What do the vows of poverty, celibate chastity, and obedience mean today?
Both religious order and diocesan priests make promises of celibate (unmarried) chastity and obedience. A religious order priest also takes a vow of poverty, while a diocesan priest promises to live a simple life-style. The vow of poverty means that members of a religious community hold all things in common. The community takes care of their needs. The vow of celibate chastity means that a person promises not to get married or have sexual relations. Obedience for a religious order priest means searching for and seeking to accomplish God’s will in the context of Scripture, the Church, and the religious community. For a diocesan priest, the promise of obedience is to his bishop and the bishop’s successors.
