June 26, 2025
Q: Is it permissible for non-Catholic associate members to be members of our board of directors?
A: Non-Catholics may not be officers. That is confirmed in the Rule, Part III, Statute 3: “Only Active Members hold office in the organization.” Non-Catholics cannot be Active Members. Many of our Councils have members of the community (non-Vincentians) as members of their boards of directors. Those members of the community may or may not be Catholic. Keep in mind that the majority of board members must be Active Members of the Society. The Nationally approved bylaws have the following statement: “Active Members of the Society must always be a majority of the voting members of the corporation board.”
Q: We had an issue arise with a Conference regarding non-Catholic membership and voting for a new Conference President. We know that non-Catholics are allowed to join Conferences and participate in Conference activities. It is my understanding that they cannot become officers. However, are they allowed to vote in an election for Conference President?
A: There is nothing in the Rule that specifies voting eligibility. However, the nationally approved bylaws for Conferences say that each Active Member of a Conference has one vote, and that vote must be cast in person. Non-Catholics may not be Active Members; they can be Associate Members and, therefore, cannot vote for a president.
26 de Junio
P: ¿Es permisible que los Miembros Asociados no Católicos sean miembros de nuestra Mesa Directiva?
R: Los no Católicos no pueden ser Oficiales. Esto se confirma en la Regla, Parte III, Estatuto 3: “Sólo los Miembros Activos ocupan cargos en la organización”. Los no católicos no pueden ser Miembros Activos. Muchos de nuestros Consejos tienen miembros de la comunidad (no Vicentinos) como miembros de sus Mesas Directivas. Esos miembros de la comunidad pueden o no ser Católicos. Tenga en cuenta que la mayoría de los miembros de la Mesa Directiva deben ser Miembros Activos de la Sociedad. Los Estatutos aprobados a nivel Nacional tienen la siguiente declaración: “Los Miembros Activos de la Sociedad siempre deben ser la mayoría de los miembros con derecho a voto de la Mesa Directiva de la Sociedad”.
P: Tenemos un problema que surge con una Conferencia con respecto a la membresía no Católica y la votación para un nuevo Presidente de la Conferencia. Sabemos que a los no Católicos se les permite unirse a las Conferencias y participar en las actividades de la Conferencia. Tengo entendido que no pueden llegar a ser Oficiales. Sin embargo, ¿se les permite votar en una elección para Presidente de la Conferencia?
R: No hay nada en la Regla que especifique la elegibilidad para votar. Sin embargo, los Estatutos aprobados a nivel Nacional para las Conferencias dicen que cada Miembro Activo de una Conferencia tiene un voto, y ese voto debe ser emitido en persona. Los no Católicos no pueden ser miembros Activos; pueden ser Miembros Asociados y, por lo tanto, no pueden votar por un Presidente.
Clarification to the June 12, 2025 Q&A
Q: If a Vincentian moves to a new parish, can they remain with the Conference in their old parish or should they join the Conference in their new parish?
The recently published answer to the question above included the statement, “Members of the Society should affiliate themselves with their local parish Conference and Diocese. This will allow the member to continue to be considered a full-time active member.” This could be interpreted that Vincentians must move their membership to remain an active member. We offer several important clarifications on this answer. There is nothing in the Rule or in Statute 3 that states an active member must be a member of the parish in which he or she worships, only that they must be Catholic, participate in the conference’s service, and regularly attend meetings (so they can participate in prayer and conference spiritual growth). [Rule, Part III, Statute 3]
Also, the answer included the statement, “it is possible for the pastor of a parish to make a restriction that only his parishioners be involved in ministry in his parish. If he so decides, we must honor that.” Phrased this way, the statement may be misinterpreted, so we wanted to clarify. First, and most importantly, the pastor does not in any way control eligibility for membership in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. As the Rule makes clear regarding our relationship with the church hierarchy, “The Society is legally autonomous as to its existence, constitution, organization, rules, activities, and internal government. Vincentians freely choose their own officers and manage the Society’s activities and assets with full autonomy…” [Rule, Part I, 5.2] The Rule further explains that even “When the Holy See reviews the Statutes of the Society, it cannot invalidate any of these rights.” [Rule, Part II, 1.1] Selection of Members, then, is governed by our Rule, which allows, for example, even non-Catholics to join as Associate Members.
Having said this, it is important to note the vital importance of maintaining good relationships with our pastors, not only for the practical reasons that we operate in parishes with the permission of the pastor, but because “Respect of the members for the hierarchy provides the foundation for harmonious reciprocal cooperation.” [Rule, Part I, 5.1]
In the first Conference, Emmanuel Bailly recognized the importance of a close relationship with the pastor, keeping him regularly informed of the Society’s activities, inviting his participation in meetings and celebrations, and deferring to him in matters of Catholic faith and morals. In other words, our autonomy should never be asserted as a way to “win” a disagreement with our pastors, but should rather, as part of a healthy relationship, be a source of confidence for the pastor, and a motive of dedication for ourselves that we seek to serve the good of church, the needs of the poor, and the glory of God.
