Benedictines

This article is about monastic order of the Catholic Church. For similar monastic orders of the Eastern Orthodox Church, see Order of Saint Benedict (Orthodox). For similar monastic orders of the Anglican Communion, see Order of St. Benedict (Anglican). For other uses, see Benedictine (disambiguation).
"O.S.B." redirects here. For other uses, see OSB.
"Black Monks" redirects here. For the Black Friars, see Dominican Order.
Not to be confused with OSBM, the Order of St Basil the Great (Ukrainian Greek Catholic).

Order of Saint Benedict
Ordo Sancti Benedicti
AbbreviationO.S.B.
Formation529; 1495 years ago (529)
FounderBenedict of Nursia
Founded atSubiaco Abbey
TypeCatholic religious order
HeadquartersSant'Anselmo all'Aventino
Members
6,802 (3,419 priests) as of 2020
Jeremias Schröder, OSB
Main organ
Benedictine Confederation
Parent organization
Catholic Church
Websiteosb.org

The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (Latin: Ordo Sancti Benedicti, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529 they are the oldest of all the religious orders in the Latin Church.[1] The male religious are also sometimes called the Black Monks, especially in English speaking countries, after the colour of their habits. Not all Benedictines wear black, however, with some like the Olivetans wearing white.[2] They were founded by Benedict of Nursia, a 6th-century Italian monk who laid the foundations of Benedictine monasticism through the formulation of his Rule. Benedict's sister, Scholastica, possibly his twin, also became a religious from an early age, but chose to live as a hermit. They retained a close relationship until her death.[3]

Despite being called an order, the Benedictines do not operate under a single hierarchy but are instead organized as a collection of autonomous monasteries and convents, some known as abbeys. The order is represented internationally by the Benedictine Confederation, an organization set up in 1893 to represent the order's shared interests. They do not have a superior general or motherhouse with universal jurisdiction but elect an Abbot Primate to represent themselves to the Vatican and to the world.

Benedictine nuns are given the title Dame in preference to Sister.[4]

  1. ^ https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02443a.htm Almond, Joseph Cuthbert. "Order of St Benedict" The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 16 July 2024
  2. ^ Almond, Joseph Cuthbert. "Olivetans." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 10 April 2019
  3. ^ Mary Richard Boo OSB and Joan M. Braun OSB, Emerging from the Shadows: St. Scholastica, in Medieval Women Monastics, (Miriam Schmitt OSB and Linda Kulzer OSB, eds) The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, 1996 ISBN 9780814622926
  4. ^ Stanford, P. (2003). "Dame Felicitas Corrigan". UK Guardian. Retrieved 5 October 2023. Dame Felicitas - the title Dame is given to English Benedictine nuns in preference to Sister ...