THE COUNCIL
AND RELIGIOUS LIFE

A COMMENTARY ON THE
DECREE ON THE

ADAPTATION AND RENEWAL
OF THE RELIGIOUS LIFE

Reverend Richard J. Murphy, O.M.I.

(The author is rector of the Oblate Fathers House of Studies in

Washington, D.C. and a lecturer in canon law at the Catholic

University of America)

On October 28, 1965, Pope Paul VI at a public meeting of

the Second Vatican Council formally promulgated five documents

which had been prepared, discussed and voted upon by the bishops

of the Council. Among these five documents was the Decree on

the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life. This Decree sets

forth general norms or directives to guide Religious in their pro-

gram of renewal.

The question of adapting the life of Religious to the needs of

the present day has been a topic of discussion for the past fifteen

or twenty years. At the First Congress of the States of Perfection

held in Rome in 1950 the theme was: “The Adapted Renewal of

the States of Perfection.” At the various congresses of Religious

men and women held in the United States over the past decade

this same theme has been discussed from various aspects. As a

result a number of communities have already begun a program of

adaptation, particularly in the United States. However, with the

proclamation of this conciliar Decree, Religious now have an offi-

cial set of norms.

The very title of the Decree indicates a two-phased program



to be undertaken. To renew means to make new again; to restore

to freshness or vigor. To adapt is to bring into agreement or

harmony. This is, in fact, the overall objective of the Church’s

entire program of reform, as Pope Paul VI said when he opened

the second session of the Council in 1963:

“The reform at which the Council is aimed is not, therefore,

a turning upside down of the Church’s present way of life or a

breaking with what is essential and worthy of veneration in her

tradition, but it is rather an honoring of tradition by stripping it of

what is unworthy or defective so that it may be rendered firm and

fruitful.”

In relation to Religious life, the reform which the Council

contemplates is not a turning upside down of Religious life or a

breaking with what is essential to the nature of the life or worthy

of veneration. But the Council does desire that Religious life strip

itself of what is unworthy, defective or useless in these modern

times. All the provisions of the Decree have in mind, in one way

or another, this two-phased program: a constant return to the

source of Christian life and the original spirit of the Religious com-

munity, as well as an accommodation to the conditions of our day.

The Decree does not approach Religious life from a juridical

point of view, as the Code of Canon Law of necessity does. The

Decree considers Religious life from a theological, spiritual, psy-

chological and pastoral point of view. Moreover, the Decree re-

stricts itself to general norms. It recognizes that each Religious

community has its own physiognomy, its own vocation, its own

charism, as it were. Consequently, the task of renewal will be left

to each Religious community, using these general norms as guide

lines.

Since the Decree is not juridical in form, it does not legislate

renewal, but each community must, if it wishes to be faithful to

the Church, assumes the responsibility. It is clear from this

Decree, as well as from other documents issued by the Council,

that the Religious life is not a mere appendage, something loosely

connected to the fringe of the Church’s life. Rather, the Religious

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life is an integral part of the Mystical Body, so much so that the

Decree states: “The more fervently they (Religious) are joined to

Christ by this total life-long gift of themselves, the richer the life of

the Church becomes and the more lively and successful its apos-

tolate.” Given this sacred role in the Church, no Religious com-

munity can excuse itself from the Church’s program of renewal.

Not only must each community be zealous in immersing itself

in the program, but each individual Religious must give full co-

operation. However, the program of renewal must be carried out

under the guidance and direction of the competent authorities,

especially the general chapters of Religious communities.

The first objective of renewal within a Religious community

must be to encourage its members to seek in their daily lives a

more profound union with God. To this end they must cultivate

both the spirit and practice of prayer, having daily recourse to the

Scriptures, meditation, participation in the liturgy, especially the

Mass. Whatever structural changes are made, whatever adjust-

ments to modern needs are introduced, they will be ineffectual

unless there is a renewal of the spirit. The Decree considers this

so essential that it says it takes precedence over even the active

ministry.

Each Religious community has a special nature, a particular

aim, a personal spirit, a specific approach to holiness and the

apostolate. These form the patrimony of each community, and

the Decree directs that these should be fostered. As a result Re-

ligious communities will have to ask themselves if they are faithful

to the spirit of their institute; and they must endeavor to renew

this spirit.

In order to accomplish this, however, they must be certain

that they know the mind and spirit of their founder. Several Re-

ligious communities which have already made efforts at renewal

have discovered, after careful scientific study of the life and writ-

ings of their founder, that the original spirit had become distorted

or beclouded. Practices and customs, through the course of time,

had been added which were not at all in keeping with the original

intent of the founder.

