Catholic Hermit: Laity, Lay State, Not the Same as Consecrated State

Once more, in the life of the Catholic Church, the Lay State, or laity, is not the same as the Consecrated State.  Hermits--all who have professed the three evangelical counsels, have made a vow, have a rule of life, and have lived or are continuing to live the eremitic vocation within the specified description in the institutes as well as in The Catechism of the Catholic Church, are hermits in the consecrated life of the Church, or consecrated Catholic hermits.

There is no such designation in the Church writings nor law that designates a term such as "lay hermit."  While I realize others may use this term and claim authority to do so, or even if it is used familiarly or increasingly, the fact remains, that it is not a term or designation--at least not at this time--formally stated or created by the Catholic Church. 

[Lay persons differ from Consecrated persons in that laity do not profess the three evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience.  Lay persons can certainly live alone, can choose to be celibate, might be poor, but they are not living nor professed in the Eremitic Life as specified by the Church as the Consecrated Life of the Church. ]

St. Pope John Paul II states beautifully in Vita Consecrata, a description of the laity and their contributions to Christ and His Church, as well as to those, very much including hermits, who are in the consecrated state, the consecrated life of the Church.  The main factor is that of professing the three evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience--and living that profession in the various ways that St. Pope John Paul II eloquently and specifically describes and "exhorts."

I personally choose to take the writings of St. JPII as authority over what a hermit even if a diocese hermit, states.  Until I find out more conclusively, as I am making inquiries to get the facts clarified and in specific from the Church Hierarchy, those hermits who have made private profession of the three evangelical counsels and who by vow, rule of life, have and are living the eremitic life according to what the Church sets forth in description, are in the Consecrated Life of the Church.  

I will be highly surprised if those professed hermits who are living diligently and spiritually directed by a priest or bishop (of which a bishop may spiritually direct anyone he desires, does not have to be a CL603 hermit), and following the historical and traditional eremitic life that the very first hermits of the Church lived that led to the development of ancient hermit Orders, would not be considered by the Church today to be included in the Consecrated Life, or be in the Consecrated State.

These traditional hermits who have privately professed the three evangelical counsels and are living the eremitic life and have been, are definitely not  in the Lay State, are not part of the Laity.  That is unless one wants to refute what St. Pope John Paul II writes, and what is described by the Church documents as the Laity or the Lay State compared to what the Church describes and states is the Consecrated Life of the Church.

Personally, I want to find out definitely from an authorized source, from the Hierarchy of the Church, if they agree with JPII or not, for example.  But mostly, to discover if somehow traditional, privately professed hermits are not in the Consecrated State, then of course their either needs to be made provision for the first hermits and the hermits over the centuries as well as the traditional, privately professed hermits today who are very much living the eremitic vocation, that all these hermits are included with the rest of the Church's hermits, as part of the Consecrated Life.  

Otherwise, then we traditional, privately professed hermits need to either join in a community of hermits (new institute), or join in one of the ancient hermit Orders--Carthusians, Camaldolese, or become a diocese hermit per CL603 and under the required direction of the diocese bishop.  

Will update for those of you readers who have been confused by what others have suggested.  If I am incorrect in interpreting, or if Pope St. John Paul II's descriptions are invalid, I will let you know.  In the meantime, my eremitic vocation is increasingly deepening, more focused than ever before, as I enter into my 20th year as a consecrated Catholic hermit, privately professed--following the traditional, historical path of the first hermits and the many who followed after.

I do remind us all--all hermits--that our main purpose is not to be myopic in fussing over exclusion, but to be in unity of our eremitic vocation that is beautiful and rich in Church history, and by which we ought be making a holy contribution to the Church--the Body of Christ--of which as St. JPII specifies as "all the faithful--Bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons and laity..." (Vita Consecrata, n. 4). 

 Let us, therefore, not be distracted by that which is not (at least not yet) hierarchically established fact, not substantiated by Church documents, institutes, and papal writings.  Let us discern from whom various terms and "rules" and "laws" are being suggested and publicized as fact, as they may or may not be correct, no matter how authentic they may present themselves.  I tend to go with truth, fact, documentation, review of the literature, and that by which Christ determines through His Church hierarchy.

I conclude with a refocusing of which ought be helpful for all of us Catholic hermits, as a purpose and goal in the daily and nightly living out of our eremitic vocation, written and exhorted by St. Pope John Paul II:

"In every age consecrated men and women must continue to be images of Christ the Lord, fostering through prayer a profound communion of mind with Him (cf. Phil 2:5-11), so that their whole lives may be penetrated by an apostolic spirit and their apostolic work with contemplation."

Above all, God bless His Real Presence in us!  Little children, let us love one another as God loves!

Am praying the body able to be at morning Mass where I will place all this upon the altar, with the best wishes and intentions for peace and unity among all Catholics, and all of us in the Consecrated Life of the Church.  This dispute is distraction and not where any of us need to keep our minds.  In time, we will have answers from Church Hierarchy; we must wait patiently.  Meanwhile we can choose to rejoice in our oneness and live fully all that the Consecrated Life promotes in more closely following the life of Christ as a witness to the entire Church and world, and of our full surrender and offering in intimacy and joy in Christ.

May we foremost, terminology fussing aside, live our eremitic vocations in full surrender to Jesus Christ and in offering ourselves to the uplift of Holy Mother Church and all the faithful therein!