Benedictine

Benedictine
St. Benedict of Nursia (c. 480-543), detail from a fresco by Fra Angelico, San Marco, Florence (c. 1400–1455).

Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict around 529.

Used as a noun, the term Benedictine denotes membership in the order. By extension it is sometimes applied to other adherents of the Benedictine spirituality.

During the subsequent centuries many more Benedictine communities were founded, not only for monks but also for nuns, first throughout Europe and eventually also other areas of the world. This led to the formation in modern times of the Order of St Benedict. In addition to those autonomous Benedictine communities, a number of independent monastic orders were founded on the rule of St Benedict, and so are also Benedictines in that sense. Such orders include the Congregation of Cluny, the Cistercians, and the Trappists. Benedictine communities are primarily found in the Catholic Church but several Benedictine communities exist within other Christian communities, though small in number.

The current Abbot Primate of the global Benedictine Confederation of the Order of St. Benedict is a German Benedictine, Notker Wolf. The center of the Confederation is Sant'Anselmo in Rome where every four years the abbots of the Benedictine order from around the world meet for a Confederation Congress. In 2000, there were 8,182 Benedictine monks, 7,179 nuns, and 10,000 "Active Benedictine Sisters."[1]

Contents

England

In the English Reformation all monasteries were dissolved and their lands confiscated by the Crown, forcing their Catholic members to flee into exile on the Continent, although during the 19th century they were able to return to England, including to Selby Abbey in Yorkshire, one of the few great monastic churches to survive the Dissolution. Noteworthy, too, is St. Mildred's Priory, Isle of Thanet, Kent, built in 1027 on the site of an Abbey founded in 670 by the daughter of the first Christian King of Kent. Currently the Priory is home to a community of Benedictine nuns. Four of the most notable English Abbeys are the Basilica of St Gregory the Great at Downside, commonly known as Downside Abbey, Ealing Abbey in Ealing, West London and St. Lawrence's in Yorkshire (Ampleforth Abbey)and Worth Abbey which has appeared in two BBC2 TV programmes; 'The Monastery (BBC TV series)' and 'The Big Silence' .[2][3] In 1928, Prinknash Abbey was officially returned to the Benedictines after four hundred years. Henry VIII had used the site as a hunting lodge. During the next few years, Prinknash Park, so called, was used as a home, until it was returned to the order.[4][5] Since the Oxford Movement there has also been a modest flourishing of Benedictine monasticism in the Anglican Church and Protestant Churches. Anglican Benedictine Abbots are invited guests of the Benedictine Abbot Primate in Rome at Abbatial gatherings at Sant'Anselmo.[6] There are an estimated 2,400 celibate Anglican Religious (1080 men and 1320 women) in the Anglican Communion as a whole, some of whom have adopted the Rule of St. Benedict.[7] For a full list of all historic Benedictine houses in England & Wales see below.

France

In the late 19th century, laws were enacted preventing religious teaching. The original intent was to allow secular schools. In 1880 and 1882, Benedictine teaching monks were effectively exiled; this was not completed until 1901.[8][9][10][11][12]

Benedictine's rules

Communities of the Benedictine order are governed by the 73 chapters of the Rule of St. Benedict.

Usage in popular culture

The Benedictine order has been brought to public attention by the Brother Cadfael novels, a series of murder mysteries by Edith Pargeter writing under the name Ellis Peters. The stories were also made into a television series starring Derek Jacobi. The protagonist, Brother Cadfael, is a Benedictine monk living at Shrewsbury Abbey during the 12th century. The novels contain many details about the Benedictine order and lifestyle. A Benedictine abbey provides the setting for a murder mystery in medieval Europe in the book The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco.

