A Society for Clergy

From the beginning of Christianity, his disciples have proclaimed, “Christ is Risen!” and have thereby announced the end of the kingdom of death and the inauguration of the new People of Life, the Church, which is by God’s design to embrace all humanity into one family.

Because Jesus Christ is Life (see John 11:17-27; 14:1-6) and brings Life (see John 1:1-5; 10:7-15), His Gospel is the Gospel of Life. “The Gospel of God's love for man, the Gospel of the dignity of the person and the Gospel of life are a single and indivisible Gospel” (Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, n. 2)

1.2 The Church, called to invite and lead all people to salvation in Christ, proclaims and opens the door to that life which is eternal. The gift of eternal life, however, presupposes the natural gift of human life itself. In our day, this most basic good and most fundamental right is under unprecedented attack, particularly by abortion, which claims the most defenseless human victims, and in greater numbers than any other form of violence. It is the defense of the natural right to life that gives rise to our particular charism.

1.3 The People of Life understand that the command to “love one another” knows of no exceptions, and that no Christian can be indifferent to attacks on human life. Nourished by the Biblical call to rescue the vulnerable and defend the defenseless, many have committed themselves to defend the lives of the poorest of the poor – the unborn – and of others whose very right to life is denied. Many, moreover, feel called by God to do this work of justice on a full-time basis.

1.4 “Where life is involved, the service of charity must be profoundly consistent. It cannot tolerate bias and discrimination, for human life is sacred and inviolable at every stage and in every situation; it is an indivisible good” (EV, n.87). It is precisely that consistency that calls for a new Culture of Life, in which the unborn child is treated with the same care and protection as the born. The consistent ethic of life, properly understood, recognizes that some rights are more fundamental than others, and that life itself is the condition for all the rest.

1.5 Within the consistent ethic, we are pastors to the unborn, a collective and visible voice for the voiceless millions who have been killed and are yet in danger of being killed by abortion. We call for the establishment of full recognition of their rights and protection of their lives. We do this fully realizing that without such recognition and protection, every noble effort to establish justice in the human community is undermined, every affirmation of human dignity is contradicted, and peace between families, communities and nations is threatened. As Pope John Paul II declared in Christifideles Laici, “…[T]he common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights -- for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture -- is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition of all other personal rights, is not defended with maximum determination” (n.38) and as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta said, “The greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion” (Speech to National Prayer Breakfast, Washington DC, February 3, 1994).

1.6 God is therefore raising up in the Church priests and laity whose full-time work is to restore recognition of the right to life where it is directly denied. This is a response to the call issued in Evangelium Vitae: “What is urgently called for is a general mobilization of consciences and a united ethical effort to activate a great campaign in support of life. All together, we must build a new culture of life” (EV, n.95).

2. Historical Background of the Society

2.1 This new Society of Apostolic Life, the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life, springs from the mission and spirituality of Priests for Life, an Association of the Faithful that began in 1991 and that assists clergy and laity worldwide to carry out pro-life work. Many young men who felt a call to the priesthood began approaching Priests for Life, asking if it was a community they could join to do full-time pro-life ministry. That led Fr. Frank Pavone to initiate discussions in 1995 about the possibility of Priests for Life eventually giving rise to a Society of Apostolic Life. Those discussions continued through a decade, as the mission, spirituality, and ministerial experience of Priests for Life continued to mature and as more priests received permission to do the work of Priests for Life on a full-time basis.

2.2 In late 2004, Fr. Pavone approached Bishop John Yanta, Bishop of Amarillo and member of the Priests for Life Episcopal Board of Advisors, to ask if he could incardinate into the Amarillo Diocese and launch there a new Society of Apostolic Life dedicated to pro-life ministry. The bishop agreed, Fr. Pavone was incardinated into Amarillo on March 10, 2005, and the formation of the new Society was formally announced during Holy Week, on March 23, 2005, just two days before the tenth anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s encyclical letter Evangelium Vitae. For the development of the Society, Bishop Yanta has not only offered his episcopal guidance, but has likewise offered buildings and land upon which this new initiative could find its home.

