Mendicant vs. Canons Regular?

[Augustine5]

What exactly is the difference between mendicant orders and canons regular orders? I know that both live in a community and under a rule. They both take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. They are distinct from monastic orders because they typically focus more on active work rather than contemplation, and they do not take a vow of stability (although I have heard that some canons take a vow of stability, please correct me if I’m wrong). What exactly distinguishes them?

Thank you.

 

[OurLadyofSorrows]

Although it is a blog, it is associated with Harvard and has a quite handy glossary.

Field Guide to Catholic Religious Orders | CQ2 | Ed Murphy

 

[TomH1]

I would say that very often the external apostolate of canons regular is the running of parishes. A few parishes in my diocese were once run by canons regular. However, due to lack of vocations they have had to withdraw. Like monastics I think it is more common for canons regular to be ordained than mendicants. Like monastics it may also be the rule that superiors must be priests. This does not apply to mendicants. Like monastics, canons regular also have the Divine Office feature large in their life and their day is planned around it. Whereas mendicant orders move their brethren around as required canons regular have stability like monastics and stay in the same monastery for life.

 

[TomH1]

Although it is a blog, it is associated with Harvard and has a quite handy glossary.

It is not really detailed and makes two errors. It says monks are not ordained. This is wrong. In most monastic orders most of the men in solemn vows will be ordained and only priests can hold the offices of superior, e.g. abbot, prior.

They also class religious congregations as a type of religious order when in fact religious orders and religious congregations are in fact distinct.

 

[OurLadyofSorrows]

Thanks for pointing out those errors Tom. I wonder if it means Monks not ordained as Priests as compared to them making their solemn vows as Monks? That is how I read it. I do know Monks can and are ordained as Priests if they have the calling to Priesthood.

I know those in Religious Orders take solemn vows and those in Religious Congregations take simple vows. The last post in this thread discusses the differences and states the Canon Law change in 1983 abolished a difference between the two and now they are called Religious Institutes.

Before Vatican 2, there were legal differences between congregations and orders; however, the 1983 Code of Canon Law (which was the end result of a long process of revisions started by Vatican 2) abolished this difference. All religious orders or congregations now fall under the legal umbrella of “Religious Institutes”.

Differences between Orders and Congregations Vocations

Before Vatican 2, there were legal differences between congregations and orders; however, the 1983 Code of Canon Law (which was the end result of a long process of revisions started by Vatican 2) abolished this difference. All religious orders or congregations now fall under the legal umbrella of “Religious Institutes”. I think the recent change in Canon Law is what’s causing so much confusion (evidenced by the many conflicting responses that we already have in this thread.) The differences be…

On Mendicants , I will link this address by Pope Benedict XVI from 2010 out of interest. https://zenit.org/articles/on-the-mendicant-orders/

and this thread that has a significant contribution by Br. JR, FFV and a couple of other Brothers. "Traditional" Mendicant Male Orders? - #2 by JReducation

He states Monks are not mendicants. Mendicants are roamers where Monks make a vow of stability.
Mendicants are Orders.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Canons regular are a much older concept. You didn’t really have mendicant orders until St. Francis of Assisi, whereas canons regular date from about the 4th century.

Canons regular were originally meant to be groups of priests, living in community and under a Rule, and saying the Divine Office. They took a vow of common property and stability. They later got rid of the vow of stability for the most part, though some groups still have it. Their original purpose was somewhere between being a regular parish priest and being a monk. Later on they began to take the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

Mendicants didn’t come along till the 1400s. They didn’t need to be priests, and they pretty much just traveled around preaching, doing works of charity, and existing on alms. At one point I think a Pope had to put a limitation on how many mendicant orders or groups there could be, because villages were getting overrun by all kinds of mendicants just showing up begging all the time, and it was an economic strain. I think there was also some distrust of mendicants because many of the Western monastic founders, like St. Benedict, had not been big on the concept of itinerant preachers wandering around begging. They thought it led to abuses and sins.

Canons regular had a much more conservative lifestyle and were not depending on alms.

I think nowadays you may find the two groups outwardly looking like they’re both doing much the same work - obviously we don’t have gangs of Franciscans just showing up in the neighborhood begging their dinner either, so everything has gotten a little bit better managed. I do see the Canons Regular in my area (Norbertine) as emphasizing the community life in a central monastery with communal prayer, etc. although they do charity work as well.

 

[phil19034]

I look at it like this:

Cannon Regulars focus on prayer and praying with those who come to their churches/cathedrals. This is often accomplished by offering public celebration of Divine Office (most, of not all, of the hours), multiple Masses, adoration, confession times, and other devotions every day at their Churches/Cathedrals.

If they do have an external teaching apostolate, the Canons usually do the work from their church or house (in other words, they don’t typically go out).

Mendicants, on the other hand (when not participating in liturgy), typically go out from their friaries/churches and service the people in the community. Whether at hospitals, homeless shelters, schools, etc.

In other words, Canon Regulars help people who come to them for liturgical prayer, while Mendicants go to the people.

But unlike Monks, Canon Regulars can leave their Church when needed, and if their order has more than one Church, they can be reassigned (though many only have one Church or Cathedral).

I hope this helps.

 

[phil19034]

Thanks for pointing out those errors Tom. I wonder if it means Monks not ordained as Priests as compared to them making their solemn vows as Monks? That is how I read it. I do know Monks can and are ordained as Priests if they have the calling to Priesthood.

I think the article meant that monastics make their vows before ordination and they don’t have become ordained. In other words, ordination is not a requirement for monastics.

I think it’s expected that a Canon Regular will be ordained

 

[TomH1]

I wonder if it means Monks not ordained as Priests as compared to them making their solemn vows as Monks?

It may do but obviously all we can do is guess. Unless a man already ordained a priest tries his vocation with a monastic community monks are not ordained until after they have taken solemn vows. Of course, it is not mandatory that a choir monk be ordained. Indeed, in St. Benedict’s time most weren’t. Nowadays, however, I think most choir monks are ordained as priests.

I know those in Religious Orders take solemn vows and those in Religious Congregations take simple vows. The last post in this thread discusses the differences and states the Canon Law change in 1983 abolished a difference between the two and now they are called Religious Institutes.

Of course, the technical difference between religious orders and congregations no longer exists. I think, though, in practice it may still be recognised. I think the article would have made things clearer if they had called all the groups they were talking about by the correct (as per 1983 Code of Canon Law) name of regular* institutes of consecrated life.

*Many call them religious because this use of the word ‘regular’ seems to be no longer commonly understood. There are also secular institutes of consecrated life. Not to mention societies of apostolic life, e.g. Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri (Oratorians).