Whether a Religious Order Can Be Established for Preaching or Hearing
Confessions?
Objection 1: It would seem that no religious order may be established
for preaching, or hearing confessions. For it is said (VII, qu. i
[*Cap. Hoc nequaquam; Cf. Q. 187, A. 1, Obj. 1]): "The monastic life
is one of subjection and discipleship, not of teaching, authority, or
pastoral care," and the same apparently applies to religious. Now
preaching and hearing confessions are the actions of a pastor and
teacher. Therefore a religious order should not be established for
this purpose.
Obj. 2: Further, the purpose for which a religious order is
established would seem to be something most proper to the religious
life, as stated above (A. 1). Now the aforesaid actions are not
proper to religious but to bishops. Therefore a religious order
should not be established for the purpose of such actions.
Obj. 3: Further, it seems unfitting that the authority to preach and
hear confessions should be committed to an unlimited number of men;
and there is no fixed number of those who are received into a
religious order. Therefore it is unfitting for a religious order to
be established for the purpose of the aforesaid actions.
Obj. 4: Further, preachers have a right to receive their livelihood
from the faithful of Christ, according to 1 Cor. 9. If then the
office of preaching be committed to a religious order established for
that purpose, it follows that the faithful of Christ are bound to
support an unlimited number of persons, which would be a heavy burden
on them. Therefore a religious order should not be established for
the exercise of these actions.
Obj. 5: Further, the organization of the Church should be in
accordance with Christ's institution. Now Christ sent first the
twelve apostles to preach, as related in Luke 9, and afterwards He
sent the seventy-two disciples, as stated in Luke 10. Moreover,
according to the gloss of Bede on "And after these things" (Luke
10:1), "the apostles are represented by the bishops, the seventy-two
disciples by the lesser priests," i.e. the parish priests. Therefore
in addition to bishops and parish priests, no religious order should
be established for the purpose of preaching and hearing confessions.
_On the contrary,_ In the Conferences of the Fathers (Coll. xiv, 4),
Abbot Nesteros, speaking of the various kinds of religious orders,
says: "Some choosing the care of the sick, others devoting themselves
to the relief of the afflicted and oppressed, or applying themselves
to teaching, or giving alms to the poor, have been most highly
esteemed on account of their devotion and piety." Therefore just as a
religious order may be established for the care of the sick, so also
may one be established for teaching the people by preaching and like
works.
_I answer that,_ As stated above (A. 2), it is fitting for a
religious order to be established for the works of the active life,
in so far as they are directed to the good of our neighbor, the
service of God, and the upkeep of divine worship. Now the good of our
neighbor is advanced by things pertaining to the spiritual welfare of
the soul rather than by things pertaining to the supplying of bodily
needs, in proportion to the excellence of spiritual over corporal
things. Hence it was stated above (Q. 32, A. 3) that spiritual works
of mercy surpass corporal works of mercy. Moreover this is more
pertinent to the service of God, to Whom no sacrifice is more
acceptable than zeal for souls, as Gregory says (Hom. xii in Ezech.).
Furthermore, it is a greater thing to employ spiritual arms in
defending the faithful against the errors of heretics and the
temptations of the devil, than to protect the faithful by means of
bodily weapons. Therefore it is most fitting for a religious order to
be established for preaching and similar works pertaining to the
salvation of souls.
Reply Obj. 1: He who works by virtue of another, acts as an
instrument. And a minister is like an "animated instrument," as the
Philosopher says (Polit. i, 2 [*Cf. _Ethic._ viii, 11]). Hence if a
man preach or do something similar by the authority of his superiors,
he does not rise above the degree of "discipleship" or "subjection,"
which is competent to religious.
Reply Obj. 2: Some religious orders are established for soldiering,
to wage war, not indeed on their own authority, but on that of the
sovereign or of the Church who are competent to wage war by virtue of
their office, as stated above (A. 3, ad 4). In the same way certain
religious orders are established for preaching and hearing
confessions, not indeed by their own authority, but by the authority
of the higher and lower superiors, to whom these things belong by
virtue of their office. Consequently to assist one's superiors in
such a ministry is proper to a religious order of this kind.
Reply Obj. 3: Bishops do not allow these religious severally and
indiscriminately to preach or hear confessions, but according to the
discretion of the religious superiors, or according to their own
appointment.
Reply Obj. 4: The faithful are not bound by law to contribute to the
support of other than their ordinary prelates, who receive the tithes
and offerings of the faithful for that purpose, as well as other
ecclesiastical revenues. But if some men are willing to minister to
the faithful by exercising the aforesaid acts gratuitously, and
without demanding payment as of right, the faithful are not burdened
thereby because their temporal contributions can be liberally repaid
by those men, nor are they bound by law to contribute, but by
charity, and yet not so that they be burdened thereby and others
eased, as stated in 2 Cor. 8:13. If, however, none be found to devote
themselves gratuitously to services of this kind, the ordinary
prelate is bound, if he cannot suffice by himself, to seek other
suitable persons and support them himself.
Reply Obj. 5: The seventy-two disciples are represented not only by
the parish priests, but by all those of lower order who in any way
assist the bishops in their office. For we do not read that our Lord
appointed the seventy-two disciples to certain fixed parishes, but
that "He sent them two and two before His face into every city and
place whither He Himself was to come." It was fitting, however, that
in addition to the ordinary prelates others should be chosen for
these duties on account of the multitude of the faithful, and the
difficulty of finding a sufficient number of persons to be appointed
to each locality, just as it was necessary to establish religious
orders for military service, on account of the secular princes being
unable to cope with unbelievers in certain countries.
_______________________