The spirit of reform
It was a spirit of reform that inspired the monastic revival at the Benedictine monastery at Cluny, France. We will see that this spirit of reform continued even among the members of Cluny as it grew into a very influential force in Europe. After the abbacy of its fifth abbot, St. Odilo, St. Hugh succeeded him. He expanded Cluny even more throughout the rest of Europe. But maybe because of Cluny's connections with the secular world, a number of monks in Cluny wanted to follow a stricter observance of Benedictine poverty.
St. Hugh, sixth abbot of Cluny
St. Hugh was only fifteen when he entered Cluny. At 20 years he was ordained, was made prior shortly after, and then at 25, succeeded St. Odilo as abbot of Cluny. It was at this time that all monasteries of Europe were under the central authority of the motherhouse at Cluny. St. Hugh had a lot of involvement in the politics of Europe at the time - both in the secular matters and in the Church. He was able to continue his close relations with the Holy See when Hildebrand, a monk at Cluny, was elected Pope, and came to be known as Pope Gregory VII. Because he was abbot of Cluny for sixty years, St. Hugh served nine Popes, was adviser of Emperors, Kings, bishops, and religious superiors. St. Hugh died at Cluny in 1109 A.D. and was canonized by Pope Callistus III in 1120 A.D.
The Cistercians
The Cistercians started as a group of monks who wanted more spiritual fervor in Cluny (since Cluny became more involved in the politics of Europe). So St. Robert, the abbot of Molesmes, received the inspiration to lead this group of monks that was in favor of renewed fervor in the Benedictine monastic spirit. Together with Prior St. Alberic, Subprior St. Stephen Harding, and four other monks, they obtained permission from Archbishop Hugh of Lyons, to leave Molesmes and renew the spiritual fervor of poverty in their group. They were able to gather other monks until they founded the community at Citeaux in 1098 A.D. It was only under the leadership of St. Stephen Harding when the Cistercian Order at Citeaux was fully founded and established.
Blessed Peter the Venerable
Peter the Venerable was from a noble Auvergne family. He was educated at Sauxillanges, one of the monasteries under the central authority of Cluny. He was 20 years old when he was elected and made prior of Vézeley. At 30, he was elected abbot of Cluny in 1122 A.D. In 1125 A.D., he was faced with an armed force, when Pontius, who took over Cluny while Peter was away, wanted to seize control of Cluny from him. Both Peter and Pontius were summoned to Rome where Pope Honorius II reprimanded Pontius and restored Cluny's leadership to Peter the Venerable. Peter led Cluny for 34 years. He died at Cluny on December 25, 1156 A.D. and is venerated in the diocese of Arras on December 29.
Conclusion
This study reveals that the spirit of reform in Benedictinism did not end with the great abbots of Cluny. It continued on, and produced the Cistercian Order. The Cistercians however acknowledge their spiritual roots in Cluny. Both Benedictines and Cistercians share in the celebration of Cluny's five abbots - Sts. Odo, Majolus, Odilo, Hugh and Blessed Peter the Venerable on May 11. Pope Benedict XVI mentioned Peter the Venerable in one of his addresses from the Vatican. Peter the Venerable's contribution to the revival of Benedictinism was his addition of studies to the traditional elements of prayer and manual labor ("ora et labora").Sources of these blog posts
- A History of the Church, by Franzen and Dolan
- A Concise History of the Catholic Church, by Thomas
Bokenkotter - Lives of the Saints, by Richard P. McBrien
- Dictionary of Saints, by John J. Delaney
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