Sarah Mitchell
The Catholic Church has a long history of religious orders, with men and women removing themselves from society to dedicate their lives to God. The earliest Catholic religious orders date back to the 500s, with the Order of Saint Benedict being formed in 529. This order is unique in its structure, consisting of independent houses rather than a typical superior-general authority structure. Other early Catholic orders include the Cistercians (formed in 1098), the Premonstratensians (1120), the Poor Clares (1212), and the Benedictine reform movement of Cluny (1216). These orders are characterized by their members' solemn vows and distinct rules of life. The last religious order founded was the Bethlehemite Brothers in 1673. Today, there are 13 active orders for men, 53 for women, and 8 mixed-gender Catholic religious orders.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Oldest Catholic religious order | Order of Saint Benedict |
| Year founded | 529 |
| Other early orders | Cistercians, Premonstratensians, Poor Clares, Clunys |
| Year founded (other early orders) | Cistercians (1098), Premonstratensians (1120), Poor Clares (1212), Clunys (1216) |
| Type of order | Monastics |
| Other types of orders | Canons regular, clerics regular, mendicants |
| Examples of mendicant orders | Carmelites, Friars Minor, Order of Preachers, Order of the Most Holy Trinity, Order of Saint Augustine |
| Number of active religious orders for men | 13 |
| Number of active religious orders for women | 53 |
| Number of active mixed-gender religious orders | 8 |
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What You'll Learn
The Order of Saint Benedict
Benedict is said to have been disturbed by the immorality of society in Rome, prompting him to leave the city at the age of fourteen to pursue a life of asceticism. He lived as a hermit in a cave near Subiaco, where he began to attract disciples. Eventually, he founded a dozen monasteries, including the monastery of Monte Cassino in 529, where he wrote his Rule. The Rule of Saint Benedict is a guide for individual, autonomous communities, with a focus on permanence and seeking God under the guidance of an abbot. It emphasizes peace, prayer, and work, and has been widely popular due to its moderate path between individual zeal and formulaic institutionalism.
The Benedictines are a mainly contemplative monastic order for men and women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. They are not organized under a single hierarchy but are instead made up of autonomous houses, each with its own abbot or abbess. These houses are often part of larger congregations, such as the American-Cassinese, Swiss-American, St. Scholastica, and St. Benedict.
The Rule of Saint Benedict has also influenced other religious orders, such as the Lutheran Franciscans in the United States, who follow the Rule in their monastic communities.
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The Cistercians
The Cistercian Order was established by a group of Benedictine monks from the Abbey of Molesme, led by St. Robert of Molesme. These monks sought to live a life that adhered to the simplicity of the Rule of St. Benedict, inspired by the spirit of monastic reform prevalent during that time. They embraced ideals such as balancing prayer with work, emphasising evangelical poverty, and detaching themselves from worldly affairs. The first three abbots of the Cistercian Order were St. Robert of Molesme, Alberic of Cîteaux, and Stephen Harding, who are celebrated as the founders of the order.
However, the Cistercian Order began to face challenges in the following centuries. By the 13th century, many abbeys had accumulated wealth and discipline had declined. After the Protestant Reformation, the Cistercian monks disappeared from northern Europe, and the abbeys that survived struggled for existence. The modernisation of the Roman Catholic Church in the 1960s also brought modifications to Cistercian practices, with some monasteries no longer observing the traditional fasts or common sleeping and dining arrangements.
Today, the Cistercian Order has continued with a more moderate approach, and it is known as the Cistercians of the Common Observance (O.Cist.). The order has thirteen congregations, each headed by an abbot general or an abbot president, and they continue to carry out their religious mission within the Catholic Church.
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The Premonstratensians
St. Norbert, who was born around 1080, was a canon of the cathedral chapter in Cologne, Germany. He experienced a religious conversion while riding his horse during a thunderstorm and decided to leave his position and dedicate his life to God. He founded a community in Prémontré, which followed the Rule of St. Augustine, emphasizing community life, prayer, and service.
The order quickly spread throughout Europe, and at its height, there were over 1,300 Premonstratensian houses. Today, they are present in over 20 countries, with approximately 1,000 members. The order is known for its dedication to prayer, hospitality, and education, and many of their abbeys have schools or parishes attached to them.
Today, the Premonstratensians continue their tradition of prayer and service, adapting to the needs of the modern world while remaining true to their Augustinian roots. They are a living testament to the richness and diversity of the Catholic religious life.
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The Poor Clares
Saint Clare was born in Assisi in 1194 and was deeply devoted to God from a young age. Inspired by the preaching of Saint Francis, she left her family's wealthy home at the age of 18 and dedicated her life to God. She founded the Order of Poor Ladies, which later became known as the Poor Clares, and led a life of poverty, contemplation, and service to the needy.
The Poor Clare way of life emphasizes simplicity, humility, and a deep devotion to Christ. They commit themselves to a life of prayer and contemplation, often spending extended periods in silence and solitude. The order also has a strong focus on community life, with the sisters living, working, and praying together. They are known for their hospitality and often provide a place of refuge and support for those in need.
The order has undergone various changes and adaptations over the centuries, but the core values and way of life established by Saint Clare have endured. Today, the Poor Clares continue their contemplative tradition in monasteries around the world, with an estimated 3,500 sisters in over 170 monasteries across five continents.
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The Cluniacs
The Order of Cluny was founded in 910 AD by William I, Duke of Aquitaine, and Count of Auvergne, who granted land and resources to establish the Abbey of Cluny. The founding abbot, Berno of Baume, along with a small group of monks, established the first monastery, known as Cluny I. The order quickly gained support and grew, with subsequent abbots expanding the order's influence and establishing daughter houses across Europe.
Another unique aspect of the Cluniac order was its centralized structure. Unlike other Benedictine monasteries, which were typically autonomous, the Order of Cluny operated under a hierarchical model. The Abbot of Cluny served as the head of the order, and all the dependent houses, or priories, were subject to his authority. This structure allowed for greater uniformity in liturgical practices and monastic life across the order.
The Cluniac order experienced tremendous growth and influence in the 11th and 12th centuries, with hundreds of monasteries and thousands of monks across Europe. They were known for their intellectual pursuits, producing scholars and contributing to the advancement of knowledge in various fields. The order also played a significant role in the Catholic Church's reform efforts, helping to improve moral discipline and promote monastic ideals.
Today, while the Cluniac order may not have the same prominence it once enjoyed, its legacy continues. The reforms and ideals promoted by the Cluniacs had a lasting impact on monasticism and the Catholic Church as a whole. The order's emphasis on discipline, liturgical celebration, and centralized structure influenced later monastic orders and contributed to the shaping of medieval Christianity in Europe.
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Frequently asked questions
The oldest Catholic religious order is the Order of Saint Benedict, formed in 529.
Other early Catholic religious orders include the Cistercians (formed in 1098), the Premonstratensians (formed in 1120), the Poor Clares (formed in 1212 by Francis of Assisi), and the Benedictine reform movements of Cluny (formed in 1216).
Some well-known Catholic religious institutes include Augustinians, Basilians, Benedictines, Bethlehemites, Bridgettines, Camaldolese, Carmelites, Carthusians, Cistercians, Conceptionists, Crosiers, Dominicans, Franciscans, Hieronymites, Jesuits, Minims, Piarists, Salesians, Olivetans, Theatines, Trappists, and the Visitandines.
A Catholic religious order is a subgroup within the Catholic Church with a distinctive high-religiosity lifestyle and clear membership. Members of a Catholic religious order, often referred to as "religious," make solemn vows.