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Moreover, although the spirit, the nature, the purpose of the

community should not change, its way of living these essentials can

and should change. They should be modified and adjusted to meet

the circumstances of the day. Because something was good, useful

and suitable in the seventeenth century, it does not necessarily

follow that it is still so in the twentieth century. This is also the

mind of the Decree.

Religious communities are directed to examine their manner

of living, praying, working, their rules and constitutions, the

manner of governing, even their Religious habit. All of these are

to be considered in the light of the physical and psychological

conditions of the present-day Religious, as well as the needs of

the apostolate, the social, cultural and economic situations. No

doubt some communities, as a result of these examinations, will

find it necessary to distribute responsibility more widely, thereby

eliminating the excessive centralization which is sometimes found.

The ‘principle of subsidiarity mentioned in the encyclicals, Quad-

ragesimo Anno and Mater et Magistra, certainly has validity in

Religious life.

Similarly, Religious superiors should exercise their authority,

according to the Decree, out of a spirit of service, respecting always

the human dignity of the subject. Superiors should gladly listen to

their subjects and foster harmony among them, preserving, how-

ever, the superior’s authority to decide and command. At the

same time, subjects are reminded that they should obey with their

intellects, wills, gifts of nature and grace. Such religious obedience,

the Decree stresses, in no way lessens human dignity.

In their program of self-examination, communities will have

to give special attention to the practice of poverty. The individual

Religious, as well as the community as a whole, should practice

poverty in such a way that each actually gives witness to the world

of his trust in Divine Providence. The Decree urges Religious to

avoid every appearance of luxury, excessive wealth and the ac-

cumulation of goods.

The Decree provides that the already existing types of Re-

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ligious communities are to continue: contemplative, monastic,

apostolic, etc. Each is to maintain and renew its original vocation,

but all are to adjust to the needs of the day. Strictly contemplative

orders, although they are to adjust their manner of living to

present-day circumstances, are still to maintain their life of with-

drawal and contemplative practices.

In so providing, the Council gives evidence of its appreciation

of the value of these orders to the Church. Hence, the Decree

says: “These offer to God a sacrifice of praise which is outstanding.

Moreover, the manifold results of their holiness lend luster to the

People of God which is inspired by their example and which gains

new members by their apostolate which is as effective as it is

hidden.”

In apostolic communities the works of charity and the

ministry are, according to the Decree, of the very nature of such

communities. Therefore, there should be no conflict between the

works of the ministry and the spiritual life of the Religious. One

should inspire and complement the other. These Religious are

entitled to a regular community life, but the daily regulation should

not be so drawn up as to constitute an obstacle to the apostolate,

for example in schools, hospitals, social service centers, etc.

The Decree praises and encourages conferences of major

superiors. In the United States there are two such conferences:

one for the major superiors of congregations of men, and one for

the major superiors of congregations of women. These conferences

can be effective in bringing about a better distribution of personnel,

eliminating duplication, lessening the unhealthy spirit of compe-

tition which sometimes exists, and better coordinating the various

works of Religious. The Decree also encourages these conferences

to cooperate with the episcopal conferences in those things that

concern the apostolate. This latter provision will lead to a more

effective and efficient cooperation between Religious and the

bishops.

The success of the renewal of Religious life will depend on

many factors. One of the most important will be the education of

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Religious, especially Sisters and non-clerical Religious. It is for

this reason that the bishops have insisted in this Decree that Re-

ligious should not be^assignedTo^apostolic works immediately after

the"~novitiate. They "must, be given further religious and apostolic

formation, instruction in arts and science, and when necessary they

should obtain degrees. It is obvious that if Religious are to adjust

to tHe needs of the times, they must know something about these

needs. Many Religious communities in the United States have

already established post-novitiate houses of formation.

Finally, since Religious have such an important vocation in

the Church, it is the mind of the bishops of the Council, expressed

in this Decree, that priests, educators, and parents should foster

vocations to the Religious life. The Decree also clearly states that

Religious communities have the right to make themselves known

in order to foster vocations and seek candidates. However, in so

doing, they must observe the regulations of the Holy See and the

local Ordinary.

The Decree has, it is true, remained quite general but it has

made provision for more particular norms to be issued at a later

date which will explain and apply these general norms. It is evi-

dent that the whole program of renewal will require careful study,

planning and organization. Anything less will only result in hasty,

superficial changes, changes simply for the sake of change. It will

not achieve the accommodated renewal contemplated by the

Council.

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