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X-WR-CALDESC:If monastics are found to be stubborn or disobedient or pro
ud\, if they grumble or in any way despise the holy rule and defy the orde
rs of the elders\, they should be warned twice privately by them in accord
with Christ's injunction (Mt 18:15\,16). If they do not amend\, they must
be rebuked publicly in the presence of everyone. But if even then they do
not reform\, let them be excommunicated\, provided that they understand t
he nature of this punishment. If however they lack understanding\, let the
m undergo corporal punishment.\n\nOne of the sages said: 'I never met
anyone in whom I failed to recognize something superior to myself: if the
person was older\, I said this one has done more good than I\; if younger\
, I said this person has sinned less\; if richer\, I said this one has bee
n more charitable\; if poorer\, I said this one has suffered more\; if wis
er\, I honored their wisdom\; and if not wiser\, I judged their faults mor
e lightly.' Community is the place where we come to honor the world.\n\nIn
one of the gentlest monastic Rules ever written\, Benedict devotes eight
straight chapters to punishment and its techniques\, none of them either v
ery acceptable or very applicable today. His concept of punishment\, if no
t his form of punishment\, however\, may well bear considerable reflection
in our own time.\n\nIn the first place\, Benedict does not punish severel
y for everything. He does not punish for incompetence or lack of spiritual
intensity or ignorance or weaknesses of the flesh. No\, Benedict punishes
harshly only for the grumbling that undermines authority in a community a
nd the rebellion that paralyzes it. Benedict punishes severely only for th
e destruction of the sense of community itself.\n\nIt is community that en
ables us both to live the Christian life and to learn from it. Human growt
h is gradual\, Benedict knows--the grumblers and defiant are to be warned
about their behavior twice privately--but grow we must. Otherwise those wh
o do not honor the community\, those in fact who sin against the developme
nt of community in the worst possible way\, by consistent complaining\, co
nstant resistance or outright rebellion\, must be corrected for it.\n\nIn
the second place\, Benedict does not set out simply to reason with us abou
t the disordered parts of our lives. Benedict intends to stop an action be
fore it takes root in us. Physical punishment was common in a culture of t
he unlettered. Many monastic Rules\, in fact\,--the Penitential of St. Col
umbanus\, the Rule of St. Fructuosus\, the Rule of the Master\,-- specify
as many as a hundred lashes for offenses against the rules. At the same ti
me\, Benedict prefers another method more related to the nature of the sin
s. If we refuse to learn from the community and to cooperate with it\, he
implies\, we have no right to its support and should be suspended from par
ticipation in it. Once we have separated ourselves from the community by w
ithdrawing our hearts then the community must withdraw from us in order to
soften them.\n\nThere may be another point to made\, as well. Mild as it
may have been according to the standards of the day\, Benedict did mandate
punishments and he did require atonement. The rule would certainly expect
the same attitudes from us even now. Things broken must be mended\; thing
s running away with us must be curbed\; things awry in us must be set stra
ight. What we may have to face in a culture in which self-control is too o
ften seen as self- destructive is that none of that happens by accident. I
t requires discipline--conscious\, honest\, continuing discipline\, not in
the ways that discipline may have been prescribed in the sixth century\,
surely\, but in some way that is honest and real.
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DTSTAMP:20260426T004023Z
DESCRIPTION:If monastics are found to be stubborn or disobedient or prou
d\, if they grumble or in any way despise the holy rule and defy the order
s of the elders\, they should be warned twice privately by them in accord
with Christ's injunction (Mt 18:15\,16). If they do not amend\, they must
be rebuked publicly in the presence of everyone. But if even then they do
not reform\, let them be excommunicated\, provided that they understand th
e nature of this punishment. If however they lack understanding\, let them
undergo corporal punishment.\n\nOne of the sages said: 'I never met a
nyone in whom I failed to recognize something superior to myself: if the p
erson was older\, I said this one has done more good than I\; if younger\,
I said this person has sinned less\; if richer\, I said this one has been
more charitable\; if poorer\, I said this one has suffered more\; if wise
r\, I honored their wisdom\; and if not wiser\, I judged their faults more
lightly.' Community is the place where we come to honor the world.\n\nIn
one of the gentlest monastic Rules ever written\, Benedict devotes eight s
traight chapters to punishment and its techniques\, none of them either ve
ry acceptable or very applicable today. His concept of punishment\, if not
his form of punishment\, however\, may well bear considerable reflection
in our own time.\n\nIn the first place\, Benedict does not punish severely
for everything. He does not punish for incompetence or lack of spiritual
intensity or ignorance or weaknesses of the flesh. No\, Benedict punishes
harshly only for the grumbling that undermines authority in a community an
d the rebellion that paralyzes it. Benedict punishes severely only for the
destruction of the sense of community itself.\n\nIt is community that ena
bles us both to live the Christian life and to learn from it. Human growth
is gradual\, Benedict knows--the grumblers and defiant are to be warned a
bout their behavior twice privately--but grow we must. Otherwise those who
do not honor the community\, those in fact who sin against the developmen
t of community in the worst possible way\, by consistent complaining\, con
stant resistance or outright rebellion\, must be corrected for it.\n\nIn t
he second place\, Benedict does not set out simply to reason with us about
the disordered parts of our lives. Benedict intends to stop an action bef
ore it takes root in us. Physical punishment was common in a culture of th
e unlettered. Many monastic Rules\, in fact\,--the Penitential of St. Colu
mbanus\, the Rule of St. Fructuosus\, the Rule of the Master\,-- specify a
s many as a hundred lashes for offenses against the rules. At the same tim
e\, Benedict prefers another method more related to the nature of the sins
. If we refuse to learn from the community and to cooperate with it\, he i
mplies\, we have no right to its support and should be suspended from part
icipation in it. Once we have separated ourselves from the community by wi
thdrawing our hearts then the community must withdraw from us in order to
soften them.\n\nThere may be another point to made\, as well. Mild as it m
ay have been according to the standards of the day\, Benedict did mandate
punishments and he did require atonement. The rule would certainly expect
the same attitudes from us even now. Things broken must be mended\; things
running away with us must be curbed\; things awry in us must be set strai
ght. What we may have to face in a culture in which self-control is too of
ten seen as self- destructive is that none of that happens by accident. It
requires discipline--conscious\, honest\, continuing discipline\, not in
the ways that discipline may have been prescribed in the sixth century\, s
urely\, but in some way that is honest and real.
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250630T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250630T235900
LOCATION:Chapter 23
SUMMARY:Excommunication for Faults
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR