Home > Premonstratensians > The nobertin life in Leffe
The Latin verb profiteri, which has professus as its past participle, means “recognise, declare openly, commit oneself, promise”. In the Western Church, it is a technical term. Profession is understood here in the sense of religious profession, as a publicly taken commitment before an authority authorised by the Church to receive and authenticate it, to follow the advice of the Gospel to lead a life of perfect poverty, chastity and obedience. The professed religious is he that has made a profession. Prior to that, he is a novice. At the end of a two year period serving to determine his vocation and allow him to test personally whether he is capable of leading the life of the community that welcomes him, the novice may make a simple profession. Canonical law speaks more elegantly of a temporary profession: the candidate commits himself to respecting the vows taken for a firm period of three years; when the period is over, he may eventually take up his former life or be sent away if he is considered as inapt for religious life. This commitment may be renewed three times, i.e., for a maximum period of nine years. Usually, three years is sufficient. The religious having made a simple profession may then, if he perseveres and is admitted, make a solemn profession, renewing his vows during the celebration of the Eucharist. He commits himself this time to observing them for his entire life. This profession is also called perpetual. It marks the definitive entry into a state of monastic life, the professed acquiring thereby all the rights and duties that this state in the Church entails. By poverty, he renounces possessing anything personally, by chastity, he commits himself to living communally in consecrated celibacy which implies absolute continence; by obedience, he puts himself voluntarily under the dependence of his superior.
In the Premonstratensian Order, as with all canons regular, the profession is made in manibus, “in the hands”, and super altare, “on the altar”. As a vassal swore fidelity in the Middle Ages to his lord, the candidate holds his hands together and places them in the hands of his abbot as a sign of submission (the hands are held together that they may be bound!) and protection (the abbot’s hands, which close over those of the professed, grant him this protection, the abbot here taking the place of God). The candidate then reads the formula of profession that he has written out in his own hand. He then carries it to the altar where he signs it and deposits it, at the same time as bread and wine to be consecrated, symbolising that the offering that he makes of himself to the Father is joined to the offering of Christ on the cross, as represented by the Eucharistic mystery, and that it seals forever in the sacrament of the alliance that is the Eucharist.
[updated on the 04.11.05]
To subscribe to the Abbey newsletter (in French) post your e-mail address below:
Legal Mentions | Map of website | Admin | Performance Artégo | RSS