Exclaustration facts for kids

In the Catholic Church's rules, exclaustration is when a religious person (someone who has made lifelong promises to a religious group) gets official permission to live outside their religious community for a set time. This usually happens when they are thinking about whether to leave the religious life for good.

Exclaustration is different from just living away from the community for reasons like taking care of a family member, working, or studying. In those cases, the person doesn't want to separate from their religious group, even temporarily.

It's also different from being completely freed from religious promises. A person on exclaustration is still a religious member and still bound by their promises. However, how they follow rules like poverty and obedience changes because they are living outside the community.

If a religious person has made only temporary promises, and they want to leave before those promises end, it's called an "indult of departure." This is a different process than exclaustration.

For Priests and Deacons

If a deacon or priest is going on exclaustration, they first need permission from the local bishop where they plan to live. Living there might be a first step towards joining that local church group. They also need to agree with the bishop about any priestly duties they might do during this time.

Trial Exclaustration

Sometimes, the Holy See (the Pope's main office) can grant a special "trial exclaustration" to a religious priest. This happens if the priest has decided to leave his religious group and wants to become a priest for a local diocese (a church area led by a bishop). It also means that if the local bishop accepts him permanently, or after five years if the bishop hasn't said no, the priest will automatically be freed from his religious promises and join the diocese.

If a local bishop is ready to accept a religious priest right away, there's no need for exclaustration. Instead, the priest is directly freed from his religious promises.

In some rare cases, the Holy See has allowed "qualified exclaustration." This lets a religious priest live like a regular person for a limited time. They don't perform priestly duties and are free from most clerical rules, except for the promise of celibacy (not marrying). This is only given if there's hope the person might return to their priestly calling later.

How Exclaustration is Granted

A religious group's leader (called the superior general) can grant exclaustration for up to three years. They need the agreement of their council (a group of advisors).

If someone needs exclaustration for more than three years, or if they need to extend it past three years, it's handled by the Holy See for larger religious groups. For smaller groups under a local bishop, the bishop grants it.

For nuns (sisters who live a cloistered life), granting exclaustration used to be reserved for the Holy See. However, new rules allow the main superior of a nun's community, with her council's consent, to grant exclaustration for up to one year. This also requires the agreement of the local bishop where the nun will live and the opinion of her own bishop or religious superior.

Exclaustration can also be ordered by the Holy See (for larger groups) or the local bishop (for smaller groups). This happens if the religious group's leader asks for it due to serious reasons. When exclaustration is imposed, it can be for a set time or indefinitely. If it's indefinite, it only ends when the authority who imposed it lifts it.

See also

In Spanish: Exclaustración para niños