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UnityofTrinity
Guest
Ancient spirituality vs. the rush of the intellect, which one you like better? BTW, is there such thing as a Benedictine priest?
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Biedrik
Guest
Yes, there are Benedictine priests. They’re simply monks who have been ordained.
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Luigi_Daniele
Guest
Yup. And a few different types of Benedictine, too (Benedictine, Oilvetan, etc).
I’ll let you guess which I choose
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UnityofTrinity
Guest
Jesuit?Yup. And a few different types of Benedictine, too (Benedictine, Oilvetan, etc).
I’ll let you guess which I choose
BTW, are there any non-monk Benedictine priests?
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Luigi_Daniele
Guest
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UnityofTrinity
Guest
I know this is a bit off-topic and as soon as I could I will change the title, but what about the other big names like Franciscans and Dominicans? I think they are almost the same about everything, so what are the difference between them and the Benedictine?
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GloriousOrder
Guest
Dear friend, 
Benedictines are monks. Dominicans and Franciscans are friars. Jesuits are clerks regular. Praemonstratentians are canons regular.
Monks remain attached to one monastery all the days of their lives. They live in common and stay within their house as much as is possible. Reciting the canonical hours, praying, and working within the compound are their biggest duties. Monks generally do not teach in the world, but pray for the world in isolation and contemplation.
Friars remain attached to their worldwide community, but may be moved to different friaries and convents as needs meet. They live in common and stay within their house, but venture into the secular world during the day. Some friars do recite the hours, and some do not. They pray like mad
(especially Franciscans), and often teach the poor. Friars generally do go into the world and do the most menial work, often considering cleaning toilets of equal holiness to praying.
Clerks regular (or clerics regular) may be moved anywhere in the world. They live in twos, often, and are basically diocesan priests that are international. I don’t believe any clerks regular recite the Hours, because they are too busy with secular concerns. Think of them as ultra-friars, just without the communal aspect.
Canons regular are monks, practically, but attached to a particular cathedral.
Benedictines are monks. Dominicans and Franciscans are friars. Jesuits are clerks regular. Praemonstratentians are canons regular.
Monks remain attached to one monastery all the days of their lives. They live in common and stay within their house as much as is possible. Reciting the canonical hours, praying, and working within the compound are their biggest duties. Monks generally do not teach in the world, but pray for the world in isolation and contemplation.
Friars remain attached to their worldwide community, but may be moved to different friaries and convents as needs meet. They live in common and stay within their house, but venture into the secular world during the day. Some friars do recite the hours, and some do not. They pray like mad
(especially Franciscans), and often teach the poor. Friars generally do go into the world and do the most menial work, often considering cleaning toilets of equal holiness to praying.Clerks regular (or clerics regular) may be moved anywhere in the world. They live in twos, often, and are basically diocesan priests that are international. I don’t believe any clerks regular recite the Hours, because they are too busy with secular concerns. Think of them as ultra-friars, just without the communal aspect.
Canons regular are monks, practically, but attached to a particular cathedral.
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Luigi_Daniele
Guest
Benedictines are attached to a particular monastery. Each monastery is its own entity. Some branches (the Olivetans, for example) do have a loose national and international structure, but it is nowhere near as cohesive as the Franciscans, Domicans or any of the other “non-monk” orders, really.
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jilly4ski
Guest
I don’t think so, Benedictine males are Monks. Some of the monks can be ordained, but I don’t think you can be a Benedictine (male) and not be a monk.
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Luigi_Daniele
Guest
An Oblate is considered a “full Benedictine”. So an Oblate who later entered the priesthood, would be a priest that wasn’t a monk. At least theoretically. I grant that it would be unlikely, as he would probably choose to be a Benedictine monk priest, though.
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jilly4ski
Guest
Interesting, I am not very familiar with Benedictine Oblates.
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Luigi_Daniele
Guest
You could think of us as a Third Order, sorta. Except as a Third Order, I am attached to the entire Franciscan (for example) family, not just to my local friary.
Benedictine Oblates are very much attached to our specific monastery. If that monastery ceases to exist (God forbid), we can’t just go the next one and expect to be automatically accepted as an Oblate there. In theory, (after jumping through a few hoops, admittedly), if you move across country as an SFO, you can become an SFO where you are now. (Again. slight simplification-the new fraternity does not have to take you automatically, but they almost always do–at least to my understanding)
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Friar_David_O.Carm
Guest
As a Carmelite Friar I must say that you did a pretty good job in a short space here.Dear friend,
Benedictines are monks. Dominicans and Franciscans are friars. Jesuits are clerks regular. Praemonstratentians are canons regular.
Monks remain attached to one monastery all the days of their lives. They live in common and stay within their house as much as is possible. Reciting the canonical hours, praying, and working within the compound are their biggest duties. Monks generally do not teach in the world, but pray for the world in isolation and contemplation.
