiness, a call to heavenly realities, a light and a support on
the road to the perfection of charity.
It
is no wonder, therefore, that in harmony with the divine economy of
grace and charisms in the Church, the different religious families
become schools of sanctity not only for their own members but also for
many of the faithful. For these the grace of their particular vocation,
together with the spiritual relationship it includes, permits their
finding in the religious family, which they prefer and choose,
effective inspiration and sustenance both for their interior life and
also for their apostolic endeavors, in circumstances proper to their
state of secular life.
Through
the canonical establishment of these Secular or Third Orders, the
Religious Orders recognize and ratify the desire of these faithful,
whether lay or cleric, to a participation in their own proper charisms.
They receive them into their own religious family, placing at their
disposition their own heritage of teaching and evangelical life, and at
the same time offer them fraternal aid and spiritual direction.
By
their very nature then the Secular Orders are intended to subserve
the secular state of life of their members, not to change it. For this
reason the formal and juridical structures are kept to a minimum.
The
main obligation which the Secular Orders impose on their members is
one of fidelity to the charism of their respective parent Orders; in
fact, the Secular members share in full the Order's ideals, its grace
and spiritual heritage, but at the same time enjoy a sufficiency of
autonomy from every style of life proper to religious together with
full appreciation of their secular state of life.
The
juridical bonds which unite the Secular Order to the Religious Order
are, therefore, a sign and a guarantee of a living spiritual communion
which respects the secular character of the institution. Their
purpose is precisely to inspire and assist the secular members to
carry out in the Church and in the world the manifold duties incumbent
upon them as Christians.
Finally,
all the Secular Orders are in fact united in the pursuit of
evangelical perfection in answer to the call to holiness received in
Baptism, and all serve the universal Church, though each according to
its proper charism.
The
Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, or Third Order of Teresian
Carmel, welcomes, therefore, those of the faithful who, by special
vocation, undertake to live in the world and evangelical life of
fraternal communion imbued with the spirit of contemplative prayer, in
imitation of the Virgin Mary, and animated with apostolic zeal
according to the example and teaching of Carmelite saints.
It
is the mission of the Secular Carmelites, called as they are to a
life both contemplative and apostolic, to carry into the world the
distinctive witness of Carmel: "The Lord of Hosts lives, before whom I
stand" 1 Kings 17,1.
ARTICLES
The Nature of the Secular Order
Art. 1
The
Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites is an association of the
faithful who undertake the pursuit of evangelical perfection in the
world. The Christian Life of the members is inspired and nourished by
the spirituality and guidance of the Teresian Carmel.
The
Secular Order forms an integral part of the Carmelite family; its
members are therefore sons and daughters of the Order, and share in
fraternal communion, though in a state of life essentially different
from that of religious, its same vocation of holiness and is mission in
the Church.
Art. 2
The
Secular Order of the Discalced Carmelites sets before its members
ideals, based upon the charisms and teachings of the Order's Founders,
which constitute their particular way in Christian holiness. These are:
a deep sense of faith in God's love; fidelity to contemplative prayer
with the spirit of detachment it entails; and generosity in the
practice of fraternal charity and the apostolate. They will place
themselves under our Lady's protection, and endeavor to live out those
ideals in her presence.
Art. 3
The
members of the Secular Order will normally belong to recognized
Groups or Communities. (Cf. Sec. III Local Statutes for U.S.A.) This
manner of organization best expresses their community of ideals,
provides them with valuable spiritual aids and facilitates, to the
advantage of both sides, contact with the entire Order.
The Daily Life
Art. 4
Faithful
to the Lord's invitation and to His example of praying without
ceasing, and also to the Carmelite Rule's central command "to meditate
on God's law day and night and to watch in prayer, the Secular
Carmelites will prefer before all else to remain in the presence of
God, continual fulfilling His holy will.
They
will therefore make it their constant care to foster not only the
spirit of prayer, but also the exercise of prayer. They will practice
prayer itself for at least half an hour each day in an atmosphere of
interior silence and solitude. They will be careful to let the hearing
of God's word, especially in the Church's liturgy and in the exercise
of spiritual reading, increase in them that "surpassing knowledge of
Jesus Christ" (Phil. 3,8) that flows from the true sources of Christian
and Carmelite spirituality.
