Chapter 22
their deaneries in all things pertaining to the commandments of God and in conformity with the instructions of their abbot. And let such persons be selected as foremen to whom the abbot may safely entrust a share of his burdens. Nor shall they be chosen in the order of seniority, but on account of the merit of their lives as well as their wisdom and learning.1
Should one of these foremen by some chance be found blame worthy, having become puffed up with pride, let him be cor rected once, and again, and a third time, and if he will not amend, let him be demoted and another put in his place.
And we order that the same be done in the case of the prior.2
TWENTY-SECOND CHAPTER
How the Monks are to sleep Let the monks sleep, each one in his own bed. Let them also receive bed and bedding in conformity with their monastic officials and superiors, however, are generally selected in varying ratios, depend ing upon the size of the community, partly by the abbot and partly by the com munity in chapter assembled. In the American Cassinese Congregation, the su periors are as follows: the prior, the subprior, and procurator (cellarer or bursar), and two monks selected by the chapter from the community at large. The prior is chosen by the abbot after consulting with the various chapter members of the house; the subprior and procurator are selected by the abbot with or without such consultation, but more advisedly and prudently with it. The other two members are selected by the community in chapter assembled. These five with the abbot constitutes the Council of Seniors, also known as the "little chapter."
Each congregation or branch of the Order has its own "constitutions" or "Stat utes," subject the the approval of the Holy see, and through these the Holy Rule is applied to its members as they must live and labor under modern conditions.
These statutes specify the cases in which the abbot need consult only the members of his Council or Chapter as to their opinions or views, and the cases in which he must abide by and follow their opinions when a majority of the members so ad vise (chap. iii). In the American Cassinese Congregation, two members are elected annually by the chapter. The office tenure of the other three members—prior, sub prior, and procurator—is left to the disposition of the abbot.
In some congregations, the election of certain members takes place every two or three years. (The foregoing paragraph needed to be edited and revised in order to adapt it to conditions of life in America. The translator.)
' Literally, their principles or maturity of wisdom (Sapientiae docirinam). The Holy Rule demands of the deans as it does of the abbot that they show them selves, first of all, men of blameless virtue. Next, they should be men who by personal effort have acquired and received from God though prayer and contem plation a certain degree of wisdom, which can and must be applied to their sub ordinates by means of instructions and corrections. One would not be far wrong were he to see in these two prerequisites (virtue and wisdom) the distinction be-
state, accordingly as the abbot shall ordain.1 If at all possible, they shall all sleep in one place, but if their number will not permit this, let them sleep together in tens or twenties with the seniors who have charge over them.2 Let a light (candela) be kept burning in this room until morning.
They shall sleep (fully) clothed and girded with belt or cord but without knives at their sides, lest they injure themselves in their sleep3 Likewise, let the. monks always be ready to rise at the signal's sound and vie with one another in hastening to the "Work of God," yet with all modesty and gravity.4
The younger brethren shall not have their beds alongside one another, but distributed among those of their elders. In rising for the "Work of God," let them encourage one another on account of the excuses of the drowsy. tween "theoretical" and "practical" wisdom, a distinction so familiar to the monks of the East. Besides Evagrius Ponticus (f 399), it was especially Abbot Cassian
(f c. 430) who dealt with this distinction quite at length. Martha of Bethania (cf.
Luke x, 38 ff) represents the "practical monk," that is, the neophyte in religion, the one who is still engaged in rooting out vices and acquiring virtues; her sister
Mary, on the other hand, embodies the "theoretical monk," namely, the "graduate monk," or the monk who exemplifies in his life the virtues which the neophyte is still striving to acquire; the latter, the "theoretical monk," has attained purity of heart and perfect love of God and now devotes himself to contemplation (cf.
Conference i, 8; the entire 14th Conference treats of this "spiritual wisdom.") Benedict likewise demands that the deans as well as the abbot exemplify in their lives the pattern of the ideal monk.
2 with regard to the prior, see chapter lxv.
1 Cf. chap. lv.—The monks should have beds in keeping with their state, that is, in conformity with simplicity and monastic proverty. St. Caesarius, "Rule for Nuns" says so explicitly (chap. xliv). The bed was located most probably in the room where they spent much of their time. "The Roman bed was a frame of boards, on four or six legs, and spanned on top by webbing or leather straps (cf.
Prolog, com. 1). In the earliest periods of applied monasticism, the bed served many purposes: as a sleeping place, a dining table, a reading desk, a writing stand, or else as a place for a brief rest" (A. Wagner). The bedding was kept by the brother who had charge of the garment department. Obviously, the principles laid down in chapter xxxiv applied also to the bedding.
2 Compare with chapter xxi.
3 The Lord admonished his disciples to be always ready (cf. Mat. xxiv, 44; xxv, 10 ff; particularly Luke xii, 35 ff). The monk should put these admonitions into practice by sleeping fully clothed, unlike the pagan, who slept unclothed or n the nude. The uncertainty of the times and the return of night were sufficient for the monk to be always on the alert: "Behold, I come as a thief in the night.
Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame" (Apoc. xvi, 15). The good monk lives constantly in God's presence