Catholic organization that lives in the world, and not in a religious community
In the Catholic Church, a secular institute is one of the forms of consecrated life recognized in Church law (1983 Code of Canon Law Canons 710–730).
A secular institute is an institute of consecrated life in which the Christian faithful living in the world strive for the perfection of charity and work for the sanctification of the world, especially from within. (Canon 710)
Secular consecrated persons profess the Evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty, and obedience while living in the world,[1] as compared to members of a religious institute who belong to a particular congregations, often with specific apostolates.