3. Nature of the Society

3.1 Societies of Apostolic Life (Code of Canon Law 731-746) are distinct from dioceses but are also distinct from institutes of consecrated life. Seeking to respond to a particular socio-ecclesial problem, Societies of Apostolic Life are shaped by a particular mission, and bring the Gospel to bear upon specific needs of the times. While there is a dimension of community life in such Societies, it is the mission that is primary. In the present case, the societal problem is the direct denial of the right to life, expressed above all in widespread abortion and the increase of euthanasia.

3.2 The Missionaries of the Gospel of Life (“the Society”) is a Clerical Society (c. 588, n.2) of Apostolic Life of Diocesan Right (c. 589), and consists of priests, deacons, and male lay missionaries (living in the community and analogous to religious brothers) who strive for the perfection of Christian charity and have committed their entire life and ministry to “proclaim, celebrate, and serve the Gospel of Life” (EV n. 92). Clerics or lay men and women living outside of the community and engaged in pro-life activity within the framework of their own vocations can also join as affiliate members. The Society promotes and defends the natural human right to life, in the light of the Gospel, focusing in particular on ending the scourge of abortion.

4. Aims of the Society

4.1 The Society seeks to give witness before the Church and the world to the priority of the right to life as the foundation of all other rights, and to the absolute claims to respect and protection that this right makes upon every individual and community in the human family.

4.2 In that context, we seek to respond to the call to holiness, and live out our vocation concretely by striving:

4.2.1. To bear public witness, in every sector of society, to the sanctity of each human life, and to defend human life against direct attacks by abortion, and other evils such as infanticide, destruction of embryos in the name of research, and euthanasia;

4.2.2. To be a prophetic voice within the Church, in order that pastoral programs, preaching, teaching, and the allocation of time and resources in every sector of the Church reflect the “urgent priority and attention” that the tragedy of abortion deserves (see US Bishops’ Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities: A Campaign in Support of Life, Introduction, 2001);

4.2.3. To provide ongoing education, motivation, and resources for the clergy and all who minister in the Church, helping them to network with each other and equipping them with the necessary tools to preach and teach the pro-life message, to counsel those tempted to abort or who have aborted, and organize their people for pro-life activities;

4.2.4. To minister to the entire pro-life movement by offering spiritual support, guidance, teaching and direction.

4.3 In short, we are pastors to the unborn child and to the pro-life movement.

4.4 Because cultures and their laws change, the particular shape of the attacks on the right to life will change from generation to generation. However, as long as humanity exists, its youngest, most vulnerable members will always need care and protection, and those who bring them to birth will always need courage. Despite the legal status of abortion, which has been condemned from the beginning of the Church, the Society will always play a role in advocating for the unborn. Moreover, the Gospel of Christ will always be the Gospel of Life, and as direct attacks on the right to life take various forms throughout history, the Society will bear witness to the Gospel and summon believers to respond to its demands as the needs of the time require. (cc. 731-732).

5. Means to Achieve our Aims

5.1 These goals are accomplished by traveling into local communities to strengthen the work of the Church as it relates to the right to life, to minister to the pro-life movement, and to reach out to the wider community by means of media and other forms of public outreach.

5.2 The concrete ways in which this ministry is exercised are outlined in greater detail in the Statutes, but must always correspond to the framework indicated here.

6. Our spirituality

6.1 As is the case in every Society of Apostolic Life, the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life seek to grow toward the perfection of charity thanks to God’s abundant grace. To that end, our spirituality is marked by the following characteristics:

6.1.1 Biblical
The Word of Life, found in the pages of the Sacred Text, is to be a constant source of meditation and instruction, as well as the most frequently used pastoral tool for preaching and teaching. Members are to be intimately familiar with the pages of Scripture, both Old and New Testaments, and are to always deepen their ability to articulate for the people the Biblical message about the sanctity of life, as it is found in every part of the Bible.

6.1.2 Prophetic
Counteracting the culture of death demands a prophetic spirituality. Our teaching is not our own, and like the prophets, we nurture the spirit of humility and awe that God should deign to speak His eternal word through mortal, sinful instruments like ourselves. Yet, as Jesus did, we teach “with authority,” because the Word we preach is His. The Gospel, always respectful of culture and expressing itself in diversified cultural contexts, likewise challenges and transforms culture. The prophet does not tell the future as much as he tells the present, that is, interprets for people what God says about what is going on in the world. We speak a word that is counter-cultural. It is a prophetic word that challenges society to recognize the unborn as brothers and sisters, and to therefore repent of practices and policies that destroy them or put them at risk.
Because prophets are always persecuted, and because the abortion issue is particularly volatile, we foster a particular attentiveness to accepting the inevitable reality of persecution. Rooted in the Beatitudes, we seek the spirit of the apostles who “rejoiced at having been counted worthy to suffer for the sake of the Name” (Acts 5:41).

