1. A Short History of Benedictine Oblates
Why is this Orthodox Christian venue addressing such a Catholic thing as “Benedictine Oblates”?, you might ask! You would be correct in referring to Benedictine Oblates as Catholic simply because, prior to the Great Schism (circa 1054 a.d.), the universal undivided Church then was referred to as the Catholic Church. In Post Schism, the word Orthodox came into use to differentiate the Eastern Church from the heretical Western Church. Therefore, not only was St Benedict of Norcia an Orthodox Christian, so too were the Oblates he welcomed into his care. Who were these Oblates? In St Benedict’s day, both wealthy and poor families would offer ( oblature ) their sons to the monasteries so these young lads might receive a proper education and grow healthy. These, later, became known as Intern Oblates i.e., those who resided in the monastery while following the monastic discipline and daily routine of the monks but did not commit themselves to...
Comments
Post a Comment