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This article is about the Roman Catholic order; see also Benedictine Confederation and Benedictine.:For the Anglican order of the same name, see Order of St. Benedict (Anglican) The Order of Saint Benedict — full Latin name: Ordo Sancti Benedicti , initials: OSB — sometimes referred to as the Benedictine Order, is a term used to denote the independent Roman Catholic monasteries that observe the Rule of St Benedict, supplemented by later constitutions and modern customaries. The monastery at Monte Cassino in Italy established by Saint Benedict of Nursia ca 529 was the first of the Benedictine monasteries.
General The "Order of St Benedict" is fundamentally different from other Western religious orders: there is no legal entity called the "Order of St Benedict", run on similar lines with other Roman Catholic religious orders with their Generalates and Superiors General. Rather, the various Houses (that is, communities) have formed themselves loosely into Congregations (for example, Cassinese, English, Solesmes, Subiaco, Camaldolese, Sylvestrines) that in turn are represented in the Benedictine Confederation. Benedictines are usually Roman Catholics or members of one of the churches of the Anglican Communion, although they are occasionally found in other Christian denominations as well. Benedictine monks (monastic men) and Benedictine nuns (monastic women) publicly profess the three Benedictine Vows of Stability (to remain in the monastery), of Conversion of Manners, and of Obedience (to the superior, because (s)he holds the place of Christ in their community) in accordance with ch. 58.17 of the Rule of Saint Benedict of Nursia. According to the Code of Canon Law a Benedictine abbey is a "Religious Institute", and its professed members are therefore members of the "Consecrated Life", commonly referred to as "Religious". All Benedictine monks and nuns are members of the Laity among the Christian Faithful; only those Benedictine monks who have been ordained priests are also members of the Hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. Benedictines who are not members of the Consecrated Life (i.e., Oblates) nevertheless endeavour to embrace the spirit of the Benedictine Vows in their own life in the world. Within the Order of Saint Benedict, other religious that use the Rule of Saint Benedict and are generally considered to be of the Benedictine tradition are the Cistercians, Bernardines, and Benedictine Sisters of Grace and Compassion, although these are not part of the Benedictine Confederation. The Benedictine motto is: pax (Latin: "peace"), traditionally also ora et labora (Latin: "pray and work"). See also Further reading Benedictines in popular culture and fiction | ||||||||
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