Friars remain attached to their worldwide community, but may be moved to different friaries and convents as needs meet. They live in common and stay within their house, but venture into the secular world during the day. Some friars do recite the hours, and some do not. They pray like mad
Clerks regular (or clerics regular) may be moved anywhere in the world. They live in twos, often, and are basically diocesan priests that are international. I don’t believe any clerks regular recite the Hours, because they are too busy with secular concerns. Think of them as ultra-friars, just without the communal aspect.
Canons regular are monks, practically, but attached to a particular cathedral.
I would offer one correction. All priests, regardless of religious community, are bound to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. The constitutions/rule may add to this but all ordained are required by Canon Law to pray the Hours.
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Friar_David_O.Carm
Guest
I would have to go with Carmelite spirituality. Not that it was an option.
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Luigi_Daniele
Guest
I did not know that you were a friar. A priviledge to get to know you better, sir
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UnityofTrinity
Guest
I feel a vocation to become a priest, but I don’t which order to enter. I like Franciscan and Jesuit, but especially Jesuit because I love them even before becoming Catholic. But I think Jesuit is known too much for their intellect rather than their spirituality. Are there any priestly order you know of that is known more for their spirituality?
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Biedrik
Guest
One thing that’s important is to try to not let the reputations of some orders get in the way of discernment. It is important to know about them of course, but we shouldn’t be too concerned about what people think of them. Jesuits are very spiritual, specifically in the tradition of their founder St. Ignatius of Loyala who had some rather brilliant spiritual writings. If you want a good introduction read a book by Fr. Tim Gallagher, OMV. He writes some great stuff on the topic.
As for orders known more for spirituality, I believe most of the contemplative orders fall into this category, such as the Carthusians, Carmelites, Cistercians, Benedictines, etc. If you want information on the Carmelites talk to ByzCath, since he’s a Carmelite friar. If you have any questions on Carthusians I can readily answer them since I have done a fair amount of research on them.
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hxcCatholic413
Guest
If you want the ultimate experience you should consider being a Diocesan priest in CT.
Anyways if I was you I’d get in contact w/ both Franciscans and Jesuits. There is a user on this board who is a Franciscan Brother (JReducation) you should contact him. God Bless and good luck!
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Dale_M
Guest
Sort of. As GloriousOrder mentioned, even when on assignment to other duties a Benedictine priest remains attached to his monastery. But that doesn’t keep a Benedictine priest, in some cases, from serving far away.
For example, Jerome Hanus, OSB was abbot of Conception Abbey in Missouri, but then served as bishop of St. Cloud, Minnesota and is now archbishop of Dubuque, Iowa. Being sent, early in his monastic career, to study in Rome probably helped this along.
However, Archbishop Hanus is still a monk of Conception Abbey.
conceptionabbey.org/monastery/faq
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1234
Guest
A lot of Benedictines teach at colleges, prep schools and seminaries attached to their monasteries. I can think offhand of St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, MN, St. Vincent’s Archabbey in IN, Belmont Abbey in NC.Dear friend,
Benedictines are monks. Dominicans and Franciscans are friars. Jesuits are clerks regular. Praemonstratentians are canons regular.
Monks remain attached to one monastery all the days of their lives. They live in common and stay within their house as much as is possible. Reciting the canonical hours, praying, and working within the compound are their biggest duties. Monks generally do not teach in the world, but pray for the world in isolation and contemplation.
Friars remain attached to their worldwide community, but may be moved to different friaries and convents as needs meet. They live in common and stay within their house, but venture into the secular world during the day. Some friars do recite the hours, and some do not. They pray like mad
Clerks regular (or clerics regular) may be moved anywhere in the world. They live in twos, often, and are basically diocesan priests that are international. I don’t believe any clerks regular recite the Hours, because they are too busy with secular concerns. Think of them as ultra-friars, just without the communal aspect.
Canons regular are monks, practically, but attached to a particular cathedral.
Here’s a link:
www1.ben.edu/programs/centers_institutes/CMI/heritage.asp
Check out the list at the bottom, which includes colleges and universities founded by both Benedictine men and women.
There is a strong history of scholarship among Benedictines, maybe reflecting their long monastic tradition, which enabled them to teach and develop major libraries. The Dominicans, with their emphasis on preaching, also have this tradition and own and teach or manage a number of colleges and universities. The Jesuits, who don’t say the office and aren’t monks, but are missionaries, also have a long tradition of scholarship and teaching as part of their evangelization. They teach and manage numerous institutions, including Fordham and Boston College. They appear to be the most ‘active’ in that they don’t say the office. The Franciscan tradition includes an emphasis on poverty which can be prominent feature, especially in the Franciscans of the Renewal and other newer groups.
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