6.1.3 Liturgical
We foster a liturgical spirituality that “thinks and feels” with the ebb and flow of the Church’s liturgical year. Our observance of liturgical seasons and feasts is carried out with a special attentiveness to the lessons those seasons and feasts present regarding the sanctity of life. The Society observes with special solemnity certain special feast days particularly associated with this theme and outlined in the Statutes.

6.1.4 Eucharistic
The Eucharist is Life itself, and therefore our spirituality is centered on the Bread of Life. The members will meditate frequently and preach often about the intimate links between our faith in the Eucharist and our commitment to the defense of life.

6.1.5 Ecumenical
Members share the deep longing of Christ that His disciples would be one, and we see in the Christian response to abortion one of the most practical and effective arenas for authentic ecumenical collaboration. We are ecumenical to the very fabric of our being, always thinking, speaking, and working in ways that welcome our brothers and sisters of other denominations. We also work in an inter-religious spirit, joining with people of good will from all religions.

6.1.6 Marian
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, is a model for all mothers in her “Fiat” to the gift of life. Members of the Society foster a devotion to her and present her as a source of comfort, inspiration, and instruction to the faithful.

6.2 In the light of our spirituality, there are certain key virtues that we seek to foster in ourselves and others. These include:

6.2.1 A spirit of joy.
Life is joyful, and defending life is a mission that should be carried out with joy. We seek to foster, in ourselves and others, a “joyful sorrow,” that is, a spirit that is always mourning because of its keen awareness of the ongoing, unseen destruction of human life, and at the same time, is always serene and rejoicing that death has been conquered by Jesus Christ, who is Risen and is with us at all times.

6.2.2 A serene confidence.
“Have no fear. The outcome of the battle for life is already decided” (Pope John Paul II, Homily at World Youth Day, Denver, CO, August 15, 1993). We do, at the same time, have to work anxiously to be faithful to our own role in proclaiming, celebrating and serving that victory. Despite all outward appearances of the power of the culture of death, we foster, in ourselves and others, a supreme and uninterrupted confidence that the tools of grace with which God has equipped the People of Life are far more powerful and eternally victorious.

6.2.3 A deep compassion.
At times, we have all “aborted” God’s will in our lives. We never look down on those who have committed the sin of abortion or who promote it. They are not the enemy, but rather are captive to the enemy. We seek to free them, as their brothers and sisters who are no strangers to temptation, error, and sin.
This compassion is translated into a constant and effective invitation to the healing and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, and tireless efforts for the conversion of those who promote the culture of death. We also seek to assist those who have repented, including former abortionists, to re-integrate themselves into wholesome, life-giving activities and attitudes.

6.2.4 A radical solidarity
Pope John Paul II declared that the pro-life stance is one “of radical solidarity with the woman” (Crossing the Threshold of Hope, p.206-207). We do not seek to point fingers of condemnation, but rather to extend hands of mercy that lift out of despair those who are tempted to abort a child, or who endure the pain of having done so.
This radical solidarity stands at the same time with the child, in the awareness that it makes no sense to choose one against the other, but rather only to respond to mother and child by loving them both.

6.2.5 A strong courage
”The spirit God has given us is no cowardly spirit,” St. Paul tells Timothy (2Tim.1:7). Our work requires constant courage, which is nurtured at the feet of our Lord, in the pages of Scripture, in incessant prayer, and by the example of numerous saints and other historical figures who have fought against the injustices of their times.

6.2.6 A constant readiness for public witness.
We do not shrink from the public spotlight, which is often where we need to be in order to give voice to the voiceless and to reach the numbers of people we need to reach in the short time we have to reverse the culture of death. “Let your light shine before others,” the Lord said, always reminding us that the glory goes to the Father (see Mt.5:16). Members will form their spirit according to the plea of the Prophet, “Cry out full-throated and unsparingly; lift up your voice like a trumpet blast!” (Is.58:1).

