Saint Benedict

The tenth century was an age of significant political, social, and ecclesiastical changes, changes which were perceived by some contemporaries as “crises”. One strategy of coping with these changes was (re-)writing history, as authors sought to make sense of the present through interpreting the past. In the tenth century, Fleury Abbey became a major centre of writing history. This session will discuss how the past was used in historiographical and hagiographical narratives from Fleury Abbey to interpret and manage present challenges. It focusses on the works of the monk Aimoin (c. 965-1008), a prolific historian, largely neglected compared to his Rheims counterparts?

According to Benedict’s Rule, a few monks used to sleep while wearing knives, a dangerous habit which the Saint condemns. Sixth century sources, both Latin and Greek, mention knives quite often, which are called either cultelli or machairai and are mostly considered as weapons. Since there was widespread public insecurity in the Italian countryside during Benedict’s times because of bandits and marauding soldiers, it is likely that many farmers were used to carrying a knife with them even in bed. Quite a few monks had difficulties in letting go of this precaution after entering Montecassino.

Abstract (ITA):
Il simbolismo medievale si lega indissolubilmente alla fenomenologia della salvezza. Il carisma monastico benedettino, in special modo, caratterizza il proprio messaggio pedagogico ed escatologico proprio attraverso l’uso di simboli: si pensi, ad esempio, allo sviluppo del ricchissimo filone dell’agiografia medievale, con il frequente impiego del topos letterario dei miracula e della narrazione delle virtutes eroiche di uomini giusti e saggi, di santi, di monaci, di milites Christi. L’agiografia medievale certamente non inventa, non fonda l’uso del simbolo in ambito monastico, ma ne reinterpreta e ne accentua le caratteristiche; la metodologia applicata è piuttosto semplice, ma al tempo stesso molto efficace: l’uomo di Dio viene “spiegato” con frequenti riferimenti biblici. La Sacra Scrittura, infatti, è sempre la chiave di lettura dell’esistenza cristiana e il valore di questo principio interpretativo si accresce nella misura in cui l’uomo di Dio presenta un modello concreto di applicazione dell’insegnamento biblico. È il tema della imitatio, della tipologia ripetuta che consente di individuare in un determinato episodio vari livelli interpretativi, esegetici e significativi. L’edificazione attraverso l’exemplum, questa è la chiave: la narrazione agiografica riferisce episodi, discorsi, motti e sentenze proprio con l’intento prevalente di offrire un esempio chiaro di virtus; inoltre non interessa la concatenazione degli episodi narrati, bensì l’evidenziazione del raggiungimento del “bene” in specifici momenti operativi. Questo è l’affascinante contesto all’interno del quale si propone di accostarsi alle opere di san Benedetto di Aniane, il Codex Regularum e la Concordia Regularum, quali fonti privilegiate per ricerca re quanto accennato in premessa nella Regula sancti Benedicti, nella Regula sancti Columbani e in particolare in un sermone al maschile in essa contenuto, De accedendo ad Deum prompto corde orandum, che tratta dell’applicazione alla preghiera, del servizio della lode divina e dell’orientamento escatologico.

Abstract (ENG):

This paper aims to analyze the text of chapters LVIII and LIX of the St. Benedict Rule comparing it to the most representative auctoritas to which St. Benedict constantly refers: the Master and his Rule. I then refer to Benedict of Aniane’s Concordia regularum. This analysis will help to highlight not only the importance of regulation for admission to the monastery but, above all, it will help us to understand how complex (particularly in the Early Middle Ages) this regulation was for children’s access to the monastery.

Keywords: Oblatio, Conversatio, Saint Benedict’s Rule.

Saint Benedict – herald of the peace and father of Europe
The article discusses the Pope Paul VI’s proclamation of St. Benedict of Nursia as main patron of Europe. The event took place on 24 October 1964 and was connected with the ceremony of re-consecration of the Abbey of Monte Cassino, destroyed in 1944 by the Allies’ aviation. In his apostolic letter Paul VI talks about the efforts of his predecessor, Pius XII, to avoid the destruction of Monte Cassino and about calling Saint Benedict father of Europe already in 1947. The will of unification of Europe after the World War II obliged the Vatican to search for examples in the sources of christianization of the continent. The influence of St Benedict produced a true spiritual ferment in Europe, and over the coming decades his followers spread across the continent to establish a new cultural unity based on Christian faith; therefore on this example Paul VI built the idea of Western European Christian community, pointing out the peace-loving character of the saint, calling him pacis nuntius. The idea of solely Benedictine Europe was corrected by John Paul II in 1980 with a proclamation of saint Cyril and Methodius, Byzantine missionaries, as co-patrons of Europe.