That is interesting! Do you, Irish Hermit, dislike the Rule of St. Benedict, or do you just have a preference for that of St. Columba?
There were various monastic Rules in pre-schism Ireland but really they were much of a muchness. You can puchase quite a few books on them. The early Irish Riles were very severe, nuch more so than the Benedictine. In time they were supplanted in Ireland by the Benedicitne Rule, and later the Augustinian, etc.
So there's no question of liking or disliking. There is simply a variety of Rules and each has its worth.
It seems very appropriate that it will be Columban monks, following some
form of an Irish rule, who will refound the British Orthodox Church. Fr
Michael and his Columban monastics will resurrect and continue the astounding
work of the Orthodox Irish monks in evangelising and re-evangelising Europe.
This is an outstanding resurgence of Celtic monasticism. If Father Michael
maintains their Celtic liturgical integrity and eschews Anglo-Saxon forms
such as Sarum, they have the opportunity to revalourise such as the Lorrha
Missal (more than a Missal, it is also a "trebnik" as Slavs understand it.)
The Lorrha's pre-schism antecedents are impeccable, possibily emerging in
the 6th century and continuing for many centuries, almost up to the time of
the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland and the blanket imposition of the Sarum
by the invaders from England facilitated by the removal of all Irish bishops
and the imposition of purely Norman bishops.
My prayers are with Fr Michael's mission, that God will bless their
missionary efforts as he blessed those of the Irish monks so richly. The
ancient Irish monks' (and this new Paruchia of Saint Columba) approach to
the work was entirely evangelical - without a change of clothing, with only
one pair of shoes, with no money in their pockets, they brought much of
Europe to Christ.
Hierom. Ambrose
