8.273. Is there a contradiction between post-Vatican II reforms of religious life (Perfectae Caritatis) and traditional Catholic teaching on vows, enclosure, and ascetical life?

Yes. The post-Vatican II document Perfectae Caritatis (1965), and its subsequent implementation, represents a serious departure from the traditional Catholic understanding of religious life. Rooted in the teachings of Christ, the Apostles, and centuries of monastic, religious, and canonical tradition, true religious life has always been marked by the three evangelical counsels (poverty, chastity, obedience), along with enclosure, penance, habitual prayer, and separation from the world.

Perfectae Caritatis, under the guise of “renewal” and “adaptation to modern circumstances,” diluted or abandoned many of these principles. In doing so, it contributed directly to the collapse of religious life after Vatican II. Thousands of vocations were lost, traditional orders were gutted, and new communities sprang up that no longer followed the strict path of self-denial and holiness required by authentic Catholic religious life.

1. Traditional Teaching on Religious Life

From the earliest centuries, religious life was seen as a state of perfection—a supernatural calling in which a soul renounces the world and follows Christ with greater spiritual intensity. This is affirmed by:

• St. Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologiae, II-II, q. 184–189): Religious life is not merely an optional form of Christian life, but a higher state than marriage or lay life because it involves the full renunciation of worldly goods for the sake of the Kingdom.

• Council of Trent (Session 25): Defended the superiority and dignity of the religious state and condemned laxity or attempts to make it equal to lay life.

• Papal teaching, especially by Pius XII in Sacra Virginitas and Provida Mater Ecclesia, upheld the strict character of religious vows and the need for separation from the world.

Traditional religious life typically involved:

• Solemn vows (not just “commitments”)

• Enclosure for contemplatives (especially women)

• Wearing a distinctive habit

• Practicing asceticism and penance

• A rhythm of life centered on liturgy, silence, and manual labor or apostolate

• Detachment from modern amusements, luxuries, and ideologies

2. Vatican II’s Perfectae Caritatis and the "Renewal" of Religious Life

Perfectae Caritatis, while affirming the value of religious life, introduced several modernist and dangerous principles that undermined the tradition:

A. Emphasis on “Adaptation” and “Modernization”

“The manner of living, praying and working should be suitably adapted to the physical and psychological condition of today's religious, to the requirements of the apostolate, to the demands of culture, and to the social and economic circumstances.” (Perfectae Caritatis §3)

This opens the door to:

• Psychological reinterpretations of asceticism and obedience

• Secular dress and abandonment of habits

• Relaxation of communal discipline and enclosure

B. Blurring the Supernatural Character

Rather than upholding religious life as a supernatural call to perfection, the document reduces it to a “service” or function in the world:

“The religious life... manifests the inner nature of the Christian calling... when it aids the faithful in the pursuit of charity.” (§1)

This language shifts the emphasis from renunciation to engagement, from contemplation to action, from holiness to helpfulness.

C. Destruction of Enclosure and Uniformity

The document calls for contemplative institutes to “adapt” (§7) and for active institutes to radically change their lifestyle. Communities began to:

• Dispense with common prayer

• Abandon traditional fasting and silence

• Focus on social activism and ecumenical work rather than prayer and penance

D. Redefinition of Obedience and Poverty

True obedience in the traditional sense is an act of renunciation of the will, an imitation of Christ’s submission to the Father. After Vatican II, it became a process of “dialogue” and “discernment” with superiors. Likewise, “poverty” now includes owning cell phones, living in private apartments, and traveling internationally—under the excuse of “apostolate.”

3. Fruits of the Vatican II “Reform”

The effects of Perfectae Caritatis have been devastating and undeniable:

• Tens of thousands of priests and religious abandoned their vocations in the 1960s–70s.

• Traditional monasteries and convents emptied, were sold off, or modernized beyond recognition.

• Liberal and activist communities emerged, rejecting doctrine on sexuality, women’s ordination, and even papal authority.

• Vocations have plummeted, with only a fraction of young people entering religious life compared to before the Council.

This is not a purification—it is an apostasy from the supernatural ideal of the consecrated life.

Category	Traditional Catholic Teaching	Post-Vatican II (*Perfectae Caritatis*)	Remarks
Nature of Religious Life	State of perfection, superior to lay state	One form among many ways of Christian life	Devalues traditional theology of vocation
Vows	Solemn, lifelong, rooted in sacrifice	Interpreted subjectively, often temporary	Undermines sacrificial nature of consecration
Enclosure & Separation	Strict cloister and world renunciation	Relaxed enclosure, emphasis on engagement	Destroys contemplative and penitential spirit
Obedience	Complete surrender of will to superior	Dialogue-based and psychological approach	Contradicts traditional ascetical theology
Poverty	Material renunciation, common life, austerity	Flexible “spiritual” poverty with modern comforts	Loss of credibility and witness
Purpose of Religious Life	Sanctification of soul and glorification of God	Humanitarian aid and social involvement	Horizontal focus replaces supernatural end

Summary:

The post-Vatican II reforms of religious life, as codified in Perfectae Caritatis (1965), mark a clear departure from the traditional Catholic understanding of the consecrated vocation. Historically, the Church recognized religious life as a supernatural state of perfection—a path of renunciation undertaken by those who wished to follow Christ more closely through poverty, chastity, and obedience. This path, affirmed by Scripture, the Church Fathers, and dogmatic councils, required strict enclosure, communal life, asceticism, and a clear separation from the world.

In contrast, Perfectae Caritatis introduced a paradigm shift. Under the banner of “renewal” and “adaptation,” it prioritized engagement with the modern world over separation from it. Cloistered life was relaxed, habits were abandoned, communal prayer gave way to activism, and the evangelical counsels were redefined in light of psychology and modern humanism. Religious obedience became a dialogue, poverty was diluted by comforts and technology, and the pursuit of personal holiness was overshadowed by social justice initiatives.

These changes directly undermined the identity and integrity of religious life. The reforms presented religious life not as a higher supernatural calling, but as one of many valid “options” in the Church. Instead of preserving the sacrificial and penitential elements that had sanctified thousands of saints, the new model emphasized emotional well-being, personal autonomy, and adaptability to the world’s changing values.

The results were catastrophic. Tens of thousands of religious vocations collapsed within a decade. Entire orders disappeared or became unrecognizable. Communities that once inspired awe through their discipline, silence, and holiness became indistinguishable from secular organizations. The sacredness of religious consecration was eroded, and the supernatural witness of vowed life dimmed before the world.

This collapse was not accidental—it was the fruit of Vatican II’s principles: openness to the world, rejection of preconciliar discipline, and a preference for dialogue over doctrine, modernity over tradition. Traditional Catholics rightly recognize this as part of the larger crisis of faith caused by the false “church” of Vatican II.

Faithful souls must reject these destructive reforms and return to the traditional model of religious life. The Church, though eclipsed in this age, still preserves the true ideal: solemn vows, strict formation, ascetical living, and a total consecration to Christ through self-denial. It is only in this spirit that religious life will once again produce saints and serve as a prophetic witness to a fallen world.