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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; Question 187, Article
1, Objection 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.
Objection 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 (Article 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.
Objection 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.
Objection 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.
Objection 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" (Lk.
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 (Article 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 (Question 32, Article 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 to Objection 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; 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 to Objection 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 (Article 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 to Objection 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 to Objection 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 to Objection 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.
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