Benedictine monasteries: history, features and interesting facts

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:41

The Benedictines are members of the oldest Catholic monastic order, consisting of independent communities. The organization does not have a position of general superior. Each Benedictine monastery, abbey or priory has autonomy. The Order speaks on behalf of all communities and represents their interests before the Holy See. Members of this religious organization are sometimes referred to as black monks because of the color of their traditional robes.

Rise

The order was founded by Benedict of Nursia at the beginning of the sixth century. He came from an aristocratic Roman family and at a young age decided to devote his life to God. Benedict chose the difficult path of a hermit and settled in a cave. A few years later, he gained fame due to his asceticism. Benedict was visited by pilgrims, and monks from a nearby monastery asked him to become their abbot. The saint agreed, but the charter he proposed was too strict.

Leaving the brethren unable to follow his ascetic rules, the ascetic founded the first Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino in southern Italy. There is no evidence thatthe saint intended to create a centralized order. The charter, written by the founder, assumes the autonomy of each Benedictine monastery.

Development

The fate of the monastery in southern Italy turned out to be sad. A few decades after the death of the saint, this region was captured by the Lombard tribe. The first Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino was destroyed. However, these tragic events became a factor that contributed to the spread of the charter and traditions bequeathed by the founder of the order. The monks fled to Rome and, having received a papal blessing, dispersed throughout Europe, preaching the ideas of St. Benedict. They were engaged in the evangelization of pagan countries and left everywhere the strict traditions of the ascetic life of their order, as well as copies of the famous charter. By the ninth century, the standard rules of the Benedictine monastery had become common in Western European monasteries.

In the early Middle Ages, the work of copying ancient manuscripts was of great importance. It was a time of prosperity for the scriptoria, which were located mainly in monasteries. All literate members of religious orders worked all day long in these workshops, rewriting sacred texts. The distribution of spiritual literature was one of the main tasks of medieval monks. Scriptoria lost their importance only after the invention of printing.

Libraries

One of the points of the charter of the Benedictine monastery emphasizes the importance of frequent andprolonged reading of the Scriptures. This instruction was strictly observed. The monks read spiritual books while eating, relaxing, and even while in the infirmary. Members of a religious order were not allowed to own any things. In accordance with this rule, all books were kept in vaults intended for public use. These rooms were divided into three types. Sacrificial texts needed for church services were kept in the sacristies. Spiritual books were kept in the rectories for public reading during sermons. The most extensive and diverse collections of literature were housed in libraries.

Distribution in Europe

The oldest of the 19 congregations is in Britain. Augustine of Canterbury, sent as a missionary by the Pope, founded the first Benedictine monastery at the end of the sixth century. The plan to convert the English to Christianity was a success. Following the first monastery, other branches of the order quickly arose. The monasteries served as infirmaries and shelters for the homeless. The Benedictines studied the healing properties of plants and minerals in order to alleviate the suffering of the sick. In 670, the daughter of the first Christian king of Kent founded an abbey on the Isle of Thanet. Three centuries later, the priory of St. Mildred was built there, which is currently the abode of the nuns. The Anglo-Saxon Benedictines converted the Germans and Franks to Christianity. In the seventh and eighth centuries, Saints Willibrord and Boniface, who belonged to the order, preached to these tribes and founded a large number of abbeys in their territory.

Mentions of the first Benedictine monastery in Spain date back to the ninth century. The Abbey of Montserrat, located near the capital of Catalonia, Barcelona, remains active today. Catholics from different countries make a pilgrimage to this spiritual center to touch the shrine located in it - the statue of the Mother of God with a baby on her lap, which is called the "Black Virgin" because of the dark color. However, this is not the only thing that the Benedictine monastery, recognized as the national treasure of Catalonia, has become famous all over the world. The monastery houses unique medieval manuscripts, access to which is open only to famous male scientists.

The Protestant movement and the Reformation weakened the influence of Catholicism in many European countries. The British monarchs declared the complete independence of the Christian community of Foggy Albion from the Pope. However, many members of the Anglican Church who took monastic vows continued to follow the famous rule of St. Benedict.

In the United States of America

The largest community in the Western Hemisphere is the Benedictine Monastery of St. John in Minnesota. The plan for the development of missionary activity on the American continent originated with a religious order at the end of the 18th century. But the first major monastery was founded only in 1856 by the German priest Boniface Wimmer. The fiery missionary focused his efforts on providing spiritual support to numerous immigrants,who professed the Catholic faith. They came to the US from Germany, Ireland and other European countries. Most of the Catholic immigrants preferred to live in the countryside and work on farms. This trend coincided well with the long tradition of the Benedictines to establish their communities and spiritual centers in rural areas. Within 40 years, Wimmer managed to found 10 abbeys and a large number of Catholic schools.

Organization

The fundamental difference between the Benedictines and other Western European religious orders lies in their decentralization. Autonomous abbeys and priories are united in congregations, which, in turn, form the Confederation. This organization provides dialogue between the Benedictine communities, and also represents the order before the Holy See and the entire Christian world. The head of the Confederation, the abbot-primate, is elected every eight years. He has very limited powers. The abbot primate has no right to appoint or remove the superiors of the communities.

Vows

The Rite of Saint Benedict determines which oaths must be taken by candidates wishing to join the order. Future monks promise to always remain in one community and unquestioningly obey the abbot, who is considered the vicar of Christ. The third vow is called "conversatio morum". The meaning of this Latin expression is rather vague and often the subject of debate. This phrase can be translated as "changing habits and imagelife".

Discipline

The abbot has almost absolute power in his community. He distributes duties among the monks, indicates which books they are allowed to read, and punishes the delinquent. Without the permission of the abbot, no one leaves the territory of the monastery. A tight daily routine (horarium) is designed to ensure that not a single hour is wasted. Time is devoted only to prayer, work, reading spiritual literature, meals and sleep. Members of this religious order do not take a vow of silence, but hours of strict observance of silence are established in the monasteries. The rules governing the way of life of a person who has completely devoted himself to the service of God have not changed since the time of the first Benedictine monastery of Montecassino.

Pope Popes

Many famous people belonged to the order, leaving their mark in history. During the two thousand years of Western Christianity, eleven Benedictines were elected popes. An interesting fact is that the first and last pontiffs who were members of the order had the same name. Gregory I occupied the throne of St. Peter at the end of the sixth century. He was an interpreter of biblical texts and wrote a large number of works explaining the meaning of various parts of the Old and New Testaments. For the huge contribution of the pontiff to the formation of the Western Christian Church, the descendants added the nickname "great" to his name. Gregory XVI came to the papacy in the first half of the 19th century. The last pontiff, who belonged to the Order of Saint Benedict, was distinguished by extremely reactionary views. Gregory XVI was an opponent of liberal ideas and scientific and technological progress. He even banned the use of railways in the Papal States.

Contribution to culture

It is difficult to overestimate the impact of the activities of the Benedictine order on the development of Western European civilization. In the early Middle Ages, monasteries were the only educational institutions. Almost all famous philosophers, theologians and writers of that time were educated in Benedictine schools. The abbeys acted as custodians of cultural heritage, copying ancient books. Being engaged in keeping chronicles, the monks made a certain contribution to the development of historical science. In addition, the Order of St. Benedict had a significant impact on the formation of Romanesque and Gothic styles in architecture.