Once again, and this for final time other than now and then no doubt need to repeat what the Church states, Catholic hermits are either privately professed or publicly professed, and both are in the consecrated life of the Church.
Refer to §920, §921 in The Catechism of the Catholic Church. (I have also written about this in the past, so please either look in past blog posts or simply Google the pertinent sections of the CCC.) It seems to me the issue has become long since dealt with, but one hermit who is publicly professed compared to my private profession (we each have professed individual vows, as well) has continued to purport contrary information.
To be clear, my spiritual director did by no means imply or state that somehow myself or all the hermits (saints, mystics, and unknown-to-us but Catholic hermits of the past two millennia) are not Catholic hermits in the consecrated life of the Church. I am; we are. Thus was another reason why he told me I have absolutely no need for adding on the more recent option of being a diocesan hermit, or "publicly professed."
This reality has been stated to me for the many years I've been a consecrated Catholic hermit--nearly 20 years, not including 15 months of discernment along with formation. Until the Church changes the facts of both privately and publicly professed, the publicly professed may also be considered as in the Consecrated Life of the Church but must be under supervision by his or her Bishop or his designee (usually the designated supervisor/director is a priest in most dioceses). The privately professed Catholic hermits for centuries are, of course, also in the Consecrated Life of the Church. Catholic hermits, both privately and publicly professed, profess the three evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
Also, there is no such term in the institutes of the Catholic church nor in canon law, as a fairly recent created one, namely that of lay hermit. Perhaps the term was introduced by someone desiring to elevate or distinguish in form of exclusivity or status to the 1983 CL603 addition of hermits who must remain in their specific dioceses, and profess the three evangelical counsels "into the hands of their bishop". Whatever or whomever was the relatively recent genesis of the term "lay hermit," while it may over time be repeated, it is not in Church description or nomenclature of the eremitic life.
(In addition to "lay hermit", the label "dedicated hermit" and other similar terms seem only to be found in writings of but one Catholic hermit in one particular diocese, who has expressed fears of "fraud" and "counterfeit" hermits reducing to ruination the eremitic vocation that has been lived for centuries in the Catholic Church and could ostensibly include, if we persist in such unrealistic fear, to that of religious eremites and solitaries going back in history, such as with Christ's ancestors, or some of the prophets who lived as eremites, or as could include solitaries from the Jewish Essenes and possibly also the Therapeutae. Eremitic life may be traced back centuries prior to the birth of Christ. There seems no extant data on who if any were fraud or "counterfeit" hermits, and obviously none have destroyed the Catholic Church's eremitic vocation of privately, and now including publicly, professed hermits in the consecrated life of the Church.)
So yes, I am a consecrated Catholic hermit, privately professed, as is the diocese hermit, publicly professed, a consecrated Catholic hermit. Another publicly professed per CL603, diocese hermit, who has been a hermit not as long as I have but longer than most other diocese hermits, also has written of both publicly and privately professed Catholic hermits being all in the Consecrated Life of the Church.
Do just read §920, 921 of The Catechism. You will find it under The Consecrated Life of the Church, under the subsections on The Eremitic Life. The words do not lie. It's a shame that the nitpicking continues. It is of this in particular to which my parish priest who used the word "rubbish" and the hermit-priest who used the terms "heavy baggage," plus "negative," and "the devil involved" were referring. I had asked each to clarify, due to a diocesan hermit who has libeled, doxxed and detracted me for over 11 years on other issues, even personal attacks, as well. But for awhile now, the person's omphalos is that only publicly professed, diocese hermits be the only hermits included in the Consecrated Life of the Church. Thus I had asked again recently, the confessor and the hermit-priest, as I want to be clear and correct; and personally I always want to be right with the Church.
But the wording is quite clear; and the holy reality is more so that the Church is not about to insist that all Her hermits belong to a certain diocese, and be publicly professed. Nor, are they about to negate twenty centuries of privately professed, Catholic hermits as they all were and are yet very much in the Consecrated Life of the Church. CL603 in 1983 provided for an additional option for those who choose or feel they need, desire, or are called by God to choose public profession of the evangelical counsels, requiring supervision by a diocese bishop or his designee, and provides a canon law sense of security. Perhaps in centuries to come, diocese hermits, publicly professed, may be the only form of hermits. The Church has not yet become exclusively litigious. Until then, both privately and the more recently publicly professed Catholic hermits are welcome in the long-standing Church's eremitic vocation, along with the various other vocations detailed in The Catechism, and under "Consecrated Life of the Church!
Thus, all the Catholic hermits all these centuries, including those of us today, while "not always publicly professed," very much have been and are, and will be: in the Consecrated Life of the Church. Also, per the more recently added provision of CL603 designation of publicly professed hermits who are in specific dioceses if Bishops desire to approve them--they, too, are included in the Consecrated Life of the Church.
