Third Orders
Etymology
- First order: men living a full religious life under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
- Second order: women living a full religious life under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
- Third order: laity participating as much as possible in the spirituality of an order but remaining in the world.
Examples
- Dominicans
- Franciscans
- Carmelites
There is no 'Third Order' of Jesuits — nor any 'Second Order,' either.