Art. 5
The
liturgical life, as a perennial participation in the Paschal Mystery,
nourishes the Secular Carmelites in their daily commitment to follow
Christ crucified and risen. It leads toward an ever more perfect union
with God, by making the pains and joys of their life an offering of
praise and glory to God.
Their
liturgical life will express itself chiefly through participation in
the Eucharist and in the celebration of the Church's Divine Office.
They will, as far as possible, join in the celebration of daily Mass,
and each day recite Morning and Evening Prayer (Lauds and Vespers)
from the Breviary; if possible they will recite Night Prayer
(Compline) before retiring.
For good reason, other prayers may be substituted for the Office.
The
Secular Carmelite will, in addition, have a great esteem for the
Sacrament of Penance, or Reconciliation, and practice, as fare as
possible, acts of traditional Christian piety. These may be specified by
particular statutes for local observance.
Art. 6
The
Secular Carmelites highly esteem the invitation of the Lord to deny
themselves willingly, to take up their cross daily and follow Him. they
will therefore, gladly mortify themselves in union with the sacrifice
of Christ, remembering too our Holy Mother Teresa's remark that
"prayer cannot be accompanied by self-indulgence: (Way of Perfection
4.2).
The
Secular Carmelites will be especially faithful tot he Church's
penitential discipline. They will also, in accordance with the
promptings of grace and as far as circumstances allow, make use of other
means of mortification, particularly on those days and at those
seasons that have a distinctive penitential character.
Special local statutes will lay down more precise rules concerning forms of mortification.
Art. 7
The
Blessed Virgin Mary is present in a very special way in the life of
Carmelites. She is, first of all, their model in listening to the Lord
and serving Him. She is also Mother of the whole Order, which enjoys
her special patronage.
The
Secular Carmelites' interior life must be permeated by an intense
devotion to Our Lady. This will be manifested by honoring her daily by
some particular act, and by wearing the holy Scapular of Carmel. This
may, however, for good reason, be replaced by the Scapular medal.
Art. 8
Prayer
and the apostolate, when they are genuine, are inseparable, and each
profits the other. The Secular Carmelites are therefore bound to the
fervent practice of fraternal charity and must take their share of
apostolic responsibility in the Church in the world.
With
this object, the Secular Carmelites will first of all seek to
intensify their personal union with God, and to bear witness to Christ
by their life of prayer. They are also free to engage in any type of
apostolic activity. They will dedicate themselves especially to the
promotion of priestly and religious vocations, and collaborate in the
Order's activities and undertakings. All these activities will be
evaluated and made more precise by local statutes according to the
various geographical regions.
Art. 9
The
primitive Church, the members of which were "of one heart and soul"
(Acts 4,32) is the model upon which the Secular Order bases its
community life. The Secular Carmelites should cultivate fraternal
relations with the other members of their religious family, and bear in
mind that, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, their fidelity to
their vocation contributes to the growth of each of them.
The
Secular Carmelites should share the sufferings of their fellow
members, especially those who are in greater need, and should offer
suffrages for those who are dead, in accordance with local Statutes.
The
local Communities of the Secular Order should normally meet once a
month to provide for the permanent formation of all members by a
spiritual conference for the group, to transact business of the Order,
to pray together, and to further fraternal charity. Other meetings, for
retreats, spiritual exercises and conferences, etc., are to be
encouraged.
Formation
Art. 10
Those
members of the Church who are called by the Lord, are free from
impediments, and conscientiously accept this special vocation and the
Rule of Life offered by the Secular Order, can apply to be admitted to a
Community, and accepted by the competent authority.
After
sufficient contact with the Community, the candidate is admitted for a
period of formation, which normally extends for two years before the
temporary Promise, and for another three years before the definitive
Promise.
The age and other requirements for admission are determined in local Statutes. (Cf. Sec. III Local Statutes for U.S.A.)
Art. 11
The candidate is admitted to the Order by means of the Promise, which he makes in the presence of the assembled Community.
The formula is as follows:
I,(name),
inspired by the Holy Spirit, in response to God's call, sincerely
promise to the Superiors of the order of Teresian Carmel and to you , my
brothers and sisters, to tend toward evangelical perfection in the
spirit of the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty, obedience, and
of the Beatitudes, according to the Rule of the Secular Order of
Discalced Carmelites, for three years. I confidently entrust this, my
Promise, to the Virgin Mary, Mother and Queen of Carmel.
