Fourth vow
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The "Fourth vow" is a religious solemn vow unique to the Society of Jesus.
Commonly, members of monastic and religious orders proclaimed three vows, poverty, chastity, and obedience, committing themselves to the evangelical counsels. However, members of the Society, the Jesuits, sometimes took a 4th vow of obedience in mission work. In theory, these "professed," as they were sometimes called, could be asked to journey to any place on earth to act as missionaries without money or transportation. They were expected to trust in God for anything they needed to accomplish their task.
In reality, Jesuits who took the fourth vow were members of a small, elite group within the Society. The ability to take the vow and (symbolically) pledge one's life to service became a mark of approval from the Society's hierarchy as well as a commitment to Christian missions.
