Are Vows Possible for a Transgendered Person?

[[Hi Sister O'Neal, Your suggested solution to the situation in the Diocese of Lexington was interesting, but if Matson were to become a non-canonical hermit, what happens to her vows? Would she make private vows? I am wondering about this because of the piece you wrote back in the beginning of May and the relationship of vows to a foundational manliness or womanliness. Wouldn't private vows require the same commitment to a foundational manliness or womanliness as public vows? I suppose I am also asking if someone living as a transgendered person could ever make a vow of chastity in celibacy. I think suggesting non-canonical eremitical life as a solution to many of the problems that are associated with the current situation in Lexington is a good idea, but what about the vows themselves? Particularly what about a vow of chastity in celibacy?]]

Wow! You're reflections on the situation are impressive! Thanks for sharing them here!!! This is almost where things began back on May 6th!! First of all, I agree that even a private vow of chastity in celibacy might not be possible for someone living an openly transgendered life. I believe that such a vow could only make sense if one had detransitioned to whatever degree was possible and committed to living their original or foundational womanliness or manliness. A vow of chastity is a vow to love as fully as God calls us to do and to do so in light of our foundational sexuality. To make a vow of chastity in celibacy is to make a vow to love fully coupled with a commitment to a discipline pursued in the service of increasing one's capacity for such love. We renounce genital activity in all of its forms in order to love others as God loves. And yes, we do this as men or women relating to others in light of our foundational sex.

I think all of this is true whether or not the vows are public or private.  The vow of chastity in celibacy (or consecrated celibacy) is never merely a vow to avoid sexual activity. It is always a vow to love as fully as one is called by God to love --- though without the exclusivity (or specific fruitfulness) of married love. Were Cole Matson to wish to make a private vow in this regard he would need to spell out exactly what he is promising to God, but I agree it could not, without "repentance" (which would necessarily imply detransitioning to whatever extent possible), be called a vow of chastity or chastity in celibacy. Of course, living as a non-canonical hermit would not require such a vow at all. 

The church would raise questions about the possibility of any or all of the vows, both the classical triad (poverty, chastity, and obedience) and those of Benedictine life (stability, conversatio, and obedience) for someone who is transgendered and committed to staying transgendered --- though stability might well be one anyone including one who is transgendered and committed to remaining so might make. One of the difficulties in making vows with built-in limitations, however, is that ordinarily vows are made in order to give one's whole self in a way which opens one to a Divine grace that can produce unimaginable fruit with the potential of one's life. Vows are a kind of blank check, a way of giving one's whole self to God to do with in whatever way and to whatever degree God wills.  In the situation in Lexington I don't think Cole is open to being female (or accepts that he is fundamentally female) and, as the Church understands these commitments and you yourself note, that is a problem in making vows of any sort.

Because private vows are truly a private matter, I believe they could be part of a solution to the situation in Lexington depending upon what was being vowed. They would be non-canonical or "non-normative" in the way the Church understands such things. But here too, c 603 might have something to offer the diocese of Lexington as they consider crafting a solution to the situation they are currently struggling with. C 603 allows a person being professed under the canon to make their commitment with vows or some other form of sacred bond. We are used to using vows at such professions, but other forms of sacred bonds are possible. Cole Matson (and others in a similar position) could well decide to embrace non-canonical eremitical life and use another form of sacred bond to make his/her commitment. That might actually be the best solution.

Thanks for your questions, I might not have pursued this line of thought otherwise, though you are correct that it flows from what I wrote on 06 May. If you want to raise the question of the other vows, feel free to do that.

[[Hi Sister, I wanted to follow up given what you wrote [above]. Could Cole Matson use c 603 and the option of "other sacred bonds" if she wanted to become a consecrated hermit? Matson would avoid making vows and be the hermit she feels called to be.]]

Wow, that was fast. I will append this to the older post if you don't mind. No, the problem with Cole's use of c 603 is that it is more than an official (canonical) way to become a Religious. It refers implicitly to the solitary eremitical vocation and allows for one's consecration by God as this consecration is mediated by the Church in the hands of the local Bishop. Were Cole to leave the Roman Catholic Church and embrace the Episcopal faith community, then he could embrace a solitary life without the definitions or strictures of canon 603. The Episcopal Church has solitaries that do not need to be hermits. They are seen as solitary religious and need not embrace the central elements of c 603 as a Roman Catholic would need to do. (Note that all of these are not just important elements of the life, but they are definitive elements, which are meant to be lived in ways that actually define one's life as a solitary hermit. 

