All Buddhist traditions have nuns, although their status varies in Buddhist countries. It is reported that Lord Buddha only let women enter the sangha with great reluctance, predicting that moving after 500 years would lead to the collapse of Buddhism instead of the 1,000 years it would otherwise have enjoyed. (This prophecy occurs only once in the canon and is the only prophecy regarding time in the canon, leading some to suspect that it is a late addition.) [49] Fully ordained Buddhist nuns (bhikkhunis) have more Patimokkha rules than monks (bhikkhus). However, the important wishes are the same. Of course, following all these rules is not for everyone. But for those who choose a particular life path, there is a sequence of steps that must be followed – a multi-year application process – to ensure that future nuns take it all seriously. There are differences according to the order (Benedictines vs Dominicans vs Passionists and so on), but the overall structure is the same for everyone, as Aleteia points out. Since orders can establish their own guidelines, there is no uniform set of rules that all nuns must follow. Here are some of the most common restrictions that nuns (especially in the Christian tradition) must follow: A canon is a nun that corresponds to the male equivalent of the canon and usually follows the rule of St. Augustine. The origin and rules of monastic life are common to both. As with canons, differences in the observance of the rule led to two types: the regular canoness, who took traditional religious vows, and the secular canon, who did not take vows and therefore remained free to own property and marry if they wished. It was above all a way of living a pious life for the wives of aristocratic families and has disappeared in modern times, with the exception of modern Lutheran monasteries in Germany.

In 1298, Pope Boniface VIII issued a papal bull decreeing that the complete enclosure with monasteries was a prerequisite for all nuns. In his statement, Boniface VIII said that nuns should never again see the secular world so that they can live a holier life. However, his text also contained some sneaky blows to the nuns – he said that women were unable to resist the temptation of men (i.e. to resist priests who lived nearby), and for their own safety and that of all men, they had to be removed from any situation in which they might get into trouble. The Vatican has established very specific rules for nuns` apartments, including the dictate that windows should not overlook public streets. Male priests who had done business with nuns were spared any punishment. The overall common life of the nuns could only meet the general expectations: living in a monastery, a lot of silent prayer, no earthly goods, no sexual relations and avoiding any change of habits (thanks to Elvis for this joke, via YouTube). Some of the best-known religious rules have certainly entered the public consciousness – vows of chastity, poverty and obedience – but how do they translate into the daily lives of nuns? The cloistered nuns (the Carmelites, for example) adhere to the rules of the “papal precinct”,[11] and their convents usually have walls separating the nuns from the outside world.

Nuns rarely go there (except for medical reasons or occasionally for purposes related to their contemplative life), although they may receive visitors in specially constructed salons, often with a grid or half-wall separating the nuns from the visitors. They are usually self-sufficient and earn money by selling jams, sweets or pastries by mail order or by making liturgical objects (such as clothes, candles or wafers dedicated for Holy Communion at Mass). Nuns join religious orders or congregations – these are usually “sects” within a religion. Different orders follow different rules and have different expectations from their members. In general, a nun`s daily duties may include praying, maintaining her church facilities, and engaging in charitable acts. When a woman decides to become a nun, she leaves the civilian world and has to follow completely new rules. From the vows they make to what happens in their daily lives, this article will cover all the interesting facts about the convent. A “nun”, on the other hand, never leaves the convent (residence). They live a “separate, consecrated to God” life, as Sister Clare Joseph, a Carmelite in Terre Haute, Indiana, puts it on YouTube (she herself worked in public relations before turning to the quiet, meditative life of a nun). If you imagine a Buddhist monk or some other cross-cultural and universal idea of an isolated and hermetic individual who devotes his life to quiet study, introspection and a focus away from all things in the world, then you have a good foundation from which to work to understand the rules that nuns must follow. In the case of nuns, the term already mentioned “intercession” also explains many things: they believe that they implore the divine in the name of humanity. Is the current investigation a return to the days of Pope Boniface VIII, whose closing rules were aimed at forcing nuns to submit and alienate them from the world? Will this affect the number of women serving as sisters and nuns? We will not know until the end of 2011, when the investigation is complete.

But in the meantime, let`s take a look at what women go through to become nuns. Any other rules that nuns must follow, as Kiwi Report says? Keep your habit. No “luxury” food. And according to a 2016 papal instruction from Pope Francis: restrict social media (by cultural trip). This quote, which belongs to the 13th century Dominican Order of Preachers or “Dominicans,” founded by Spanish monk Dominic de Guzman, sums up quite well the role and life not only of Dominican nuns, but of all nuns. As the French website Service des Nuns (“Service des nuns”) shows, there are a variety of monastic orders of nuns and priests included in the umbrella of the Catholic faith – there are even four different branches only of the Dominicans, as can be seen on Dominican Life. Ultimately, traditions, ceremonies and rules of conduct may vary from order to order or monastery to monastery — such as the Sisters of the Immaculate Health in Mexico, who care for a nearly extinct salamander, the axolotl, according to the BBC — but these differences are minor or marginal in most cases. The number of Catholic nuns in the United States has declined in recent decades, and the average age of a Catholic nun in 2012 was 74. Many orders of nuns are eager to accept novices, and while in the past future Catholic nuns had to be between 18 and 25 years old, older women are also accepted.

The Benedictine monastery of St Bridget of Kildare is a dual monastery of the United Methodist Church with monks and nuns. [48] The vow of poverty means that a nun or sister renounces the right to dispose of or benefit from personal property and undertakes to live in a community dependent on each other. She leads a life of work and moderation to imitate Jesus, who became poor to us, even though he was rich. The vow of poverty applies to all things; Books, clothes, furniture, vehicles and so on. It forces a nun or sister to live simply and not to attach themselves to material things in order to be free to serve others. The vow of chastity or celibacy means that Catholic nuns and sisters do not marry or engage in romantic behavior or sexual acts of any kind. This vow frees her from the demands of an exclusive human relationship, so that she may give all her love to God and, through God, to all men. By taking a vow of chastity, a nun or sister also testifies that her life is not about sex and does not define her as a person. Jesus replied, “All who love me will obey my teaching. My father will love them, and we will come to them and dwell with them. John 14:23. Some things you could do when working with a vocation leader: The Second Vatican Council and the modernization of the Catholic Church allowed more lay ministers to attend worship and ministry, so dressing and becoming a bride of Christ was no longer the only way to lead the church.

More women were elected to serve God without taking vows. As a result of all these changes, the number of nuns has declined significantly in recent decades, especially in the United States. In 1965, there were about 180,000 sisters in the United States; In 2009, there were fewer than 60,000, and the average age of the remaining nuns is 70 [source: Malone]. But we do not yet need to write the obituary for the nuns; On the next page, we examine what kind of woman appears at the gates of a monastery today. The vocation leader of a particular religious community is the official person who helps you to know the community and to recognize God`s call in your life. The Director of Appointments is a member of the community you wish to join. Their job is to help you get to know the community and help the community get to know you. She will be the one who will guide you through all the formal steps to become a religious within this particular religious community.