Joshua Bennett
There are several types of Catholic monks, each with distinct characteristics and ways of life. The types of Catholic monks include mendicant orders, monastic orders, canons regular, clerics regular, and more. The most well-known monastic order is the Benedictines, founded by St. Benedict, who emphasised work and established monasteries where monks farmed and copied manuscripts. Another monastic order is the Cistercians, with the Cistercians of Strict Observance, or Trappists, following the rule of St. Benedict strictly. The Carthusians are known for their contemplative nature, while the Dominicans, or Order of Preachers, are theological. The Jesuits, founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola, are committed to finding God in all things and spreading God's word globally. These orders vary in their vows, lifestyles, and contributions to society, each playing a unique role within the Catholic Church.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Benedictine Monks | Hard work, prayer, and community |
| Carthusian Monks | Contemplation, silence, and solitude |
| Cistercian Monks | Academic pursuits and prayer |
| Trappist Monks | Strict observance of Benedictine rules and communal living |
| Franciscan Monks | Welcome, joy, and academic devotion |
| Dominican Monks | Preaching and brain-storming |
| Carmelite Monks | Spirituality and mysticism |
| Jesuits | Finding God in all things and serving the Pope |
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What You'll Learn
Benedictine monks
The Rule of Saint Benedict is comprised of 73 short chapters, containing spiritual and administrative wisdom. It guides monks on how to live through Christ and how to run a monastery wisely, with a focus on obedience and humility. Benedictine monks are also known for their vow of "stability", which professes loyalty to a particular foundation in a particular location.
Benedictine monasteries became important centres of religious life, political administration, economic development, and learning. They owned farms and sometimes whole villages, and the monks dedicated themselves mainly to liturgical prayer. In the Middle Ages, monasteries were often founded by the nobility, and they played a key role in keeping Christianity and Western culture alive and moving forward.
By the ninth century, the Benedictine way of life had become the standard form of monasticism throughout Western Europe, except in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. However, towards the end of the twelfth century, the rise of mendicant orders like the Franciscans and Dominicans led to a decline in Benedictine dominance. Benedictine monasticism began to flourish again in Catholic countries in the 18th century, with abbeys being rebuilt in the baroque style and monasteries becoming centres of scholarship, culture, and education. Benedictine monks have continued to be active in education, with a presence in Catholic colleges like Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina.
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Carthusian monks
The Carthusians, or the Order of Carthusians (Ordo Cartusiensis in Latin), are a Catholic religious order that was founded by Bruno of Cologne in 1084. The order includes both monks and nuns and follows its own set of rules called the Statutes, combining eremitical and cenobitic monasticism. The Carthusian motto, "Stat crux dum volvitur orbis," translates to "The Cross is steady while the world turns."
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Mendicant monks
The four main mendicant orders, recognised by the Second Council of Lyon in 1274, are the Order of Preachers (also known as the Dominicans), the Friars Minor, the Carmelites, and the Hermits of St. Augustine. Other mendicant orders include the Jesuits, the Ambrosians, the Fraticelli of Monte Malbe, the Hospitallers of San Hipólito, the Jesuati, the Saccati or "Friars of the Sack", and the Hospitaller Order of the Brothers of Saint John of God.
Mendicant orders are a form of Catholic monastic life that stands in contrast to more powerful and conservative orders such as the Benedictines and Cistercians. The mendicants' convents are situated in towns, and the friars travel from town to town to preach the Gospel, modelling themselves after Jesus and the Twelve Disciples.
The term "mendicant" is derived from the Latin "mendicans", meaning "begging". Mendicancy is a form of asceticism, and many religious orders adhere to a mendicant way of life, including Hindu ascetics, some Sufi dervishes of Islam, and the monastic orders of Jainism and Buddhism.
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Clerics regular monks
Clerics regular, or clerks regular, are clerics in the Catholic Church who follow a rule (from the Latin regula) of life, and are therefore members of religious institutes. They are mostly priests who are members of a religious order under a rule of life (regular). Clerics regular are devoted to the exercise of the ministry in preaching, the administration of the sacraments, the education of youth, and other spiritual and corporal works of mercy. They are also known for living a community life according to a rule approved by the Holy See.
The first order of cleric regular was the Congregation of Clerks Regular of the Divine Providence, better known as Theatines, established in Rome in 1524. Augustine of Hippo in the 4th century is often considered the founder of the regular clerics, as he established a community of priests leading a religious life in his house, for whom he drew up a rule. The constitutions of many religious communities of the Middle Ages were based on this rule. However, it was not until the 16th century that clerics regular in the modern and strictest sense of the word came into being.
Clerics regular must retain some appearance of clerical dress, although this does not forbid them from wearing religious habits. Their dress is distinct from the habit and cowl of the monk. Clerics regular are less inclined towards austerity, a key feature of monastic life, due to their occupations. They differ from friars in that friars are devoted to the sacred ministry and the cultivation of learning, but they are not primarily priests.
In the canon law of the Catholic Church, the term "clerics regular" is often used for canons regular. Regular clerics are also classed as a branch or modern adaptation of the once-famous family of regular canons.
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Cistercians of the Strict Observance monks
The Cistercians of the Strict Observance, also known as Trappists, are a Catholic religious order of cloistered monastics that branched off from the Cistercians in 1892. The Cistercians themselves were founded in 1098 and are one of the earliest Catholic religious orders. The Trappists were originally known as the Order of Reformed Cistercians of Our Lady of La Trappe, named after the La Trappe Abbey in Normandy, France, where the reform movement began. The monks at La Trappe felt that the Cluniac communities had abandoned the rigours and simplicity of the Rule of St. Benedict, so they sought to return to a literal observance of the rule.
The Trappists follow the Rule of Saint Benedict closely, taking three vows: stability, fidelity to monastic life, and obedience. They generally speak only when necessary, and idle talk is strongly discouraged. They do not take a vow of silence, but they do abstain from eating "flesh meats" such as beef and pork. Their diet mostly consists of vegetables, beans, and grain products.
Trappist monks value manual labour, especially agricultural work. They also place importance on solitude and silence, with silence considered "the language of liberation, enlightenment, or union with God". Each abbey has its own abbot, elected by its monks, and its own property and finances, without outside interference. However, all the abbeys are subject to the General Chapter, a constitutional body that exercises vigilance over the order.
Trappist monasteries are autonomous and may have different rules, but generally, those seeking to enter Trappist life will first visit a monastery and consult the vocation director or superior to help discern their vocation.
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Frequently asked questions
There are two main types of Catholic monks: eremitic and cenobitic. Eremitic monks are solitary hermits, while cenobitic monks live together in a community.
Monastic orders are groups of men or women who dedicate themselves to God and live in isolated communities or alone. Examples include the Benedictines, Cistercians, Carthusians, and Trappists.
Mendicant orders, meaning "beggar", include the Dominicans, Franciscans, Jesuits, and Oratorians. These orders are known for their freedom in contrast to the cloistered monastics.
Monastic orders follow a set of rules and cloisters for monks and nuns to separate from the world, often living and working in a single monastery for their entire lives. Mendicant orders, on the other hand, have more freedom and are not restricted to a single monastery.
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