The Rule of Benedict: The Abbot (13/122)

4:13 PM Thursday.

Today's reading is Chapter 2: The Qualities of the Abbot (5) – The Rule of Benedict, together with the equivalent sections in RB 1980 and Commentary for Benedictine Oblates, including "Benedict's Understanding of the Abbot" in Appendix 2 ("The Abbot") of RB 1980.

On page 521 of RB 1980 in Appendix 2 we read:

"Father, teacher, shepherd, doctor, steward - these are the titles and functions attributed to abbot analogically in order to elucidate his role. The RM [Rule of the Master] contains one other that St. Benedict omitted: that of mother."

It is also important to note this excerpt from page 523:

"This passage, in fact, shows that the image of the paterfamilias is not really appropriate for the abbot, for the latter is never envisaged as the owner whose authority is absolute and all-embracing. His role is more humble: he is only a vices gerens, one who takes the place of, and tries to discern and execute the will of, the real owner, Christ. Envisaged in political terms, it is true that the abbatial office looks like an unlimited monarchy in which one man holds sway; from this point of view, he may seem to resemble the Roman paterfamilias. But the whole issue is precisely that this point of view is incapable of penetrating to the reality: the abbot cannot be understood in purely political terms, for his function transcends the political sphere."

End 5:41 PM.