Can you explain how the Camaldolese, Benedictines and Mendicants are different?

[Guglielmotti]

Are the Camaldolese considered Benedictines?
Cistercians and Trappists have their origin in the Benedictine order, and theirs appear to be reforms or strict observance of Benedict’s rule.
I also wonder if all those orders are classified as monastic orders as opposed to mendicant orders like the Carmelites, Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustinians and Servites. I would appreciate a definition of monastic vs. mendicant.
Thanks,
don

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi Don,

The Camaldolese also follow the rule of St. Benedict and are considered to be Benedictines by that fact.

The mendicant orders where founded without the benefit of large land holdings for their financial sustenance. They were allowed to beg instead to free them for apostolic work rather than farming, etc. As the result of their begging, they were termed “mendicants”. Originally they didn’t even own their own houses. But Rome found this to be too unwieldy to manage for them and insisted that they own their own houses. Today only some Franciscan groups still do not own their own friaries. While the mendicants engage in active apostolates and are called friars- not monks, they do live a monastic-styled community life, wearing a habit and chanting the Liturgy of the Hours, etc. This is the kind of life I live.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.