Ethics for Vocation Ministry sets forth Principles, Responsibilities and Expectations for vocation ministry, i.e. vocation promotion, accompaniment of discerners and assessment of candidates for membership in Religious Life. This document is intended to serve as a guideline for Religious Institutes and Societies in their Vocation Ministry.
The ethics of vocation ministry are guided by these foundational principles:
Vocation Ministry is the responsibility of the entire congregation. Leadership and Vocation Ministers have particular responsibilities in addition to the responsibilities of all the brothers / sisters as set forth below.
The support of Leadership in Religious Institutes is essential for effective vocation ministry especially in the following areas:
Vocation Ministers bear the primary responsibility for vocation ministry
Sisters and Brothers of the Congregation live their responsibility for vocation ministry by:
Candidates do not have reciprocal obligations particular to a professional and ethical code of conduct in Vocation Ministry. There are, however, some expectations of the Candidate that the Vocation Minister may assume regarding the Candidate’s own participation in the discernment process, namely:
Leadership and Vocation Ministers share the responsibility for the appropriate management of records associated with vocation ministry. They should develop and use a Vocational Records Management Policy which will address:
To assist Religious Institutes in the processing of this document, the National Religious Vocation Conference proposes the following questions for group or personal reflection: