This article explores the evolution and challenges facing Catholic religious life in the contemporary world. It argues that the institutional structure of the Church, with its emphasis on canon law and hierarchy, has stifled the prophetic dimension of religious life. The author calls for a return to the evangelical roots of religious life, marked by radical poverty, detachment, and a communitarian approach. The text also examines the impact of societal changes, such as the rise of individualism and technological advancements, on religious life and the need to redefine what it means to be 'religious' in the 21st century.
Catholic religious life has had a rich and dynamic history — from the desert hermits of yore to the secular institutes today.
Sixty years ago, Vatican II attempted to break the institutional structure of the Church and encourage a more communitarian model. In the process, there was a mass exodus of religious, men and women. However, the Council did not succeed completely. Note, that even in technological societies today there are large numbers of migrants from other societies, who are in essence feudal/ tribal segments within the social body. Their values are different and frequently in conflict with the rest of society. Consider, for example, Muslims in western Europe, or blacks and Latinos in the USA.In a technological age it is not the nation as much as the market which is the dynamic factor in society.
In other words, change is not just incremental and quantitative, but qualitative, of a different kind.has made us re-value the role of women, sexuality, family life, etc.; thehas revised our understanding of non-white cultures, and of non-Christian religions. theawarenessAll these phenomena ask us to define what it means to be “religious,” to be a “believer” today.
Perhaps building harmonious communities is the most significant ‘mission’ of religious life today! Could the Indian “ashram” serve as a template, I often wonder?Today we see the future as discontinuous with the past. So it makes little sense “to go back to one’s roots,” to “re-discover one’s original charism.”
RELIGIOUS LIFE CATHOLIC CHURCH COMMUNITARIANISM INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE EVANGELICAL ROOTS
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