Can I become a nun even if I’m not a virgin?
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Can I become a nun even if I’m not a virgin?
Not all nuns are virgins. Most are, but some enter after being widowed or divorced or after a failed relationship. Sometimes a woman falls in love with God and discerns a religious vocation after having had a sexually intimate relationship. Most congregations would not rule her out only for that reason, that is because, even though being a virgin is beautiful, it is not a criterion to become a nun.
The requirements for becoming a nun vary depending on the order of the church; in most cases, women are no longer required to be virgins to become a nun. However, there are a number of other requirements they must meet. In the Catholic and Benedictine orders, women must be single in order to become nuns. If you’re married, you cannot become a nun, the marriage must be dissolved first. Becoming a nun is committing to a life of chastity, nuns cannot touch men as that is part of the vows they’d be taking.