Vow of obedience

Obedience in the Christian sense of the Evangelical Council or one promised in a religious community or to his bishop vow assumes that only the will of God obedient person is truly free for other people, open is for new perspectives and available for tasks in the Community.

Obedience is thus the free response to God's word ( "listening") and God's act of creation ( " Belong " ), including but responsible thinking and Mithandeln in all frankness and honesty with. This obedience is reflected in the set of natural or authorities, for example by diocesan priests against their bishop, of religious Christians against their superiors.

The same is also true in marriage and family.

This is according to the Christian understanding that is not a blind obedience or a be taken out of the responsibility. It also requires the authority which receives the obedience, prudence and respect for the dignity of man.

A so -understood obedience has four basic dimensions:

Apostolic aspect

An obedient Christian who follows the free and obedient Christ, refrains from himself and his own needs to actively, creatively and conscientiously to take responsibility in the Church and world.

Eschatological aspect

An obedient Christian who participates at the coming of the kingdom of God entrusts his life to God, even if his own plans are thwarted it. This is done in the belief that it is God who raises and liberated.

Politically - solidary aspect

An obedient Christian who is in solidarity with his fellow man, stands up for the oppressed, who are at the margins of society, and thus represents an option for the poor one. It is by Johann Baptist Metz to a practical close to those for whom obedience just not a virtue but a sign of oppression, paternalism and incapacitation is.

Family - Community aspect

An obedient Christian, the Christian family or religious community with its divinely ordained goals and structures made ​​himself available, therefore can be in this community integrate and arranges his own will and their own beliefs in the larger whole, a, without, however, completely in to be working.