Absent and exclaustrated Religious: underlying issues about the exercise of some duties and rights

Abstract

The religious absent of community or exclaustrated finds himself in a particular situation. It affects the exercise of some rights and duties related with the vow of poverty (limited and dependent use of goods), with the participation in the institute’s life, specifically affecting the active and passive voice, and with the apostolate duties (permissions, prohibitions, sanctions). It is underlined the difference between absence and exclaustration. The absent religious keeps on being thoroughly religious and should live entirely the sense of belonging and communion with the institute. The exclaustrated religious keeps on being religious but the indult separates him/her temporally from the institute’s life. If the exemptions desired in relation with the vows of poverty and obedience, and the participation in the institute’s life are greater, it is clear that a indult of exclaustration is the right solution. In order to avoid that the absent religious may lose his/her identity in the way of living poverty or organizing the apostolate, is necessary to determine clearly styles and practices related to those duties in the document where the permission of absence or the indult of exclaustration is written down.