• stricter separation from the world, 
• assiduous prayer and penance, 
• the silence of solitude, 
• the Evangelical Counsels (embraced by vow or other sacred bonds), 
• a Rule of Life one writes for oneself, 
• and lives for the glory of God and the salvation of others, 
• all under the supervision of the person's local ordinary.

But if Cole decides to pursue eremitical life within the Roman Catholic Church,  he will need to do it apart from C 603, and frankly, apart from consecrated life itself. As noted several times, and also by the Bishops at the recent USCCB meeting, the Roman Catholic Church does not recognize the ability of a transgendered person to make a vow of consecrated celibacy nor to become a consecrated person in any other vocation. 

It does not change things if an individual bishop differs on this. This is the Universal Church's stance on transgendered persons and consecrated life. Canon 603 is part of universal church law and normative for all persons living consecrated solitary eremitical life. A significant question remains as to whether or not Cole Matson has discerned a genuine eremitical vocation during the two years he has lived as "Brother Christian Matson" in the Diocese of Lexington. The answer to that will require more time and continuing discernment. Additional questions can be raised about a transgendered person's ability to live vows of either poverty or obedience as well.

Dating While Discerning a Religious Vocation?

[[Dear Sister, I am discerning a religious vocation and thinking about entering in a couple of years. I also think I am in love with someone. I was told I should not date him though because I am in the process of discernment. But it is so hard just to cut off contact with him. I saw your post about discernment recently and wondered if you had an opinion? Thank you.]]

Thanks for your question. I think it is important to be clear about language so let me get a bit picky about some of what you have said. You say that you are discerning a vocation to religious life, but really, you are deciding at this time whether you will try a religious vocation and enter into a formal process of mutual discernment with a community or congre-gation. While discernment of course comes into play for you right now, you are not "discerning a religious vocation"; instead you are deciding whether or not TO DISCERN a religious vocation. Until you actually enter a community you may  (and should) be discerning many things, but you are not (yet) discerning a religious vocation.

Too often today I have read people speaking on Catholic bulletin boards of this pre-discernment period as though they have already entered. Often they have not even been accepted for entrance while others have been rejected several times. Nevertheless, they tend to put the rest of their lives on hold in the process. Some advise them not to date, not to get involved in social situations, begin living as informal candidates or postulants, dress the part, etc --- and unfortunately they do this --- all under the rubric of being in the process of "discerning a religious vocation". For many, this pre-discernment process stretches on, is transformed into a kind of limbo which is supposedly dignified with the title "discernment" and life simply stutters to a stop as these folks neither enter nor discern anything else which demands a life commitment. They are not religious and may never be religious but somehow being in this "process of discernment" gives them a kind of cachet and status which they seem loathe to leave --- fictitious as it has actually become.

I don't want you falling into this trap. Once you enter a congre-gation, if in fact you ever do, there will be plenty of opportunity to discern a religious vocation. The period from entrance to reception to first vows to final vows extends for up to nine years and all of these are specifically regarded as years of mutual discernment. But at this point you need to discern where God is (or rather, might well be) calling you more generally and that may be marriage just as well as it might religious life. It may be you are called to the life of a consecrated virgin, for instance. It may be as a lay associate with a religious congregation --- which means you could well be married or single and serve God in many many significant ways. Since I don't know your age or education level let me point out that education (college and graduate school) is also something you need to consider pursuing as part of ANY vocation to which God might be calling you.

 Regarding dating, you say you believe you are in love with this person. Date him! You are still called to chastity and to developing an affective maturity which a vow of celibate love also demands. Love him as a good friend. Share this time with him. Be honest with him and be open to where God is truly calling you --- including to marriage should that be the direction things develop. I would suggest you find someone near you with whom you can talk occasionally about all of this to help you maintain perspective. It could be a counselor, a campus minister, an actual spiritual director, your parish priest or a religious there, a parent, etc. (With some religious congregations their vocation personnel would be a good choice for this.) Continue to develop your spirituality and maintain your active religious praxis at the same time (prayer, lectio, or whatever you usually do), get the education you require, and above all pay attention to your heart and the voice there that calls you to maturity, integrity, responsibility, real joy,  and a fullness of life you might hardly be able to imagine.

By the way, if there is a chance you really love this young man, then dating will give you the chance to see if he is going to fall in love with you. It will certainly give him the chance to love you as a friend who respects you and your goals and ideals. It will give both of you the chance to develop a good friendship, support each other in your dreams --- as far as you are truly free to share them at this point in your lives, and learn more about both of yourselves in the way real friendships allow. If he cannot do that then it is also unlikely you will be able to love him either and if he can, then he may well be a friend you keep long after you have decided to enter and been professed should that eventuate. 

Let me know occasionally how things are going for you! I hope this has been helpful.