PROBATION. - By p. is meant that period of time which the aspirant to the religious life places before the postulancy (v.) or the novitiate (v.), when the postulancy is not prescribed (can. 539 § 1). This period is also called: aspirandate, apostolic school, seraphic college, little novitiate, juniorate, minor seminary, educandato, etc.
The p. is connected with the already ancient practice of certain Religious orders of receiving the aspirant first of all as a guest, for the purpose of ascertaining at least in a summary way his aptitudes for the religious life, before introducing him into the bosom of the community. Particularly by the clerical Religious orders and then by the male teaching Congregations, with the full approval of the Holy See, beginning in the last century, the p. has been developed as an institution for preparing religiously and intellectually those aspirants who do not yet have the age and the other conditions required for entry into the postulancy and the novitiate, and at the same time for securing good vocations among children, just as dioceses do with minor seminaries. In recent times even Religious orders of women have introduced and developed it with the function described above.
The p. must be considered as a work proper to the Religious order (can. 497 §§ 2-4; 599 § 2) and, according to circumstances, as an internal school of a Religious order, in accordance with can. 587, of the same nature as seminaries. Naturally it is not required for the validity of the novitiate and of the subsequent professions, and it has no fixed limits of time. The probandi and probandae have no formal obligation to observe the Constitutions and Rule of the Religious order; nevertheless it is obvious that, as a preparation for the life they will have to lead, if they persevere, in the future, they should prepare themselves in it by becoming acquainted with them and gradually putting them into practice.
Bibliography
Elio Gambari