''Vultum Dei quaerere'' (
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
for ''Seeking the Face of God'') is an
apostolic constitution issued by
Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
on 22 July 2016, regarding
women
A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...
's
contemplative life.
Contents
Francis devotes a chapter to praise of the
vocation
A vocation () is an occupation to which a person is especially drawn or for which they are suited, trained or qualified. People can be given information about a new occupation through student orientation. Though now often used in non-religious ...
to the contemplative life. He reflects on 12 aspects of the contemplative life which may help contemplative women achieve the goals of their vocation, namely: "formation,
prayer
Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified ...
, the
word of God, the
sacraments of the
Eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
and
Reconciliation
Reconciliation or reconcile may refer to:
Accounting
* Reconciliation (accounting)
Arts, entertainment, and media Sculpture
* ''Reconciliation'' (Josefina de Vasconcellos sculpture), a sculpture by Josefina de Vasconcellos in Coventry Cathedra ...
, fraternal life in community, federations, the
cloister
A cloister (from Latin ''claustrum'', "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cathedral or church, commonly against a ...
, work, silence, the
communications media
In mass communication, media are the communication outlets or tools used to store and deliver information or data. The term refers to components of the mass media communications industry, such as print media, publishing, the news media, photogr ...
and
asceticism." He notes in conclusion that nuns are needed by the "world and the Church" as "beacons of light for the journey of the men and women of our time".
The constitution establishes new rules governing women's contemplative life, emphasizing the importance of the God-centered nature of monastic life.
It also establishes new provisions for federation of contemplative communities. Those portions of
canon law
Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...
which are in conflict with ''Vultum Dei quaerare'' were partially repealed by the constitution; in particular, Francis cited portions of
Pope Pius XII's apostolic constitution ''Sponsa Christi'' as well as portions of the instructions ''Inter Praeclara'', published in 1950, and ''Verbi Sponsa'', published in 1999.
Particular attention was given to ongoing, recommending that monasteries cooperate and share resources, and to this end encouraged federation with other communities.
Publication
During the Vatican press briefing during which ''Vultum Dei quaerere'' was presented to the public, Archbishop
José Rodríguez Carballo,
O.F.M., secretary of the
, remarked that
in outlining the essential elements f the contemplative lifethere is no lack of explicit references to contemplative women, to whom there is presented the icon of Mary
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
as ''summa contemplatrix'' .e. the greatest contemplator "Mary, Virgin, Bride and Mother
]
A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...
, who welcomes and treasures the Logos (Christianity), Word in order to give it back to the world ... to help to bring Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
to birth and increase in the hearts of men and women".
Instruction ''Cor Orans''
The
published the document ''Cor Orans'' in 2018 to implement Vultum Dei quaerere.
References
External links
''Vultum Dei quaerere''
*
'
{{Pope Francis , state = collapsed
Pope Francis
Latin texts
Monasticism
Catholic canon law of religious
2016 in Vatican City
Apostolic constitutions of Pope Francis
Christian nuns