Mercy, children! Readers surely wonder why the one diocesan hermit takes such issue that such as myself and far many other anonymous, privately professed, consecrated Catholic hermits (who are and have been for centuries living marvelous eremitic vocations) are very much in the Consecrated Life of the Church. It is such an obvious and provable fact. One wonders if people other than the one hermit actually have ever questioned what is more of God than of man.
I've long surmised, and others have suggested, that the publicly professed hermit is at root, bothered that another hermit, privately professed, is consistently writing, sharing thoughts on the spiritual journey and of the life of a Catholic hermit--yes, also very much within the Consecrated Life of the Church. There's room enough on the world-wide web for everyone with a calling to write of the holy and good, of Christ, of the spiritual life. This is also a good reminder of what we ought to be focusing. Spiritual life over nitpicking; law of God over law of man. Expansive, positive vision, seeking union with Christ and love of God and others--over myopic, exclusionary focus which is more Pharisee than Christlike.
Why not find it beneficial to whomever reads blog posts about the eremitic life by Catholic hermits living the vocation--to enjoy and appreciate both the privately professed, traditional, historical path as well as the publicly professed, diocesan, CL603, more recently included path. But more so, to read reflections of spiritual growth, of the pitfalls and temptations in a hermit's daily life and spiritual progression--these aspects are not rubbish, not heavy baggage, not negative, not courting the devil's intrusion.
Seems like a win-win, to me! I call out again in love and peace, to this other Catholic hermit, for a cease-fire. I continue to pray for my fellow consecrated hermit, sincerely love the hermit's immortal soul. Yet I am all the more focused into every aspect of my consecrated life as a Catholic hermit (privately professed). I've been praising God that the devil's stirrings always inspire me, all the more, in my spiritual life. All the more grows my love of the Holy Trinity and my desire to strive all the more for union with God through the gift of my eremitic vocation--of which I pray to live to the ideal as a Christian, Catholic eremite in the consecrated life of the Holy Catholic Church. And, as we all should desire, to be above all else: ever consecrated in the Sacred Heart of Christ!
God bless His Real Presence in us! Little children, let us love one another, for God Is Love!
Postscript: I have come to consider that this issue that has become a bugaboo for my hermit colleague, is one of restating facts and trying to then lift myself to a more spiritual level, at least in my own handling of the "rubbish." I am striving to be obedient to my new spiritual director as well as my confessor, who advise to stay clear of this negative situation, as the devil is involved. While this nasty distraction is an aspect to write about as far as the progression in the spiritual life of hermits, and honesty is of value, there is a positive point in that the Church's hermits--professed both privately and publicly--sharing in the responsibility of being in the Consecrated Life of the Catholic Church. We are also all part of the Body of Christ even if hidden in our lives of praise and prayer and a silent witnessing of Christ and His Church.
Such a blessing and privilege--as we pray to absorb what a unified bonding of hermits in the consecrated life of the Church can mean, deeply within yet outspreading mystically in loving and positive ways unfathomable but to God. The spiritual reality and richness supersedes what we consider ridiculous and demonic in unholy distraction, compared to what we consecrated Catholic hermits are to be for the Church and for the whole world.
Our very beings are to be lived in praise of God, praying for salvation of world, for all souls on earth and beyond, to exist in stricter separation from the world, in the silence of solitude, hidden from eyes of others, to be as a silent preaching of Christ, a witness to the mystery of Christ and the Church...and so much more!
Let us, dear hermits one and all, proceed in this light of Christ and His Church! I'm under obedience to do so, not only from alter Christi but very much from the Holy Trinity to be in the Divine Will. Be positive, recognize the great movement His Real Presence is having in our souls and lives! Remain in Christ's Love! Uplift one another in prayer and sincere kindness and love!
"I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.... Is Christ divided?....For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with the wisdom of human eloquence, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning." ~ 1 Corinthians 1:10, 17
[Postscript: I will not be writing of this again, unless my spiritual director wants me to back-track and hinder my own hermit vocation, my spiritual life, my soul. God wants to take me and all of us into Himself for His glory and for whatever help I (or you) may be for others. I am certain my director nor my confessor wants me held back by such negativity of which the devil is involved--this hermit-priest who seemed more in heaven than earth and the confessor of whom I've never seen such holy dynamism and spiritual depth and energy. The spiritual joy and wisdom in guiding me and pointing the way to what the Lord is opening up now and next--all the positive and good for my soul and for others' souls--that is to be my view, my grasp. I ask you dear readers to please pray for myself and this other hermit, for there to be a clarity of peace and love, and for each of us (and all of you!) to attain to the heights of Christian perfection and union with God. And for me, pray for a strength in dropping this other, staying clear, and moving onward in Christ and His Church. Thank you!]
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