In religious life, do all members take permanent vows?

• A. Yes, all members take permanent vows.
• B. Only the senior members take permanent vows.
• C. All members take permanent vows at ordination.
• D. Novices or temporary members may not have permanent vows.

Answer: (D)

In religious life, vows are taken in stages. The novitiate is a time of formation, and novices do not yet profess permanent vows. After that period, many institutes have members freely profess temporary (or simple) vows for a certain number of years while continuing formation. The final, permanent (often called solemn) vows are made later, after completing the required formation and receiving approval from the proper authority. So it’s correct that novices or temporary members may not have permanent vows yet. The other choices aren’t accurate because permanent vows are not automatically taken by all at entry, they aren’t determined by seniority, and ordination is a separate process that does not automatically confer permanent vows for all members.