After
three years from the first Promise, the candidate makes the
definitive Promise using the same formula but substituting "for the
rest for my life" instead of "for three years."
Art. 12
The
Promise of chastity binds the Secular Carmelites to the observance of
this virtue in accordance with their state in life, and does not in
any way impede a change of state. The promise expresses a conscious
intention to respect the law of God in a way proper to the unmarried,
married or widowed state, as the case may be, and to bear especial
witness, as befits those called to intimacy with God, to the Beatitude:
"Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God." Matthew. 5:8
Art. 13
By
virtue of their Promise, the Secular Carmelites should have a
particular esteem for the Beatitude of poverty. They should love it as
Christ loved it. In their daily effort to live according to the Gospel,
they should try to realize what a wealth of generosity, self-denial,
and above all hope and interior liberty, poverty makes available to
them. In poverty they will find the way to union with Him who, "though
He was rich, yet for our sake became poor: [2 Cor. 8:9] out of love
for us, and Who "emptied Himself [Phil. 2:7] to be at the service of
His brethren.
Art. 14
The
Promise of obedience binds the Secular Carmelites to the observance
of whatever the legitimate authority - the General or Provincial of
the Order, or the Council of the Community - may lay down in
accordance with, and within the limits of, the present Rule.
This
Promise will provide the Secular Carmelites with the grace to become
interiorly more responsive to the will of God. By manifesting His will
through human spokesmen, He purifies our faith, and smoothes the way
to union with Him Who, for love of us, "became obedient unto death
[Phil. 2:8].
Art. 15
One
year after having made the definitive Promise, the Secular Carmelite,
who so requests it, may be permitted to take the Vows of chastity and
obedience. These Vows are understood and interpreted in the same way
as the Promise in Articles 12 and 14.
The
Vows add to the observance of chastity and obedience the merit of the
virtue of religion. They constitute a more complete offering of
oneself and therefore entail a greater moral responsibility. They are
made with the following formula:
I,(name),
in order to live in union with the Virgin Mary in following Jesus
Christ, make a vow of chastity and obedience to God in the hands of the
Superior of the Order of Teresian Carmel according to the Rule of the
Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites for the rest of my life.
Art. 16
The
Promise, and above all, the Vows, in themselves establish a fixed and
permanent obligation. For grave reasons, however, the Council of the
Community may dismiss a member. A member may also, for a sufficient
reason, ask to leave the Order, in which case the Council should consent
and release him form his Promise and his Vows. The Council should not
dismiss anyone, however, nor should any member leave the Order,
without a previous fraternal explanation. (Cf. Article 21.)
The annual renewal of the Promise will be made at a meeting of the Community during the Easter Season.
Art. 17
For
serious reasons the General or Provincial of the Order, or the
Religious duly delegated by them, may within the limits of their
respective jurisdictions, admit isolated members into the Secular Order.
Isolated Secular Carmelites should follow in its entirety the present Rule of Life except that which concerns community life.
Structure
Art. 18
The Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites is basically structured on the local Community, which is a visible sign of the Church.
The
individual Communities are canonically established by the authority
of the Order, with which they maintain fraternal communion and a
sincere docility of spirit.
Art. 19
The General Definitory interprets the Rule of Life and also approves and interprets the local Statutes.
The
Superior General, however, establishes the local Communities and
makes pastoral visitations. He likewise has the authority to dispense,
in particular cases, from the Rule of Life and the Local Statutes and
can grant juridical sanctions. He has the power to resolve cases
which were not foreseen by the Rule and are considered otherwise
insoluble by local authorities.
The
Father General is assisted in his responsibilities by the General
Secretary of the Secular Order. It is the duty of the General Secretary
to further relations between the Religious and the Secular Order, and
to maintain contacts with the Delegates and Assistants so that the
vitality of the Secular Order may be assured by suitable common
initiatives.
Art. 20
The
Provincial Superior, usually with the aid of a Delegate, is
responsible for the welfare of the Secular Order within the limits of
his jurisdiction. He should make pastoral visitations of the
Communities, and, after due consultation with their Councils, appoint
their Assistant.
