cathy@gargoyle.uchicago.edu (Cathy Johnston) (07/16/90)
In article <Jul.13.05.04.02.1990.12084@athos.rutgers.edu> jhpb@granjon.garage.att.com writes: >Consecrated virginity is universally viewed as a higher state of life >than the married state in the early Church... > >Some orders of nuns wear wedding rings; they are spiritually spouses of >Christ, desiring to do everything that He desires. Joe's comment about the wedding rings is true, but a bit misleading -- since *all* Christians are called to an intimate relationship with Christ, not just some orders of nuns. This opinion that God demands of us a deeply intimate love is also at the core of why Catholics consider marriage a Sacrament-with-a-capital-S -- intimacy between people is part of, and reflection of, intimacy between people and god. As for the part about "higher state of life" -- this is, indeed, a strong view in the whole history of the Church, not just the early Church. But other opinions have also sometimes prevailed -- Marriage is one of the seven Sacraments, but Profession of Religious Vows is not. At least as a "bride of Christ" I don't have to worry about china patterns! ;-) cathy :-) -- Cathy Johnston # Like a dry and weary desert land, cathy@gargoyle.uchicago.edu # so my soul is thirsting for my God. # And my flesh is faint for the God I seek, # for your love is more to me than life.