6.2.7 A passion for justice.
The sacrifices needed to build a Culture of Life can only be sustained when there is a deep passion for justice. Christians believe in righteous anger, which was exhibited by the Lord and His saints in the face of evil. We are angry at what the culture of death does each day. We strive to submit our anger to the Holy Spirit of God, not asking Him to extinguish it but rather to channel it into a wholesome, energized passion which, always docile to the promptings of the Spirit and obedient to authority, sustains us in the task at hand. This is the basis for our total commitment to non-violence in the cause of life.

The Structure of the Society within the Body of Christ

7. In Communion with the Church

7.1 The Society does not seek to replace existing structures in the Church or the wider society that are engaged in the pro-life mission, but rather to infuse them with renewed vigor and effectiveness. Where it is appropriate, our teams of priests, deacons, and laity will assist in the building of local efforts and the training of those who carry out those efforts.

7.2 There are many priests, deacons and laity in the Church who do pro-life work. Our mission is neither to take their work from them nor to claim that we do it better, but rather to encourage them in that work and help it to flourish. For us, however, pro-life work is not merely an assignment or one aspect of ministry. It is, rather, a life’s work, a vocation within a vocation. We have the support of a community whose members are committed to a distinctive common mission around the nation.

7.3 The Society carries out its work in collaboration and obedience to the local ordinary, and in fellowship with his presbyterate, seeking to advance the pastoral plans that have already been developed by the local diocese to meet its particular needs regarding the pro-life mission.

7.4 At the same time, we provide to local efforts a national perspective, and the benefit of our experience in developing strategies and networking with all the existing resources of the pro-life movement. We bring these new resources to the local diocese, so that a fruitful process of dialogue, mutual learning and encouragement, and growth in effectiveness may occur.

8. The Proper Relationship of Clergy and Laity

8.1 The priests and deacons of our Society recognize that the laity are called to defend human life by their very humanity, and participate in the Gospel witness to life by virtue of their baptism and confirmation. The laity have a particular call to sanctify the temporal order. We seek, therefore, not to replace the work of the laity but rather to foster it. We assist all priests to recognize and “stir into flame” the gifts that the Spirit generously bestows upon the lay faithful.

8.2 We are pastors for the pro-life movement. Our mission is to awaken consciences to the need to defend life, and once they are awakened, to provide ongoing motivation, inspiration, teaching, and guidance. Through our ministry, the lay faithful, in their pro-life activity, will constantly nourish themselves at the source of this activity – the Lord and Giver of Life – and through their activity will always return to Him as the ultimate goal of all human effort.

9. Relationship with Priests for Life

9.1 The Missionaries of the Gospel of Life took shape from the vision and ministry of Priests for Life, whose first full-time director founded our Society. The Society maintains a special relationship of mutual service with the Priests for Life organization as outlined here and further specified in the Statutes.

9.2 Members of the Society will be available to serve the needs of Priests for Life, as an integral aspect of the Society’s mission. The National Director of Priests for Life is always a priest and has a special relationship with the Society. He will serve ex officio on the Council of the Moderator General of the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life.

9.3 The Society will utilize the organizational structure and communications media of Priests for Life to implement its mission, in a manner outlined in the Statutes of this Society and with due respect for the provisions of the bylaws of Priests for Life.

10. Community Life and Travel

10.1 Community Life. As noted above, Societies of Apostolic Life give primary emphasis to the mission which shapes them. At the same time, community life exists as a support to the members as they seek holiness together (cc. 733, 740). As a People of Life, we are called together as brothers and sisters who are entrusted to the care of one another (see EV, n.76). Although the demands of our mission carry us to every part of the country, we maintain a common central home, to which, after our particular mission trips, we reconvene to seek strength in common prayer, sharing, mutual instruction and encouragement.

10.2 Members are called to value highly this common time together, and the Statutes will provide for regular times when mission trips may not be taken so that a continuity of the community life may be maintained. The primary thrust of the Society, however, remains the active presence of our members in local communities to which they travel.

10.3 Travel. While on the road, it is essential for the members to keep rooted in prayer, and in communication with other members, according to the provisions of our Statutes.

11. Houses

11.1 The central house of the Society is located in Amarillo, Texas, where the Society has been established.

11.2 Other houses may be established in other locations, with the consent of the local ordinary in accordance with Canon Law, after due consideration of the needs of the mission and the community, and with the approval of the Moderator General and his council. (cf. c.733)

11.3 Because the ministry of each member of our Society is national in scope rather than regional or local, it is not necessary to establish many local houses, nor should that be done hastily.

