Chapter 65
grew in power and influence. Through grants from princes and the endow ments of pious laymen, as well as through their own industry and business acumen, their properties and landed estates grew so vast in extent and attained so great a political and administrative influence generally that their abbots also, as the representatives of their monastic communities, became by all odds the peers of bishops and princes of the land. The Germanic-Romance Middle
Ages witnessed quite a series of great abbots. One need but scan the illus trious line of the first abbots of Cluny in Burgundy, who, from the years 910 to 1157, represented the best type of medieval abbot, and of whom Abbot
Butler could say: "The medieval abbot such as these was really great, and no doubt worked great good for Church and state alike" (Benedictine Monachism, Longmans, etc., 1924, 2nd edit., xii, p. 127).
In Germany, the abbatial princes held on until the dissolution of the mon asteries by Napoleon in the year 1803, and this long after they had disap peared in other countries. According to Abbot Butler, again, after the medie val abbot there followed the prelatial abbot of modern times. Even today the abbot's quarters are often referred to as the praelatura. Since in our times most Benedictine abbeys are without much '{political or civic importance, this has resulted in a general tendency "to revert to St. Benedict's idea of the ab bot" (Butler, Ibid., page 197). As the sacerdotal dignity can (but not nec essarily must) accrue to the monk, indeed, become a crowning feature of the monastic ideal, so the prelatial dignity of St. Benedict's abbot need not im peril the abbatial ideal of the Holy Rule. The Rule, to be sure, is cognizant only of the lay abbot, more precisely, is completely silent concerning the priesthood as part of his office. In any event, it does not combine the two nor take the priestly rank as part of an abbot's dignity for granted. The priestmonk, who is no longer the exception but the rule, and in particular the prelatial status of the abbot, demonstrate more clearly than anything else the development that has taken place through the centuries since the time of St.
Benedict.
SIXTY-FIFTH CHAPTER
The Prior of the Monastery Unfortunately, it often happens that the appointment of a prior is the occasion of serious scandals in monasteries, since there are at times some who have become puffed up with the evil spirit of pride. Thinking of themselves as second abbots, they take unto themselves tyrannical powers, thereby causing scandals and stirring up dissentions in their communities. This comes to pass especially in those localities where the prior has received his appointment from the same abbots or bishops who had appointed the abbot.
How senseless this is can easily be surmised, since from the first moment of his appointment an occasion for pride is pro vided for such a one should the thought occur to him: "why, you have indeed been raised to this office by those who appointed the abbot!"
Out of this there can grow envies, quarrels, slanders, jealous ies, dissensions, and general disorder. And while the abbot and the prior are at loggerheads, it must necessarily follow that their own souls are imperiled and their subjects, too, are swept to per dition as they take sides with one party or the other. The evils of this lamentable state of affairs rest mainly upon the heads of those who have made themselves the authors of such a disorder.
Consequently, we have come to recognize that it is more con ducive to peace and charity that all the offices in the monastery be left to the free disposal of the abbot. And if it can at all be done, let the general welfare of the cloister be placed in the charge of the deans as the abbot has prescribed, and as we have outlined matters above, so that if several are entrusted with it, no one (official) will have occasion to become proud.1
Should the locality, however, make it advisable or the com munity itself reasonably and humbly request it, and the abbot judge it expedient, let him personally appoint someone as prior,
(of course) with the advice of God-fearing brethren.
Let the prior, nevertheless, respectfully take care of those matters which the abbot has entrusted to him, doing nothing against his will or contrary to his arrangements; for the higher he has been placed above the rest, the more conscientious must he be in observing the precepts of the Rule.
Should it develop that the prior is a man of many faults or, deluded by pride, openly show himself a contemner of the Rule, let him be admonished up to four times with words. If he does not improve, let the discipline of the Rule be applied to him. If, even afterwards, he does not amend his ways, let him be remov ed from his office as prior and another who is worthy be placed
1 The importance of the office of prior (konwn as the clean (der Dekan) in the princely abbeys of Switzerland) mounted as the abbots become increasingly in volved in secular duties and commissions. St. Benedict's sympathies were obvious ly with the deanery system (cf. chap. xxi).
there in his stead. Should he then not remain peaceful and obed ient, let him be expelled from the cloister.
Nevertheless, lest the flame of envy or jealousy scorch his own soul, let the abbot bear in mind that he must give an ac count before God for all his judgments.1
Excursus.
The Prior.-—For reasons that had to do with the welfare of souls and in the interests of organization, in order, namely, that the brethren should never be without care or supervision, St. Pachomius introduced the office of a "sec ond." The "second" was a permanent representative of the "first," or abbot.
In this system of monastic government, every important office in the cloister, consequently, also that of the head of the federation, namely, the abbot-gen eral, and that of the superior of each separate house (also called abbot) had associated with it a "second," or prior. In the mind of Pachomius, this "sec ond," as said before, was but a representative of the "first," or abbot. "If the head superior should be away from the cloister on business, the "second" would take over in his place." (Rule 182; cf. also 185). "He shall not do anything that the father has not ordered to be done, especially if it has to do with innovations (Ibid. 158).
The office of the "second," or prior, soon became a permanent institu tion. St. Basil devoted the 45th section of his "Longer Rules" to this office:
"Since it often happens that the head man, be it from bodily infirmity, neces sary business at large, or for other reasons is absent from the brotherhood, there should be another who, with the consent of the superior and of others competent to judge, has been elevated to take charge of the brethren during his absence." The care of the guests also devolved upon him. St. Augustine provided for such an office in his Africian monasteries. "You should obey the superior (that is, the vicegerent) as you would a father, and so much the more the priest (that is, Augustine, who was their chief superior), who has the care over you all" (Rule 11). The "Rule for Nuns" of St. Caesarius also made a distinction between the "Mother" and her assistant, namely, the nun who re presented the abbess (chap, xviii).
The Holy Rule uses the Latin word praepositus for the word "prior."
From that word is derived the English word "provost," the German equivalent for which is propst. The word "prior," that is, the superior next to the abbot, a term which we also use today, goes back to the Middle Ages.
Obviously, St. Benedict rather reluctantly consented to the institution of a prior. The Master's Rule, on the other hand, decidedly rejected the idea of a "second" and of a "third" (subprior).
1 In spite of his subordinate position, however, an ambitious prior may endanger the abbot's patriarchal authority, especially if the latter is an elderly, sick, or a less determined personality. But in this sixty-fifth chapter on the prior, the Holy
Rule uncovers one deep chasm of human frailty, into which the abbot himself can easily fall, namely, envy and jealousy.