ST II-II, q. 186
Of Those Things in which the Religious State Properly Consists
We must now consider things pertaining to the religious state: which consideration will be fourfold. In the first place we shall consider those things in which the religious state consists chiefly; secondly, those things which are lawfully befitting to religious; thirdly, the different kinds of religious orders; fourthly, the entrance into the religious state.
Under the first head there are ten points of inquiry:
(1) Whether the religious state is perfect?
(2) Whether religious are bound to all the counsels?
(3) Whether voluntary poverty is required for the religious state?
(4) Whether continency is necessary?
(5) Whether obedience is necessary?
(6) Whether it is necessary that these should be the matter of a vow?
(7) Of the sufficiency of these vows;
(8) Of their comparison one with another;
(9) Whether a religious sins mortally whenever he transgresses a statute of his rule?
(10) Whether, other things being equal, a religious sins more grievously by the same kind of sin than a secular person?
Articles
- a. 1Whether religion implies a state of perfection?
- a. 2Whether every religious is bound to keep all the counsels?
- a. 3Whether poverty is required for religious perfection?
- a. 4Whether perpetual continence is required for religious perfection?
- a. 5Whether obedience belongs to religious perfection?
- a. 6Whether it is requisite for religious perfection that poverty, continence, and obedience should come under a vow?
- a. 7Whether it is right to say that religious perfection consists in these three vows?
- a. 8Whether the vow of obedience is the chief of the three religious vows?
- a. 9Whether a religious sins mortally whenever he transgresses the things contained in his rule?
- a. 10Whether a religious sins more grievously than a secular by the same kind of sin?