11.4 At times, men who feel they may be called to begin the discernment process are welcome to visit the Society’s houses for periods of time and subject to such conditions as are outlined in the Statutes.

11.5 The community also welcomes in the name of Christ visitors who come out of friendship or family ties with the members.

12. Prayer and Liturgy

12.1 The life of prayer and worship in community is centered around the daily celebration of the Eucharist. The liturgy is to be celebrated with special solemnity and dignity, with a particular care to observe the discipline of the Church and to make use of the many options provided in liturgical law that enable the liturgy to speak more specifically to the circumstances of the day and the congregation.

12.2 The primary liturgical celebration of the year for our Society is Easter, the Feast of the Victory of Life. Other liturgical feast days that accent our mission and spirituality in a particular way, as well as other liturgical and devotional practices to be observed in community and by individual members, are outlined in the Statutes.

13. Membership

13.1 The Missionaries of the Gospel of Life is composed of priests, celibate permanent deacons, and single men who are lay missionaries. Members in each of these three categories have committed themselves permanently to full-time pro-life ministry and live in community. Likewise living with them are men who have been accepted for formation to prepare for these vocations.

13.2 Married permanent deacons and single and married lay men and women can be affiliate members of the Society. Living in the world, and pursuing their proper vocation, they take their own program of formation and promises, as specified in the Statutes, and serve in pro-life ministry with one another, with various parishes and pro-life organizations, and with the priests, deacons, and lay members of the Society’s community.

13.3 All members shall bear witness to the dignity of life by first of all living with respect and love for all their brothers and sisters, particularly other members of the Society.

13.4 Every member of the Society shares the responsibility to promote vocations to the Society, by echoing God’s call to others across the nation to give themselves fully to the defense of life.

14. Admission and Preparation for Promises

14.1 The Moderator General and his council shall follow the norms of admission and dismissal for those seeking to enter the Society according to the Code of Canon Law (cf. c.735) and the Statutes.

14.2 They are impeded from admission who do not meet the requirements of Canon Law (c. 642-645).

14.3 Acceptance to each stage of the formation process and profession of promises requires the consent of the Formation Director, the Moderator General and the consensus of his Council. The admission process will also, at each stage, rely on the favorable input of the rectors of the seminaries where the Society’s seminarians are enrolled.

14.4 Prior to first profession of promises, there will be an initial year of inquiry and a subsequent year of aspirancy. The year of inquiry shall be marked by an introduction to the mission and spirituality of the Society and an immersion in the mission of the pro-life movement.

14.5 Upon the successful completion of this first year, one is evaluated for acceptance into the year of aspirancy, in which full-time academic studies are undertaken in college or pre-theologate programs approved by the Society according to the Statutes. This second year will normally conclude in the profession of temporary promises.

14.6 Either period can be extended by permission of the Moderator General and his Council, but not by more than a total of two additional years. During an extension of the year of inquiry, full-time academic studies may commence.

15. Formation

15.1 Inquirers, seminarians, and members in promises shall participate in a planned program responding to their calling to the Society and their specific vocation within the Society (priest, deacon, or lay missionary). (c.735). This includes spiritual and academic training, and apostolic activities by which one is given hands-on experience in the various forms of pro-life ministry to which the Society is committed. Formation is aimed at developing and maturing each seminarian to give honor and glory to God in by striving for the perfection of charity and serving the Gospel of Life.

15.2 The Moderator General will be assisted by a Formation Director and a Formation Committee. The committee, chosen by the Moderator General, will assist in evaluating men for acceptance at the various stages of formation. It will likewise assist in the development and ongoing revision of the Formation Directory, which, observing all the norms of universal and local law related to the formation of priests, likewise outlines the essential content of academic and pastoral studies and experiences necessary for the member to carry out the mission of our Society. Experts and activists in the pro-life movement nationwide will necessarily be involved in providing the instruction and practical experience that members need during their formation and throughout their lives.

15.3 Formation of seminarians is governed by the norms of priestly formation in force in the United States and by the Statutes of the Society.

