Discalced Carmelite Secular Order

From the OCD General House

A. NATURE

"Associations whose members lead an apostolic life and strive for Christian perfection while living in the world and who share the spirit of some religious institute under the higher direction of that same institute are called third orders or some other appropriate name." (Canon 303) 

The Secular Order has a Rule of Life approved on 10th May 1979 by the then "Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes". 

"The Secular Order of the Discalced Carmelites is an association of the faithful who undertake the pursuit of evangelical perfection in the world. The Christian Life of the members is inspired and nourished by the spirituality and guidance of the Teresian Carmel. 

The Secular Order forms an integral part of the Carmelite family; its members are therefore sons and daughters of the Order, and share in fraternal communion its same vocation of holiness and its mission in the Church though in a state of life essentially different from that of the religious" (Rule of Life, art. 1). 

"We have a similar fraternal duty (of formation) towards the members of our Secular Order" (OCD Friars Const. 103). 

"In order to promote the apostolate to our Secular Order: 

a) a Secular Order should be set up in every house wherever possible. 

b) our religious should support the Secular Order with prayer and the example of a fervent life; they should foster vocations to it and offer to take on the spiritual care of the members; 

c) special care should be used in training those members who are put in charge of the Secular Order" (Norms to OCD Friars Constitutions: 56). 

B. ITS PRESENCE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

A great part of the Order of Discalced Carmelites is formed of laity spread throughout the world. We are able to give details of this presence through statistics gathered in preparing the Secular Order International Congress held in Rome from 8th to 15th October 1996. 

From what statistics were received we were able to establish that the Secular Order is present in at least 44 countries with more than 677 Fraternities and 26, 284 members which number includes those received into initial formation. Of this number 23,216 are women and 3,068 are men. 

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