Whats the difference between a religious community and a secular institute?
Single lay men and women, and also some priests, belong to secular institutes. They make a commitment to live the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Members do not necessarily live together as a community. Their goal is to be a transforming presence in society, which is where the term secular arises. Secular institutes are a relatively new phenomenon, canonically recognized in 1947. Even today, these institutes are still fledgling in the United States. The United States Conference of Secular Institutes reports only 27 Church-approved institutes in this country. Married people can become associate members of secular institutes. A religious community is a more public vocation than membership in a secular institute. Whereas consecrated secular institute members generally take care of their own financial needs, members of religious communities hold all things in common. For example, in a religious community, members give their earnings to the community, which, in tur