15.4 Seminarians will study in colleges, universities and seminaries that best suit the needs of the seminarian and the Society. They will also take courses in the central house of the Society in Amarillo. In choosing colleges and universities for its members, the Society prefers those which have a pre-theologate formation program. Such programs, of course, must be properly accredited and conform to the norms of universal law, the Program for Priestly Formation (5^th Edition) of the USCCB, and local law. Society formation houses may also be established near the college, university, or seminary, in accordance with the Statutes and the norms of Canon Law (c. 733).

15.5 During the course of their full-time seminary training, all seminarians who are aspirants or members of the Society will engage in specialized training, academic and pastoral, as outlined in the Formation Directory of the Society.

15.6 Because the unique gifts of each member come together to foster the effectiveness of our mission, the Formation Directory will provide for opportunities for members, having completed the requirements common to all, to specialize in particular areas of expertise and pastoral activity relative to abortion and the pro-life movement.

16. Teachings

16.1 The teachings that shape the life and mission of our Society come above all from the Word of God as found in Scripture and Tradition, and safeguarded and taught by the Magisterium of the Church. Among the documents of the Magisterium, we give primary emphasis to Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life), for which the Society is named. We see John Paul II as the Pope of Life, and his encyclical, as well as the witness of his life, lay out the contours of our mission and spirituality.

16.2 Likewise, the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI, both before and after his election to the Chair of Peter, provide a wealth of material for reflection on the Church’s mission to promote the truth about the moral order.

16.3 The teachings and example of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, a strong voice for the unborn and vulnerable, are a special source of instruction and inspiration for us. In her meetings with our Founder, Mother Teresa provided personal input and encouragement to the work of Priests for Life, on which the Society is based.

16.4 We also take particular guidance from the teachings of our Founder, and are committed to the study of the educational materials of Priests for Life.

17. Our Promises

17.1 One joins the Society by means of the profession of two promises, namely,

-- commitment to the full-time defense of the right to life, and

-- obedience to the Society’s superiors, so as to be available for the needs of the mission of the society.

17.2 The promises are directed toward both the interior commitment to justice and charity which embraces our weakest brothers and sisters in the name of the Lord, and to the external fulfillment of the demands of those virtues. The external activity that is promised is always to be a fruit of the interior life which members are committed to pursue. Though we do not profess the evangelical counsels as such, the holiness we seek must manifest a life of gospel detachment from worldly goods, obedience, and chastity.

17.3 Profession of the promises of the Society is made in the presence of the Moderator General or his appointed delegate. Making the promises admits one into the Society. Perpetual promises and incardination (in the case of a cleric) admits one into the Society as a definitive member.

17.4 By temporary promises one is entitled to participate in the life of the Society. Temporary promises are made and renewed until the time of perpetual promises that make him a definitive member. The length of time that one remains in temporary promises will vary according to the unique circumstances of each individual, but shall not be less than three years nor more than seven.

17.5 Temporary promises are professed for a year at a time. At the conclusion of each year of temporary promises, there should be no delay in renewing them, once it is clear that the individual wishes to do so and is accepted for another year.

17.6 For good reason, the Moderator General may allow renewal of promises to be anticipated or delayed, but not by more than one month.

17.7 Before ordination to the Sacred Diaconate, the candidate will make perpetual promises.

17.8 Those who are professed may also renew their promises on major feasts that are of special significance to the Society and its mission.

17.9 Those who are temporarily professed ‑‑ not ordained to priesthood ‑‑ may be refused permission to renew promises because of just and reasonable factors that arise and make them unsuitable for life in the Society. This refusal to renew promises is given by the Moderator General with the consent of his Council.

17.10 After the period of temporary promises has expired, one is free to leave the Society if he does not wish to renew promises.

18. Holy Orders

18.1 Reception of the diaconate by a candidate brings with it incardination into the Society (c. 736). Candidates are to make perpetual profession prior to ordination to the diaconate.

18.2 The gift of celibacy is gratefully received by those who are called to Holy Orders within the community. As the USCCB Program of Priestly Formation (5^th edition) states, “For all Christians, whatever their state of life, chastity cultivates the capacity for authentic self-gift in generative and faithful love. The celibate person renounces the realization of this capacity in marriage but embraces it in a universalizing love extended to all people. At the same time, the celibate commitment requires the development of particular habits and skills of living and relating in order to live the commitment with integrity.”

18.3 In accordance with Canon Law (c. 644), a cleric who seeks admission into the Society must have the permission of his Ordinary to begin the period of inquiry and to eventually be admitted to temporary profession.