List of historic Benedictine houses in England & Wales

See also

References

  1. ^ Terance Kavenagh, "Benedictines" in Encyclopedia of Monasticism, ed. William Johnson (New York: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 2000), 326.
  2. ^ Colin Battell, OSB, "Spirituality on the beach," The Tablet 2 December 2006, 18-19. The late Cardinal Basil Hume was Abbot of Ampleforth Abbey before being appointed Archbishop of Westminster.
  3. ^ Christopher Martin A Glimpse of Heaven: Catholic Churches in England and Wales (London: English Heritage, 2007). Examines the abbeys rebuilt after 1850 (by benefactors among the Catholic aristocracy and recusant squirearchy), mainly Benedictine but including a Cistercian Abbey at Mount St. Bernard (by Pugin) and a Carthusian Charterhouse in Sussex. There is a review of book by Richard Lethbridge "Monuments to Catholic confidence," The Tablet 10 February 2007, 27.
  4. ^ www.advent.org: Prinknash Abbey.
  5. ^ Mian Ridge "Prinknash monks downsize," The Tablet 12 November 2005, 34.
  6. ^ Daniel Rees, "Anglican Monasticism," in Encyclopedia of Monasticism ed. William Johnston (New York: Fitzroy Dearborn Publisher, 2000), 29.
  7. ^ www.thekingdomisours.org.uk/communities.htm
  8. ^ [1] retrieved November 29, 2008.
  9. ^ [2] retrieved November 29, 2008.
  10. ^ http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02443a.htm
  11. ^ http://www.ryde.shalfleet.net/wootton_and_quarr.htm
  12. ^ http://www.citeaux.net/assisi2005/delivrance-eng.htm

External links

 
Search Wikimedia Commons
   Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?
Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Bénédictine — A statue of Alexandre Le Grand, founder of the Pala …   Wikipedia

  • Benedictine — Bénédictine Certaines des épices entrant dans la composition de la Bénédictine La Bénédictine est une boisson alcoolisée digestive fabriquée à Fécamp en Normandie. Sommaire …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Bénédictine — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Bénédictine es un licor a base de hierbas que se produce en Francia. Su receta incluye veintisiete plantas y especias. En 1510, en la abadía de Fécamp de la orden …   Wikipedia Español

  • Benedictine — Bénédictine ist ein alter Kräuter und Gewürzlikör, der ähnlich wie der Chartreuse auf eine alte Klosterrezeptur zurückgeht. Sein Geschmack ist sehr mild. Die Marke gehört seit 1993 zur Bacardi Ltd.. Bénédictine Die Basisrezeptur wurde von dem… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Benedictine — [ben΄ə dik′tin; ] also, and for n.2 usually [, ben΄ə dik′tēn] adj. 1. of Saint Benedict 2. designating or of the monastic order based on his teachings, founded c.A.D. 529 n. 1. a Benedictine monk or nun 2. [b ] a liqueur, containing aromatic… …   English World dictionary

  • Benedictine — ► NOUN 1) a monk or nun of a Christian religious order following the rule of St Benedict. 2) trademark a liqueur based on brandy, originally made by Benedictine monks in France. ► ADJECTIVE ▪ of St Benedict or the Benedictines …   English terms dictionary

  • Benedictine — Ben e*dic tine, a. Pertaining to the monks of St. Benedict, or St. Benet. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Benedictine — Ben e*dic tine, n. (Eccl. Hist.) One of a famous order of monks, established by St. Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century. This order was introduced into the United States in 1846. [1913 Webster] Note: The Benedictines wear black clothing, and… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Bénédictine — ● Bénédictine nom féminin (nom déposé) Liqueur jaune préparée par macération de plantes dans l alcool, puis distillation et addition de sirop de sucre …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • bénédictine — ● Bénédictine nom féminin (nom déposé) Liqueur jaune préparée par macération de plantes dans l alcool, puis distillation et addition de sirop de sucre …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Benedictine — c.1600, one of the order known from the color of its dress as the Black Monks, founded c.529 by St. Benedict (see BENEDICT (Cf. benedict)) …   Etymology dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”