How One Can Privately Profess as a Consecrated Hermit in the Catholic Church

Now, this is interesting. Nothing had just been thinking about what a difference between this summer and last. For one thing, the Mary Gardens have new specimens, including (pictured here) Candicans at dusk.

But another difference between last summer and this is the assurance and confidence gained from reading, from the Catechism, from long-time priests, canon lawyers, vicar general/chancellor, a priest living as a hermit, and a Bishop. Above all, the living out the vocation as days and nights pass, brings gradual growth, steady and sure. Nothing Catholic hermit now is on secure ground in its private profession as a consecrated hermit in the Catholic Church.

So along came a question from David:

Could you please tell me how somebody could privately profess as a consecrated hermit and what that all means/entails?

This is a good opportunity to have a hermit-year review! Nothing will attempt to answer from the above-mentioned sources, but as always, with the experiential slant rather than pedantry (concern with minor details and rules, often displayed with academic learning). Sorry, nothing's academic heraldry bit the dust awhile back.

Someone can privately profess as a consecrated hermit by making a profession of such, and consecrating him- or herself to the Lord, as such. As a Catholic, there are a few more details, and that must be what is meant by the "means/entails" part of the question.

To consecrate means to dedicate or devote as sacred. Someone who is consecrated, then, is made or declared sacred, is dedicated formally to a religious or divine purpose. In the section on "Consecrated Life" in The Catechism of the Catholic Church, there are two key points in the subsection on the eremitic life (920, 921).

Read it slowly, take it apart and pray on it. So a hermit may or may not profess publicly the three evangelical counsels (poverty, obedience, chastity). But it says that they do profess them (either privately or publicly). But regardless of the public or private profession, all hermits are to "devote their life to the praise of God and salvation of the world through a stricter separation from the world, the silence of solitude and assiduous prayer and penance."

As a means of solidifying the norms for consecrated Catholic hermits and desiring to eliminate abuses, in 1917 (or was it 1918?) some further delineations were made by the Church. And in 1983 these were refined further for those whose superiors desire them, or the hermit desires or is led by God, to a public profession. That formalizes the profession through Canon Law 603. This is accessible for reading and is worthwhile in the discernment process.

Regardless of public or private profession, the consecrated Catholic hermit is to "manifest to everyone the interior aspect of the mystery of the Church, that is, personal intimacy with Christ. Hidden from the eyes of men, the life of the hermit is a silent preaching of the Lord, to whom he has surrendered his life simply because he is everything to him. Here is a particular call to find in the desert, in the thick of spiritual battle, the glory of the Crucified One" [italics added].

These are the basics. It takes all one's eremitic vocation to learn, comprehend, and live them. Note that "stricter" implies a degree. Nothing has read various hermit saint biographies, and some are "more stricter" than others--which depends upon many factors. Some catch up to much stricter in a short time period; others seem to start out extremely stricter.

Personal intimacy with Christ and interiority, as well as being hidden from the eyes of men, seem to be important for the professed, consecrated Catholic hermit. The hidden part can be quite a challenge in our society and times; the hermit must be creative within his or her own surroundings! Do what is feasible to get the job done: be hidden.

The professed Catholic hermit is called. This vocation is a call. That call may come all at once or over time, may be overt or covert. A confessor and/or spiritual director is invaluable for discerning the call.

A full surrender must be made, and this is interior as well as exterior--but what's inside is always the most critical, is what counts, as is said in various ways throughout Scripture. The surrender can occur as a cataclysmic earthquake type or in spaced out ones, but there are surely aftershocks of on-going surrenderings. While on earth, we're never quite done, and most of us will still be surrendering in purgatory.

Now, how did nothing become a privately professed, consecrated hermit? It began with a call that was discerned over time with the assistance of its spiritual father as well as priests along the way. A vow was prepared after prayer, discernment, study and written by the hermit, and then reviewed and received by the spiritual father (priest). Kneeling, nothing professed also the three evangelical counsels. A ceremony was developed from researched early Roman Catholic anchoritic rites. This ceremony took place in a chapel with the spiritual father and the hermit and one witness--temporal, that is. Many specific saints and the hermit's guardian angel had been invited and attended as witnesses (believe in faith!). These are all listed at the bottom of the printed vow. Each year the vow is renewed and received by a priest.

A year ago events transpired through an unexpected contact that caused nothing to question the private profession and consecration. Confusion ensued. In that process, which now is viewed as very beneficial, nothing reviewed various documents in its files, as well as inquired of the vicar general/chancellor, spiritual father, two canon lawyers, and various books on the subject of Catholic eremitic life. A request was made of the Bishop which was answered in that he desired nothing to remain as it has been. Later he suggested he may reconsider, but it is a moot point to nothing as it appreciates simplicity. Living the eremitic vocation can be a lifeful.

The Bishop really is the determining voice as to private or public profession in the consecrated life of any eremitic. There is no point in trying to do this or that or that to change the profession status, as the Lord sees through the eyes of His Bishop, and speaks through his voice. The nothing's Bishop knows it is privately professed and consecrated as a hermit, as do the other clerics concerned. They clarified for nothing that its vow professed nearly 8 years ago, was valid and rightful, contained the necessary components for a privately professed and consecrated hermit. One commented with pleasure that the vow is one page and simple. It professes what is needed to avow. The priests emphasized, also, that the main point is to live the life--which is the "what does it mean/entail" part of the eremitic vocation....

The actual act of consecrating oneself and professing the vow which includes the evangelical counsels, can happen even more simply than what nothing enacted. It can be done within the quiet of one's "cell." But then it ought to be professed (proclaimed, as in aloud with a priest receiving and witnessing) in "public sense" of proclamation--but not necessarily or requisite as a canonical measure. Canonical approval requires additional details.

The commonalities of a privately professed, consecrated hermit and a publicly professed consecrated hermit are pinpointed concisely in the sections cited from The Catechism. A rule of life is not mentioned, but from centuries of eremitic tradition and the success of hermit vocations, we read that a rule of life is very important in the living out of the basics above cited. The rule of life may be written or adopted from another's by the hermit and ought to be reviewed by the spiritual father and/or confessor. This may also include one's Bishop's perusal and input. Although not required, it does seem prudent and wise that the privately professed, consecrated hermit's Bishop is aware and approves the hermit's vocation as he or she will live it out within that Diocese.

So, the vow of consecration of self to God as a hermit includes the cited, necessary components for private profession. In developing of a rule of life: a private plan that will help the hermit live the vocation and which is in keeping with the Church's defining guideline/s for the consecrated--privately or publicly professed--the eremitic steps forward into...

living it out (the hard part!). Living the profession is the daily and nightly answer to what being a consecrated (privately or publicly professed) eremitic means and entails.

Probably the section from The Catechism provided the answer--but this has been a good review for nothing, as it celebrates the Lord's goodness in peace and joy. Think on the early hermits, and how they became hermits in the Church.... Really was not excessively complicated--but is a most challenging vocation in simply living it.

Somehow, Candicans reminds me of a privately professed, consecrated hermit and the life it lives, the slow growth, the silence and solitude, the simple structure yet with unique, set-apart cones. It is rather other-worldly, and hermits evolve in that direction, a strict-er separation....

Does this help answer the question, David? It got far longer than nothing intended. thank you for asking: beneficial to reconnoiter the peace and joy of this path.