FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (AND OUR ANSWERS)

(Main Blogspot: http://blogofbrothers.blogspot.com/)

1. Are Religious Priests and Religious Brothers the same?
Answer: YES and NO.
Yes. They are similar because both are:
a. Religious (they take the vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience)
b. Missionaries (can be sent to foreign lands and people of other cultures or nationalities)
c. Exclusive for men, and
d. Possessing the desire to serve God and His people.
No. They differ in the following:
a. Ministry or Work:
A Priest spreads the good news primarily through preaching and the administration of the Seven Sacraments (Baptism, Holy Eucharist, Reconciliation, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders and Anointing of the Sick).
A Brother does his mission work through his profession or skills (example, as a brother teacher, brother nurse, brother architect, brother scientist, brother lawyer).
b. Educational Pursuits:
Before one can be ordained a priest, he is required to undergo philosophical and theological studies.
The educational attainment of a Brother is more flexible as he is freer to choose his profession and skills training.
c. Church Classification:
A Priest is a clergy, meaning he is an ordained minister of the Church.
A Brother, not being ordained, is a lay person just like nuns and other non-ordained members of the Church. (Note: Laity means all the faithful except those in the holy orders.)

2. Why does one choose Religious Brotherhood rather than Priesthood?
Answer: One does not simply choose Brotherhood, he is called to it. Brotherhood, just like priesthood, is a divine calling or vocation, which one embraces with fidelity and commitment as his response.

3. Why does a religious brother use the title “Brother”?
Answer: He uses the title “Brother” in response to the call to walk this earth as Jesus did, that is, as a “brother” to all. (Mt 23:8-9). Jesus in Collosians 1:15 was described by St. Paul as the “image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation who came to gather all human beings into one family of brothers and sisters.” He is then our Elder Brother. As imitators of our “Elder Brother” (Jesus), a Religious Brother is trying to reflect Jesus’ image to his fellow brothers and sisters.

4. Who is an “SVD Brother”?
Answer: Just like any other Brother of the other religious congregations or orders (e.g., La Salle Brothers, Brothers of St. Paul, Don Bosco Brothers, Alexian Brothers, Sacred Heart Brothers), a Divine Word (SVD) Brother is a “Professed Lay Religious Brother”; he is furthermore a Missionary.
He is a “Professed” because he takes the vows upon joining the SVD congregation.
He is a “Lay” because he is not an ordained minister (clergy) of the Church.
He is a “Religious” because he is a member of a religious congregation and takes the vows of Chastity, Poverty and Obedience.
He is a “Missionary” because he is a member of a missionary congregation and therefore could be sent to any part of the world to proclaim the good news.

SVD Brotherhood is a calling to put the Gospel into action. An SVD Brother commits himself to this mission through his professional or skills training. For example, if a Brother has a degree in Education or Philosophy, he can be assigned to teach in the SVD-run schools/universities worldwide, like the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, Holy Name University in Tagbilaran City, the Divine Word Colleges in various parts of the Philippines, Nanzan University in Japan, Fu Jen University in Taiwan, etc. If he is a lawyer, he can work in the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation apostolate of the SVD. As a teacher or lawyer (or any other professional), his constant call is to become a “visual” proclaimer of the teachings of Jesus.

Paraphrasing St. Augustine’s response when he was asked why he was a Bishop, a religious Brother could very well reply when asked why he is a “Brother”, in this wise: “LIKE you I am a human being, WITH you I am a Christian, and FOR you, I am a Brother.”

5. What is the importance of the Religious Brother in the Church?
Answer: He shows to the world the role of Jesus as a Brother to the ignorant, the sick, the abandoned children, the abused women, the marginalized, etc. He becomes a brother to others through his talents, abilities and professional training. As a non-ordained missionary, he can in fact reach out to the others more closely, especially to the faith-seekers and people of other religious traditions.

