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The sacred synod has already shown in the constitution on the
Church that the pursuit of perfect charity through the evangelical
counsels draws its origin from the doctrine and example of the Divine
Master and reveals itself as a splendid sign of the heavenly kingdom.
Now it intends to treat of the life and discipline of those institutes
whose members make profession of chastity, poverty and obedience and to
provide for their needs in our time.
Indeed from the very beginning of the Church men and women have set
about following Christ with greater freedom and imitating Him more
closely through the practice of the evangelical counsels, each in his
own way leading a life dedicated to God. Many of them, under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, lived as hermits or founded religious
families, which the Church gladly welcomed and approved by her
authority. So it is that in accordance with the Divine Plan a
wonderful variety of religious communities has grown up which has made
it easier for the Church not only to be equipped for every good work
(cf. 2 Tim 3:17) and ready for the work of the ministry-the
building up of the Body of Christ (cf. Eph. 4:12)-but also
to appear adorned with the various gifts of her children like a spouse
adorned for her husband (cf. Apoc. 21:2) and for the manifold
Wisdom of God to be revealed through her (cf. Eph. 3:10).
Despite such a great variety of gifts, all those called by God to the
practice of the evangelical counsels and who, faithfully responding to
the call, undertake to observe the same, bind themselves to the Lord
in a special way, following Christ, who chaste and poor (cf.
Matt. 8:20; Luke 9:58) redeemed and sanctified men through
obedience even to the death of the Cross (cf. Phil. 2:8).
Driven by love with which the Holy Spirit floods their hearts (cf.
Rom. 5:5) they live more and more for Christ and for His body
which is the Church (cf. Col. 1:24). The more fervently,
then, they 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 apostolate.
In order that the great value of a life consecrated by the profession
of the counsels and its necessary mission today may yield greater good
to the Church, the sacred synod lays down the following
prescriptions. They are meant to state only the general principles of
the adaptation and renewal of the life and discipline of Religious
orders and also, without prejudice to their special characteristics,
of societies of common life without vows and secular institutes.
Particular norms for the proper explanation and application of these
principles are to be determined after the council by the authority in
question.
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