18.4 Perpetual profession of a member already a cleric coincides with incardination into the Society.

18.5 Those who are already members of other Societies of Apostolic Life or Institutes of Consecrated Life may become members of the Society, once they have received permission to transfer from the Society to which they already belong, and have fulfilled any other conditions required by Canon Law (c. 744) and by these Constitutions.

18.6 Married deacons may be incardinated into the Society. Though not living in community, they carry out their ministry as a definitive member of the Society. They profess the promises according to the formula used by those living outside the community.

18.7 The period between first profession of promises and perpetual promises may be shortened considerably for those already ordained to the priesthood or to the permanent diaconate or by delayed vocations to the priesthood or lay mission, with the consent of the Moderator General and his Council.

19. Lay Missionaries

19.1 Those men who discern a call to full-time pro-life ministry with the society, but not a call to Holy Orders, are admitted to the community as “lay missionaries.” By devoting themselves completely to the mission of defending life, they renounce marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of God and make themselves available in obedience for the fulfillment of the Society’s mission.

19.2 A clear distinction is made in the formation process and in the daily life of the Society between those who are preparing for Holy Orders and those who are preparing for commitment as a lay missionary. The distinctive demands of formation and lifestyle for each vocation are described more specifically in the Formation Directory and the Statutes.

20. Affiliate Members

20.1 The Church is enriched by the wonderful diversity of ways in which the pro-life mission is embraced in communities, families, parishes, and organizations throughout the world. People of every ethnic, political, and socio-economic background experience the call to defend the lives of the vulnerable. The Missionaries of the Gospel of Life, in accordance with their mission to minister to the entire pro-life movement, welcome affiliate members who serve the Gospel of Life within their own communities and within the context of their own vocations.

20.2 In a manner outlined in the Formation Directory and the Statutes, the Society offers a program of spiritual, academic, and apostolic formation in which individuals may participate, leading up to a profession of promises which is, of course, distinct from that of those who live in the community (see the formula below). These affiliate members strive for holiness and carry out their pro-life work according to the Society’s spirituality and vision.

20.3 These affiliate members may be clerical or lay, married or single. What sets them apart is that they live outside of community and do not necessarily have a full-time commitment to the mission of the Society. Among these there may be priests and deacons who carry out the pro-life dimensions of their ministry according to the Society’s spirituality, or who are even given permission by their own Ordinary to carry out pro-life work full-time, while remaining incardinated in their own diocese or community.

21. Formula of the Promises

21.1 The formula of promises for clerical and lay Members of the Society’s community shall be as follows:

"I, _____________, in the presence of God the Father, the Creator of all Life, Jesus Christ the Son, the Resurrection and the Life, and the Holy Spirit, Lord and Giver of Life, in the presence of Father _______ (Moderator General) and of this gathering of the People of Life, do joyfully promise, (for a period of x year(s))(for the rest of my life), to devote myself full-time to my brothers and sisters whose right to life is under direct attack, and to be, especially for the unborn, the voice they do not have. I promise to pursue union with God in all things, and holiness of life which will foster my love for the weakest among us. I further promise to be obedient to my superiors and fully available for the ministry of the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life, taking as my primary mission and responsibility the work which the Society needs me to do in any place to which I am sent, in observance of all the Constitutions and Statutes of the Society. I am confident that the Victory of Life has already been won through the Cross and Resurrection of Christ, and as the Church proclaims, celebrates, and serves the Gospel of Life, Christ will transform the Culture of Death into the Culture of Life.”

21.2 The formula of promises for the lay affiliates who live outside of community and pursue their own vocation shall be as follows:

"I, _____________, in the presence of God the Father, the Creator of all Life, Jesus Christ the Son, the Resurrection and the Life, and the Holy Spirit, Lord and Giver of Life, in the presence of Father ________ (Moderator General) and of this gathering of the People of Life, do joyfully promise, (for a period of x year(s))(for the rest of my life), to live as a Lay Missionary of the Gospel of Life. I promise to defend my brothers and sisters whose right to life is under direct attack, and to be, especially for the unborn, the voice they do not have. . I promise to pursue union with God in all things, and holiness of life which will foster my love for the weakest among us. I further promise to engage in pro-life work, according to the spirituality and virtues of the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life, and to collaborate with their work to the best of my ability and within the context of my own vocation. I am confident that the Victory of Life has already been won through the Cross and Resurrection of Christ, and as the Church proclaims, celebrates, and serves the Gospel of Life, Christ will transform the Culture of Death into the Culture of Life.”