The SVD summarizes the meaningful contribution of the Brothers as follows:
a. Brothers remind the Church in general and the Society (SVD) in particular of our complementarity in mission: “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them. There are different ways of serving, but the same Lord is served” (1 Cor 12, 4-5).
b. By their life and work Brothers play a prophetic role in the society and the Church. They remind us all of the common dignity and fundamental Brotherhood of Christians: “You are all Brothers” (Matt 23, 8).
c. They keep alive the sense of authentic communion in our communities and our unity in diversity, which is expressed by their being consecrated laymen who live together with clerical confreres (SVD Cons. 104). We should remember that “the absence of a Brother in an SVD community is an impoverishment of our religious-missionary witness” (FW 1, III, B., p. 68).
d. It is important to remember that missionary work is not tied to ordination. Hence, in the light of the last SVD General Chapter (2000), we should keep in mind that Brothers make a great contribution to mission - through their professional work, social services and pastoral ministry. Being laymen, Brothers should be able to reach out to the laity, especially to those who hardly “put their feet in the church” and to people of other religious traditions.
e. In addition, due to their different services and professions, Brothers contribute also to the self-reliance of the Society and keep its members aware of this issue. Also, in many SVD communities Brothers stand out because of their sense of welcoming, their participation in community life, and their spirit of prayer.

6. Can an SVD Brother get married and have his own family?
Answer: No. He freely chooses not to marry not just to imitate the unmarried Jesus, our Elder Brother, but also to totally give himself to God and His people. Upon his profession of the religious vows, among others the vow of chastity, he commits himself not to marry for the sake of God’s kingdom. Nevertheless, although he has no biological family of his own, he can very well be a brother as well as a “father” to all people whom he serves.

7. How do you distinguish a Charismatic Brother from a Religious Brother?
Answer: Bro. Bo Sanchez of Kerygma and Bro. Mike Velarde of El Shaddai are “Brothers” yet they are married persons. They use the title “Bro.” as a way of respect for them being the spiritual leader of their respective communities.
A Religious Brother on the other hand chooses not to marry and uses the title “Bro.” in the beginning of his name to signify his religious congregation or order membership. Specifically, an SVD Brother is a professed religious missionary Brother.

8. How long does it take to become an SVD Brother?
Answer: The length of formation depends on what formation stage one qualifies to enter the congregation. For High School Graduates, the formation lasts for about 6-7 years; for College Graduates or Young Professionals, 3-4 years. It may seem long, yet when one is really called to this kind of vocation, the length of seminary formation is actually very short. Too, it will be good to remember that the entire formation process includes both professional and religious formation, as well as personal development and apostolic exposure; in short, an integral and holistic formation.

9. What are the stages of the SVD Brotherhood formation?
Answer: For High School Graduates:
- 4-5 Years College Program: academic program leading to a degree of one’s choice
- 1 Year Postulancy
- 1 Year Novitiate (culminating in the profession of the First Vows; at this point one is already an SVD, though in Temporary vows for at least 3 years)
- At least 3 Years Juniorate (Theological Studies and/or Temporary Assignment, which may include Overseas Training Program (OTP), and concludes with at least six months of preparation for perpetual vows).

For College Graduates/ Young Professionals:
- 1-2 Years Associate Program
- 1 Year Postulancy
- 1 Year Novitiate (culminating in the profession of the First Vows; at this point one is already an SVD, though in Temporary vows for at least 3 years)
- At least 3 Years Juniorate (Theological Studies and/or Temporary Assignment, which may include Overseas Training Program (OTP), and concludes with at least six months of preparation for perpetual vows).

10. What course can an SVD Brother candidate take?
Answer: According to our SVD Constitution, a brother may opt to take any training or course that corresponds to his abilities and inclinations as well as to the missionary charism or tasks of the SVD (e.g. school apostolate, biblical apostolate, mass media and communication, justice, peace and integrity of creation, mission animation). For instance, he may take the following courses: Education, Social Sciences (e.g., Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology), Commerce (Management, Accountancy), Office Administration, Hospital Administration, Engineering, Architecture, Philosophy, Law, Health Care, etc.

11. What are the possible ministries of an SVD Brother?
Answer: The following are the possible ministries of an SVD Brother:
- Education and Formation Apostolate
- Health Services Apostolate
- Social Worker Apostolate
- Construction and Maintenance Services
- Vocational Skills Training
- Environmental Awareness Apostolate
- Mass Media Apostolate
- Research and Consultancy
- Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Apostolate
- Legal and Paralegal Services.