Is there a benedictine equivalent in western rite orthodoxy

[JR]

Is there a benedictine equivalent in western rite orthodoxy?

[Sleeper]

Not an equivalent, there are actual Benedictines in WRO. Check out Christminster Monastery up in Canada. The the AWRV, the Benedictine rule is the only one approved, that I know of. I believe in the RWRV that some follow the Columban Rule.

[JR]

Not an equivalent, there are actual Benedictines in WRO. Check out Christminster Monastery up in Canada. The the AWRV, the Benedictine rule is the only one approved, that I know of. I believe in the RWRV that some follow the Columban Rule.

Thanks, I think this is the website http://christminster.org/

[Fr.Aidan]

As far as I know, there are two monastic houses in the RWRV which follow the Benedictine Rule - Christminster in Canada, or wherever they are soon moving to, and Our Lady of Mt. Royal (dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God) in Jacksonville, Florida.

The abbot at Christminster is Fr. James Deschene. The abbot at Mt. Royal is Fr. David Pearce.

O Lord, protect our monastic strugglers in the Western Rite, by Thy might right hand, through the prayers of the Mother of God.

[jwinch2]

subscribed. 

[jwinch2]

As someone who is greatly attracted to Benedictine Spirituality and life as an Oblate, this is of interest to me.  A quick search shows little in the way of writings on the subject from those Orthodox monks who follow the Holy Rule.  For example, in Catholic Benedictine circles, it is common to find commentaries on the Rule and various aspects of Benedictine and Monastic Spirituality.  Some of the newer ones (but not all) are problematic, but the majority of the older ones are pretty good.  Obviously, much of the scholars on various aspects of the Holy Rule or Benedictine Spirituality are trained and developed at the Pontifical University of St. Anselm, in Rome.  http://santanselmo.org/ 

Thoughts?  

[Shanghaiski]

There are pre-schism Orthodox commentaries on the Holy Rule such as that of Smaragdus.

[Fr.Aidan]

Yes. St. Benedict of Aniane did such a commentary, if I recall. And there is one by Hildegard of Bingen, admittedly post-Schism, but pre-scholasticism.

[Fr.Aidan]

The idea of an "oblate" as something other than a child donated to a monastery, is rather a post-Schism concept, sort of a third order idea, which however has been found useful for laypeople as a way to enter into a supportive relationship with a monastery, and this idea of being an "oblate" is something which has been accepted and is treated as a serious calling or way of life for a layman, by our Orthodox Benedictine monasteries.

Christminster and Our Lady of Mt. Royal have oblates, and there are some Antiochian oblates who, in a pan-Orthodox spirit, receive instructions and guidance from a ROCOR abbot.

[jwinch2]

The idea of an "oblate" as something other than a child donated to a monastery, is rather a post-Schism concept, sort of a third order idea, which however has been found useful for laypeople as a way to enter into a supportive relationship with a monastery, and this idea of being an "oblate" is something which has been accepted and is treated as a serious calling or way of life for a layman, by our Orthodox Benedictine monasteries.

Christminster and Our Lady of Mt. Royal have oblates, and there are some Antiochian oblates who, in a pan-Orthodox spirit, receive instructions and guidance from a ROCOR abbot.

I was aware that Christminster had oblates, but thanks for letting me know.

As for the rest, there was indeed a resurgence of interest in being a Benedictine Oblate more recently in the life of the Catholic Church. At what point oblates "officially" started being recognized as adults seems to be up for some debate, but the practice of a relationship with and participation in the life of a particular monastery has been around for a very long time. 

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