Thursday, July 7, 2011

What is the “rule”?

A rule is a set of precepts that govern a religious community. A large number of men or women can’t live together in peace without some sort of rule to govern them. The Catholic church has accepted four different rules and all religious orders use one of those rules as a basis for their own government. The rules are those of St. Benedict, St. Augustine, St. Basil, and St. Francis.

How do these rules differ?
St. Basil’s rule influenced all religious orders of eastern rite. St. Augustine’s rule is probably the most general, giving guidelines for structure and duties. St. Benedict gave very complete rule to guide his followers in monastic life. St. Francis’ rule was based on gospel passages for his mendicant order. He over time made three variations of his original rule for the three different orders he founded, but the basis is the same for all. The three different rules vary in how the community will be set up, the government of the house, the duties of the members, the prayer life, and the how this effects the work that they do.

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