The history of religion tells of the spiritual quest of different peoples for centuries. Faith has always been a companion of man, gave meaning to his life and motivated not only achievements in the field of internal, but also worldly victories. People, as you know, are social beings, and therefore often seek to find their like-minded people and create an association in which one could move together towards the intended goal. An example of such a community is monastic orders, which included brothers of the same faith, united in understanding how to translate the covenants of mentors into life.
Egyptian hermits
Monasticism did not originate in Europe; it originates in the open spaces of the Egyptian deserts. As far back as the 4th century, hermits appeared, striving to approach spiritual ideals in a secluded distance from the world with its passions and vanity. Finding no place among people, they went into the desert, lived in the open air or in the ruins of some buildings. Often followers joined them. Together they worked, preached, offered prayers.
The monks in the world were workers of various professions, and each brought something of his own to the community. In 328, Pachomius the Great, who was once a soldier, decided to organize the life of his brothers and founded a monastery, the activities of which were regulated by the charter. Soon, similar associations began to appear in other places.
Light of knowledge
In 375, Vasily the Great organized the first major monastic society. Since then, the history of religion has flowed in a slightly different vein: together, the brothers not only prayed and comprehended spiritual laws, but were engaged in studying the world, comprehending nature, philosophical aspects of being. Through the efforts of the monks, through the dark centuries of the Middle Ages , the wisdom and knowledge of mankind passed, not lost in the past.
Reading and improvement in the scientific field was also the responsibility of the novices of the Monte Cassino monastery founded by Benedict of Nursia, considered the father of monasticism in Western Europe.
Benedictines
530 is considered the date when the first monastic order appeared. Benedict was famous for his asceticism, and a group of followers quickly formed around him. They became one of the first Benedictines, as they called the monks in honor of their leader.
The life and work of the brothers was carried out in accordance with the charter developed by Benedict of Nursia. The monks could not change the place of service, own any property and completely had to obey the abbot. The regulation prescribed prayers to be offered seven times a day, constant physical labor, alternating with hours of rest. The charter determined the time of meals and prayers, punishments for the guilty, necessary for reading the book.
Monastery structure
Subsequently, many monastic orders of the Middle Ages were built on the basis of the Benedictine charter. The internal hierarchy was preserved. The head was the abbot, who was chosen from among the monks and approved by the bishop. He became the life-time representative of the monastery in the world, leading the brothers with the assistance of several assistants. The Benedictines were to submit completely and humbly to the abbot.
The inhabitants of the monastery were divided into groups of ten people, headed by deans. The abbot with the prior (assistant) monitored the observance of the charter, but important decisions were made after the meeting of all the brothers together.
Education
The Benedictines became not only an assistant to the Church in the conversion of new peoples to Christianity. In fact, it is thanks to them that today we know about the contents of many ancient manuscripts and manuscripts. The monks were engaged in rewriting books, preserving the monuments of philosophical thought of the past.
Education was compulsory from the age of seven. The subjects included music, astronomy, arithmetic, rhetoric and grammar. The Benedictines saved Europe from the pernicious influence of barbaric culture. Huge libraries of monasteries, deep architectural traditions, and knowledge in the field of agriculture helped to keep civilization at a decent level.
Decline and rebirth
During the reign of Charlemagne, there was a period when the monastic order of the Benedictines was going through hard times. The emperor introduced tithes in favor of the Church, demanded that the monasteries provide a certain number of soldiers, and gave the bishops power over vast territories with peasants on them. The monasteries began to be enriched and represent a tidbit for everyone eager to increase their own well-being.
Representatives of worldly authority were given the opportunity to establish spiritual communities. Bishops broadcast the will of the emperor, more and more immersed in worldly affairs. Rectors of the new monasteries only formally dealt with spiritual matters, enjoying the fruits of donations and trade. The process of secularization brought to life a movement for the revival of spiritual values, resulting in the formation of new monastic orders. The center in the beginning of the 10th century was the monastery in Cluny.
Clyunians and Cistercians
Abbot Bernon received as a gift from the Duke of Aquitaine an estate in Upper Burgundy. Here, in Cluny, a new monastery was founded, free from secular power and vassal relations. The monastic orders of the Middle Ages experienced a new rise. The Klunians prayed for all the laity, lived according to the charter, developed on the basis of the provisions of the Benedictines, but more stringent in matters of behavior and daily routine.
