The Rule of Saint Benedict

A monastery is a community of monks governed by an abbot. The abbot is elected for life and assisted by a council of a few officers for various functions. For the most important matters, he must seek and follow the advice of the assembly of monks gathered in the chapter house.

The term monk comes from the Greek monos, meaning "solitary". It designates a person who decides to isolate himself in order to engage in mediation.

In other words, it's a community of people who decide to live apart from the world to devote themselves to God, and vow to live under a rule that organizes their daily lives.

At a time when society was in full dissolution, these provisions gave monasteries a solidity that explains their action and influence. The affirmation of spiritual power is essential. As monastic foundations and the rule of Saint Benedict spread, monks passed on a part of ancient culture to France's elite, through monastic schools. They taught reading, writing, arithmetic and Latin.

At Cluny, they trained monks who went on to become abbots and, in some cases, popes such as Urban II .

Did you know?

The Mother House was responsible for consecrating the Maior Ecclesia altar in 1095, and for awarding the cardinal's insignia to Abbot Hugues de Semur.