What is consecrated religious life and the evangelical counsels?
Consecrated life is a special state in the Church where men and women profess the three evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience through public vows. Living in religious communities (such as Benedictines, Franciscans, Dominicans, or Salesians) or as consecrated virgins and hermits, they dedicate their entire lives to God's love and the salvation of souls. Their life of prayer, contemplation, and apostolic charity serves as a living sign of the heavenly kingdom and a witness to the radical demands of the Gospel.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 914-933
- Matthew 19:12
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.