The Crusades contributed to a fundamental change in life in Europe. In addition to the fact that Christians began to get acquainted with the culture of eastern countries and peoples, in particular Arabs, there was still the opportunity to get rich quickly. Thousands of pilgrims reached the Holy Land. Who wanted to protect the Holy Sepulcher, and who became a wealthy landowner with a large number of servants. To protect such travelers, monastic orders were first created.
Origin of orders
Later, after the Europeans settled in the vastness of Palestine, the knights of the spiritual orders began to divide, in accordance with their goals, into beggars, Benedictines, regular clergy and canons.
Some were seized with a thirst for profit and power. They managed not only to get rich fabulously, but also to create their own states. For example, the Teutonic Order belongs to the latter, but we will talk about it later.
Augustinians
The name of some monastic orders was derived from the name of the saint, whose words and deeds were especially honored by the founders and were spelled out in the charter.
The term "Augustinians" includes several orders and congregations. But in general, they are all divided into two branches - canons and brothers. The latter are still divided into barefoot and recollects.
This order was created in the middle of the thirteenth century, and in the middle of the sixteenth century it was ranked among the other three mendicant orders (Carmelites, Franciscans, Dominicans).
The charter was quite simple and did not include any cruelties and tortures. The main goal of the monks was to save human souls. By the sixteenth century in the ranks of this order were about two and a half thousand monasteries.
There was no question of any power or accumulation of wealth, which is why they were ranked among the beggars.
Barefooted Augustinians broke away from the mainstream in the seventeenth century and spread throughout Japan and all of East Asia.
A distinctive feature of the Augustinians is a black cassock and a white cassock with a leather belt. Today, there are about five thousand.
Benedictines
The history of monastic orders began with this particular group of churchmen. It was formed in the sixth century in the Italian commune.
If you look at the path of development of this order, we will see that it turned out to fulfill only two tasks. The first is to partially extend its charter to most other organizations. The second is to serve as the basis for the formation of new orders and congregations.
Judging by the records, the Benedictines were initially small in number. The first monastery was destroyed at the end of the sixth century by the Lombards, and the monks settled throughout Europe. After secularization in the Middle Ages and the reformation movement, the order began to decline.
However, in the nineteenth century, its sudden take-off begins. The brothers in faith simply found their niche. Now the monastic orders included in this association are engaged in the uplift and development of culture, as well as missionary activities in Africa and Asia.
At the end of the nineteenth century, their confederation was created with the support of the Pope, in addition, a university was opened. Architecture and trade, literature and music, painting and medicine are just a small part of the areas that developed in Europe thanks to the Benedictines. It was the monastic Catholic orders in the era of the total decline in living standards and culture that were able to preserve the remnants of "civilization" in the form of traditions, norms and foundations.
Hospitaliers
The second name is the Order of the Holy Spirit. This is a monastic organization that lasted only six centuries - from the twelfth to the eighteenth century.
The basis of the hospital’s activities was the treatment of the sick and the wounded, as well as the care of the elderly and orphans, the weak and disadvantaged. That is why such a name was attached to them.
The charter of the organization comes from the Order of the Augustinians. And they formed their hospitals first in France, and then in other countries.
Each member of the monastic order pledged to do charity work. This concept included the care of the sick, the ransom of Christians from slavery, the protection of pilgrims, the education of the poor and many other good deeds.
In the seventeenth century, the French king tried to use their fund to their advantage, to pay salaries to military veterans. But Rome opposed such a turn of events. From this time begins the decline, which ended in 1783, when the order became part of the Hospitallers of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem.
Dominicans
An interesting feature of this organization is that a member of a monastic order can be either a man or a woman. That is, there are Dominicans and Dominicans, but they live in different monasteries.
The order was founded in the thirteenth century and exists to this day. Today its number is approximately six thousand people. The main distinguishing feature of the Dominicans has always been a white cassock. The coat of arms is a dog carrying a torch in its teeth. The goal of the monks is to enlighten and defend the true faith.
Dominicans are famous in two areas - science and missionary activity. Despite the bloody confrontation, they were the first to make the archdiocese in Persia, to develop East Asia and Latin America.
Under the Pope, the monk of this order is always responsible for questions related to theology.
During the period of the highest rise, the Dominicans numbered more than one hundred and fifty thousand people, but after the Reformation, revolutions and civil wars in different countries their number was significantly reduced.
Jesuits
Probably the most controversial order in the history of Catholicism. Unquestioning obedience is put at the forefront, “just like a corpse,” as the charter says. The military monastic orders, of course, played a huge role in the formation of many rulers of medieval Europe, but the Jesuits were always famous for their ability to achieve results at all costs.
The order was founded in the Basque country of Loyola in 1491, and since then it has entangled all civilized countries of the world with its ties. Intrigue and blackmail, bribery and murder - on the one hand, protection of the interests of the church and Catholicism - on the other. It is precisely such opposite sides that led to the fact that in the eighteenth century the Pope disbanded this order. Officially, it did not exist for forty years (in Europe). In Russia and in some Asian countries, parishes functioned. To date, the number of Jesuits totals about seventeen thousand people.
Warband
One of the most influential organizations in medieval Europe. Although the military monastic orders sought maximum influence, not everyone succeeded. The Teutons went a roundabout way. They not only increased their power, but simply bought the land on which they built fortresses.
The order was founded at the base of the hospital in Acre at the end of the twelfth century. Initially, the Teutons accumulated wealth and strength, while taking care of the wounded and the pilgrims. But at the beginning of the thirteenth century, they begin to move east under the banner of the fight against the Gentiles. Master Transylvania, expelling Polovtsy to the Dnieper. Prussian lands were later captured and the state of the Teutonic Order with its capital in Marienburg formed.
Everything went to the benefit of the knights before the Battle of Grunwald in 1410, when the Polish-Lithuanian troops defeated them. From this time begins the sunset of the order. The memory of him was restored only by the German Nazis during the Second World War, declaring themselves to be continuers of tradition.
Franciscans
The monastic orders in Catholicism, as mentioned above, are divided into four groups. So, the order of the Minorites, founded at the beginning of the thirteenth century, became the first of the beggars. The main purpose of its members is to preach virtue, asceticism, and gospel principles.
“Gray brothers”, “cordeliers”, “barefoot” - the nicknames of the Franciscans in different European countries. They were rivals of the Dominicans and led the Inquisition before the Jesuits. In addition, members of the order held many teaching positions at universities.
Thanks to this brotherhood, many monastic trends appeared, such as capuchins, tertiary and others.
Cistercians
The second name is Bernardine. This is a branch of the Benedictines that separated in the eleventh century. The order was founded at the end of the indicated century by Saint Robert, who decided to lead a life that fully complies with the charter of the Benedictine monastery. But since in reality he did not manage to achieve sufficient austerity, he leaves for the Sito deserts, where he lays a new monastery. At the beginning of the twelfth century, its charter was adopted, and Saint Bernard also joined. After these events, the number of Cistercians sharply begins to grow.
In the era of the Middle Ages, they went around other monastic orders in wealth and influence. No military action, only trade, production, education and science. Peacefully gained the greatest power.
Today, the total number of Bernardine is in the range of two thousand.