[quote]Varqanir wrote:
[quote]zecarlo wrote:
[quote]Varqanir wrote:
“The evangelical counsel of obedience, undertaken in a spirit of faith and love in the following of Christ who was obedient even unto death requires a submission of the will to legitimate superiors, who stand in the place of God when they command according to the proper constitutions.”
Basically, this means do as the Church tells you to do.
If what she is saying is contrary to Church doctrine, then she would be in violation of that vow, as she would be if she is saying something that one of her superiors told her not to say. The Catholic Church believes in freedom of conscience, as long as your conscience doesn’t lead you to publicly question what the Church is teaching. [/quote]
Legitimate superiors…when they command according to the proper constitutions. With the Catholic Church that is not always black and white. Remember, there have even been two popes simultaneously before. And disagreeing does not equal disobedience. All changes within the church began with a disagreement.
[/quote]
Joining a religious order (as consecrated clergy) is no different from joining a military organization in many respects. In the military, you take a vow (called an oath) to uphold national doctrine (the constitution) and obey your legitimate superiors (the chain of command, from your sergeant on up to the Commander-in-Chief. If you have a disagreement, you can lodge a formal complaint, within the chain of command, but disobeying a lawful order is at least insubordination, and at most mutiny, and is summarily punished in both institutions. [/quote]
I was in the military and you can disobey unlawful orders on the spot.