22. Ministry of Authority

22.1 Being of Diocesan Right, the Society recognizes the special place held by the local Bishop (in this case, the Bishop of Amarillo), and his role as outlined in Canon Law (cc. 732, 734, 737-739; see also cc. 589, 594-595). We seek to foster a spirit of collaboration, loyalty, and obedience, and to foster a mutual relationship marked by the charity and joyful communion that sets apart the disciples of Jesus Christ. As an aspect of that collaboration, members of the Society will participate from time to time in the apostolic works of the Diocese of Amarillo, in a manner consistent with their mission, with the Society’s Formation Directory and Statutes, and with the directives of their Superiors.

22.2 Authority in the Society is exercised by the Moderator General, who must be a priest, and his duly appointed Delegates. They encourage members to be faithful to their vocation and to please God by seeking to fulfill his Will. The Moderator General will appoint the members of his council in accordance with the Statutes.

22.3 At the Society’s inception, the Founder will be the first Moderator General. At his discretion and with the consent of his council, a Successor will be elected, who will serve a term determined by the Statutes. At the conclusion of that term, subsequent elections will be held as outlined in the Statutes.

22.4 The Formation Director is entrusted with the implementation of the Formation Directory and the responsibility of making recommendations to the Moderator General and his council regarding the acceptance and advancement of inquirers, aspirants, and seminarians. He is appointed by the Moderator General with the consent of his council.

23. The General Chapter

23.1 At intervals determined by the Statutes or by special need, a General Chapter (c. 734) will be held for the purpose of evaluating, in the light of God’s Word and these Constitutions, how the Society may need to modify its Statutes to more effectively carry out the mission of proclaiming, celebrating, and serving the Gospel of Life.

23.2 Voting members of the General Chapter consist of members who are perpetually professed, as well as the Moderator General’s Council.

23.3 The General Chapter will carry out elections as necessary, and will also issue special statements for the purpose of educating and encouraging the pro-life movement nationwide.

23.4 The General Chapter can also propose modifications to the Statutes, which require the consent of the Moderator General.

24. Departure and dismissal of members

24.1 The norms of Canon Law (cc. 742-746) and the Statutes of the Society shall be observed regarding dismissal and voluntary departure of inquirers, aspirants and temporarily or permanently professed lay and clerical members. They may be dismissed by the Moderator General with the consent of his Council with due regard for personal needs and a spirit of Christ‑like charity.

24.2 In the case of a cleric incardinated into the Society, the Society remains responsible for that cleric until such time as the cleric is validly excardinated and incardinated elsewhere or is voluntarily or involuntarily laicized.

24.3 Members who have not yet professed promises can freely leave the Society, manifesting their intention to their superiors. Such members can also, for just reasons, be dismissed by the Moderator General after his council has been consulted.

24.4 The Moderator General can, with the consent of his council and for a serious reason, grant to professed members departure from the Society and dispense them from their promises according to the norm of canon 743.

24.5 Professed members who dissociate themselves from the Society and from the authority of their superiors should be sought out with concern by their superiors and given help by them, so that they may persevere in their vocation.

24.6 However, if a member does not return after six months, he is deprived of active and passive voice and he can be dismissed by a decree of the Moderator General.

25. Temporal Goods

25.1 The Society, as a juridic person under Canon Law (c. 741), possesses temporal goods for pastoral and community needs. It uses them as support for the service of the Gospel of Life, according to the spirit and practice of its Founder.

25.2 Members retain the ownership and use of their own property. Goods received by the Society, however, or by members for the purposes of the Society, belong to the Society and are used for its purposes.

25.3 As an aspect of striving for the perfection of charity, members, while not professing the evangelical counsels, nevertheless live with a spirit of detachment from worldly goods, as demanded by the Gospel.

25.4 The goods of the community are to be administered by the Treasurer and his Finance council, under the direction and vigilance of superiors with their councils, within the limits of universal law and our own law, and according to the principle of subsidiarity.

25.5 Administrators should remember that they are only stewards of the goods of the Community. Consequently, they should expend these goods only for uses suitable to the mission. Moreover, they should always act according to just civil laws, as well as according to the norms and spirit of the Society.

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