Whether He Who Has Vowed to Enter Religion Is Bound to Remain in
Religion in Perpetuity?
Objection 1: It would seem that he who has vowed to enter religion,
is bound in perpetuity to remain in religion. For it is better not to
enter religion than to leave after entering, according to 2 Pet.
2:21, "It had been better for them not to have known the way of
justice, than after they have known it to turn back," and Luke 9:62,
"No man putting his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for
the kingdom of God." But he who bound himself by the vow to enter
religion, is under the obligation to enter, as stated above (A. 3).
Therefore he is also bound to remain for always.
Obj. 2: Further, everyone is bound to avoid that which gives rise to
scandal, and is a bad example to others. Now by leaving after
entering religion a man gives a bad example and is an occasion of
scandal to others, who are thereby withdrawn from entering or incited
to leave. Therefore it seems that he who enters religion in order to
fulfil a vow which he had previously taken, is bound to remain
evermore.
Obj. 3: Further, the vow to enter religion is accounted a perpetual
vow: wherefore it is preferred to temporal vows, as stated above (A.
3, ad 3; Q. 88, A. 12, ad 1). But this would not be so if a person
after vowing to enter religion were to enter with the intention of
leaving. It seems, therefore, that he who vows to enter religion is
bound also to remain in perpetuity.
_On the contrary,_ The vow of religious profession, for the reason
that it binds a man to remain in religion for evermore, has to be
preceded by a year of probation; whereas this is not required before
the simple vow whereby a man binds himself to enter religion.
Therefore it seems that he who vows to enter religion is not for that
reason bound to remain there in perpetuity.
_I answer that,_ The obligation of a vow proceeds from the will:
because "to vow is an act of the will" according to Augustine [*Gloss
of Peter Lombard on Ps. 75:12]. Consequently the obligation of a vow
extends as far as the will and intention of the person who takes the
vow. Accordingly if in vowing he intend to bind himself not only to
enter religion, but also to remain there evermore, he is bound to
remain in perpetuity. If, on the other hand, he intend to bind
himself to enter religion for the purpose of trial, while retaining
the freedom to remain or not remain, it is clear that he is not bound
to remain. If, however, in vowing he thought merely of entering
religion, without thinking of being free to leave, or of remaining in
perpetuity, it would seem that he is bound to enter religion
according to the form prescribed by common law, which is that those
who enter should be given a year's probation. Wherefore he is not
bound to remain for ever.
Reply Obj. 1: It is better to enter religion with the purpose of
making a trial than not to enter at all, because by so doing one
disposes oneself to remain always. Nor is a person accounted to turn
or to look back, save when he omits to do that which he engaged to
do: else whoever does a good work for a time, would be unfit for the
kingdom of God, unless he did it always, which is evidently false.
Reply Obj. 2: A man who has entered religion gives neither scandal
nor bad example by leaving, especially if he do so for a reasonable
motive; and if others are scandalized, it will be passive scandal on
their part, and not active scandal on the part of the person leaving,
since in doing so, he has done what was lawful, and expedient on
account of some reasonable motive, such as sickness, weakness, and
the like.
Reply Obj. 3: He who enters with the purpose of leaving forthwith,
does not seem to fulfil his vow, since this was not his intention in
vowing. Hence he must change that purpose, at least so as to wish to
try whether it is good for him to remain in religion, but he is not
bound to remain for evermore.
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