In case of disputes, appeal will be made in the first instance to the Father Provincial.
Art. 21
The
Assistant to each local Community should normally be a priest of the
Order, appointed by the Provincial. His duty is to give spiritual aid
to the Community so that its members may be guided in their vocation,
and may correspond with it as perfectly as possible, especially during
the period of Formation.
He
will assist the Community's Council, though he has no right to vote.
He is, however, the Order's representative, and as such his explicit
confirmation is necessary for the acceptance of members or their
dismissal from the Secular Order; for the making of the Promise and the
Vows, as well as their release from them; and finally for the election
of the Director of Formation.
Art. 22
Where
it is necessary to appoint an Assistant who is not a member of the
Order, he should be designated by the General or the Provincial, within
the limits of their respective jurisdiction, and always with the
consent of the candidate's own superior.
Art. 23
Every
three years each local Community of the Secular Order, composed of
those who have made at least the temporary Promise, elects its President
and three Councilors. These four officers, with the consent of the
Assistant, elect the Director of Formation.
The
President, the three Councilors and the Director of Formation form
the Council of the Community, which will in turn elect a Secretary and
a Treasurer.
The
procedure of these elections is to be established by local statute.
It should safeguard the complete liberty of the electors, should
respect the preference of the majority, and should ensure that the
responsibilities of office are suitably alternated. In the absence of
local statutes the common law of the Church is to be observed.
Art. 24
The
Council constitutes the immediate authority of the Community; its
decisions, within the limits of the Rule, are to be obeyed by the virtue
of the Promise and the Vows.
The Council should, above all else, see to the growth, both Christian and Carmelite, of the members of the Community.
It is the competent authority to:
a) admit candidates to Formation, the Promise and the Vows;
b) reduce, for just reasons, the period of Formation before the temporary Promise, with the consent of the Provincial;
c) convene the Community for the triennial elections;
d) replace, for serious reasons, a member of the Council itself;
e) dismiss a member of the Community, should this be necessary (cf. Article 21);
f)
receive an isolated member who gives up his isolated state and asks
to be admitted to a Community, and determine the conditions for this;
g) receive a member who for valid reasons, requests a transfer from another Community;
h)
if a matter should arise that falls outside its own competence, the
Council has the duty of bringing it to the notice of the proper
authority.
The Council will meet regularly twice a year, and at other times as the occasion may demand.
Art. 25
The
President, elected from among those who have made the definite
Promise, has the duty to convoke and preside over the meetings of the
Community. He will show a spirit of fraternal service toward all the
members of the Community.
The
President will designate those who are to carry out duties in the
Community like visiting the sick members and other useful services. He
will see to it that these duties are carried out and take care that
charity reigns in all sectors.
The
President will aid the Assistant and the Director of Formation in
their respective duties, and in case of necessity, may take their place
temporarily.
Art. 26
It
is the duty of the Director of Formation, in collaboration with the
Assistant, to prepare candidates for the temporary and definitive
Promise. He should imbue them with a genuinely evangelical and Carmelite
spirituality and see that they have a knowledge of the present Rule
of Life and of the Local Statutes.
The
Director of Formation will, when necessary, temporarily take the
place of the President of the Community, whatever the function to be
performed.
Art. 27
The
Secretary is to have charge of the record books of the elections, of
the admissions to the Secular Order, to the Promise and the Vows. He
is to keep these up-to-date, present them for inspection by the
Council at its half-yearly meetings, and to the whole Community at the
triennial elections. He will be present, if asked, but without the
right to vote, at the Council's meetings, and will record the
proceedings. He will be ready to perform any duty appropriate to his
office that might be requested of him by the President.
Art. 28
It
is the duty of the Treasurer to have charge of and administer the
funds collected under the directions of the Council and Community.
Expenses
involved in the apostolic and charitable undertakings of the
Community should be met by the contributions of the members, according
to their means.
Art. 29
Other
structures and organisms, on a regional, national, or international
level, in harmony with the present Rule of Life can be introduced,
according to their usefulness and convenience, with the previous
approval of the General Definitory of the Order.
This
also holds for the collection of norms and official interpretations
of the present Rule of Life of the Secular Order of the Teresian
Carmel that are destined for particular geographical or cultural
areas.
Source:
