In the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, a secular institute is one of the forms of
consecrated life recognized in
Church law (
1983 Code of Canon Law
The 1983 ''Code of Canon Law'' (abbreviated 1983 CIC from its Latin title ''Codex Iuris Canonici''), also called the Johanno-Pauline Code, is the "fundamental body of Ecclesiastical Law, ecclesiastical laws for the Latin Church". It is the sec ...
Canons 710–730).
Secular consecrated persons profess the
Evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty, and obedience while living in the world, as compared to members of a religious institute who belong to a particular congregations, often with specific apostolates.
Description
"We are the newest vocation in the Catholic Church, and many say we are the vocation of the new millennium."
The historical origins of these institutes go back to the end of the sixteenth century, even though their juridic recognition as a state of consecrated life approved by the Church took place only on 2 February 1947, with
Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII (; born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli; 2 March 18769 October 1958) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death on 9 October 1958. He is the most recent p ...
's Apostolic Constitution ''
Provida Mater Ecclesia''.
["Secular Institutes", The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life](_blank)
Most members of secular institutes do not live together — though some do. They lead their normal lives “in the world” in a variety of occupations. Each institute has a particular spirituality shaped by its founders and leaders.
[Patricia L. Skarda, ''The Essential Facts about Secular Institutes'', Vision](_blank)
Most members of secular institutes are
lay people. Some join as diocesan priests or deacons, and some institutes are founded specifically for diocesan priests who wish to take vows and lead a consecrated life while still being
incardinated in their diocese and working in the diocesan framework. Some secular institutes even train and incardinate their own priests.
Secular institutes are recognized either by a
bishop
A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
(diocesan right) or by the Holy See (papal right). Most are registered with the World Conference of Secular Institutes.
The exact number of members of secular institutes worldwide is unclear. A 2018 survey by CMIS reported approximately 24,000 members, but noted that not all institutes surveyed provided data, and that some institutes provided inconsistent responses.
[Conference Mondiale des Instituts Seculiers (CMIS), "Secular Institutes in the World: Statistical Data - May 2018"](_blank)
As of 2018, CMIS reported a total of 184 secular institutes worldwide.
In the English-speaking world:
* There are nine secular institutes in the UK. These institutes belong to the National Conference of Secular Institutes (NCSI), an association for cooperation and mutual support of those secular institutes which have membership in the United Kingdom. The NCSI is affiliated with the Conference Mondiale des Instituts Seculiers (CMIS), which represents all secular institutes in the world.
* There are 30 secular institutes in the United States
Some notable secular institutes
Caritas ChristiCompany of St. Paul*
Company of St. Ursula
*
Institute of the Maids of the Poor (M.O.P.)
*
Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement
*
Secular Institute of Pius X (I.S.P.X.)
*
Servite Secular Institute (S.S.I.)
Society of Our Lady of the Way
See also
*
Religious institute
In the Catholic Church, a religious institute is "a society in which members, according to proper law, pronounce public religious vows, vows, either perpetual or temporary which are to be renewed, however, when the period of time has elapsed, a ...
*
Society of apostolic life
*
Vocational discernment in the Catholic Church
References
External links
Concerning Secular Institutes in the Code of Canon Law (1983), can. 710–730at the Vatican website
United States Conference of Secular InstitutesWorld Conference of Secular Institutes
{{Authority control
Catholic lay organisations