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What does Canons Regular mean?
A "canon" is a member of a “religious order” who shares some form of common life and is bound to the solemn celebration of the liturgy in a particular church.
This ancient term derives from the Bishop's list or "canon" of priests. These were the clergy who belonged to the bishop and were his co-workers in the cathedral.
The word "regular" comes from the Latin regularis, from regula rule. So a Canon Regular is a “religious”, or a person living a vowed life, according to a rule of life. This term describes a kind of reformed priestly life, which came into use in the 11th and 12th centuries but had its beginnings in the 1st century.
“The Order of Canons Regular is constituted by religious clerics, because they are essentially destined to those works which relate to the Divine mysteries, whereas it is not so with the Monastic Orders.” - St. Thomas Aquinas. We have then here what constitutes a Canon Regular and what distinguishes him/her from a monk. The clerical state is essential to the Order of Canons Regular, whereas it is only accidental to the Monastic Order.
The Canonical Order of Chaplains (TCOC) is a priestly institute of consecrated life whose members (known as canons) pursue the proper apostolic ends of their vowed society. By pronouncing the ancient vows of Stability, Conversion of Life and Obedience and living a common life according to the specific form of the institute, each member consciously strives towards the perfection of their faith.
To explain further the nature and distinctive spirit of the Canonical Order, The Canon Regular professes two things, “sanctitatem et clericatum”, (sacredness and mercy). They live in community, they lead the life of a Vowed Priest, they sing the praises of God. At the bidding of his/her superiors, they are prepared to follow the example of the Apostles by preaching, teaching, and the administration of the sacraments, or by giving hospitality to pilgrims and travelers, and tending the sick, public prayer, or liturgical office, is celebrated with all the splendor befitting God’s honor and His house. But the Canons Regular do not confine themselves exclusively to canonical functions. Nothing, unless it is incompatible with the duty of clerics, is rejected. To this day, many congregations of canons made it their chief end to work among the poor, the lepers, the insane, and the infirmed.
The idea of the canonical way of life is very old. It developed in bishops’ houses and in history of the Church. It took a definite shape in the 11th and 12th centuries. Perhaps one of the oldest communities of Canons Regular is the Canonical Order of St. Augustine, however not all canons are Austin Canons. Each community has their onw distentive way of life.
In a word, Canons Regular may be considered as the genus, and Austin Canons as the species; or we may say that all Austin Canons are Canons Regular, but not all Canons Regular are Austin Canons. Therefore, THE CANONICAL ORDER OF CHAPLAINS is to be considered a species of the genus, Apostolic, Canons Regular.
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