In the XI century, a monastic order of the Cistercians appeared, taking as a rule the adherence to the charter, which frightens many followers with its rigidity. The number of monks has increased dramatically due to the energy and charm of one of the leaders of the order, Bernard of Clairvaux.
Great multitude
In the XI-XIII centuries, new monastic orders of the Catholic Church appeared in large numbers. Each of them marked something in history. Kamalduls were famous for their strict charter: they did not wear shoes, welcomed self-flagellation, did not eat meat at all, even if they were sick. The Carthusians, who also respected strict rules, were known as hospitable hosts who considered charity to be an essential part of their ministry. One of the main sources of income for them was the sale of Chartreuse liquor, the recipe of which was developed by the Cartesians themselves.
In the Middle Ages, women also contributed to monastic orders. Abbesses were at the head of the monasteries, including the male ones, of the Fontevro fraternity. They were considered governors of the Virgin Mary. One of the distinguishing points of their charter was a vow of silence. The Begins - an order consisting only of women - on the contrary, did not have a charter. The abbess was chosen from among the followers, and all activity was directed to charity. Begins could leave the order and marry.
Knights and monastic orders
In the time of the Crusades, associations of a new kind began to appear. The conquest of Palestinian lands came under the call of the Catholic Church to free Christian shrines from the hands of Muslims. A large number of pilgrims were sent to the eastern lands. It was necessary to protect them in enemy territory. This was the reason for the emergence of spiritual and chivalric orders.
Members of the new associations, on the one hand, made three vows of monastic life: poverty, obedience, and abstinence. On the other hand, they wore armor, always had a sword with them and, if necessary, took part in military campaigns.
The knightly monastic orders had a triple structure: chaplains (priests), warrior brothers and ministerial brothers entered it. The head of the order - the grandmaster - was chosen for life, his candidacy was approved by the Pope, who had supreme authority over the association. The head together with the priors periodically gathered the chapter (general meeting, where important decisions were made, the laws of the order were approved).
The spiritual and monastic associations included the Templars, ionites (hospitals), the Teutonic Order, swordsmen. All of them were participants in historical events, the importance of which is difficult to overestimate. The Crusades with their assistance significantly influenced the development of Europe, and indeed the whole world. The sacred liberation missions got their name thanks to the crosses that were sewn on the robes of the knights. Each monastic order used its color and shape to convey the symbol, and thus externally differed from the rest.
Loss of authority
At the beginning of the XIII century, the Church was forced to fight the huge number of heresies that arose. The priests lost their former authority, propagandists spoke of the need to reform or even abolish the church system, as an unnecessary layer between man and God, condemned the huge wealth concentrated in the hands of ministers. In response, the Inquisition appeared, designed to return to the people reverence for the Church. However, the mendicant monastic orders played a more beneficial role in this activity, which made the complete renunciation of property a prerequisite for service.
Francis of Assisi
In 1207, the Order of the Franciscans began to form . Its head, Francis of Assisi, saw the essence of his activity in sermons and renunciation. He was against the founding of churches and monasteries, and met with his followers once a year in a designated place. The rest of the time the monks preached to the people. However, in 1219 a Franciscan monastery was erected at the insistence of the Pope.
Francis of Assisi was famous for his kindness, ability to serve easily and with full dedication. He was loved for his poetic talent. Canonized just two years after his death, he gained a mass of followers and revived reverence for the Catholic Church. In different centuries, branches were formed from the Franciscan order: the order of the Capuchins, Terzians, minima, and observants.
Dominic de Guzmán
The Church relied on monastic associations in matters of struggle against heresy. One of the foundations of the Inquisition was the Dominican Order, founded in 1205. Its founder was Dominic de Guzmán, an irreconcilable fighter against heretics, who respected austerity and poverty.
The Dominican Order has chosen the preparation of high-level preachers as one of its main goals. In order to organize suitable conditions for learning, even initially rigid rules were enacted, which prescribed brothers poverty and constant wandering in cities. At the same time, the Dominicans were not obliged to work physically: in this way, they devoted all their time to education and prayer.
At the beginning of the 16th century, the Church was again in crisis. The commitment of the clergy to luxury and vices undermined authority. The successes of the Reformation forced the clergy to look for new ways to return to their former veneration. Thus was formed the order of the Theatians, and then the Society of Jesus. Monastic associations sought to return to the ideals of medieval orders, but time took its toll. Although many orders still exist today, little has been preserved from its former greatness.