The Holy Father today continued with his catechetical cycle on Christian culture in the Middle Ages with a tribute to the Abbey of Cluny for its profound renewal of monastic life in the 12th century and its role in forging the Christian identity of Europe. Today's General Audience was held aT the Aula Paolo VI.
THE CLUNIAC REFORMS
AND FORGING EUROPE'S IDENTITY
Dear brothers and sisters:
This morning I wish to speak to you about a monastic movement that had great importance in the Middle Ages, and which I already referred to in previous catecheses.
It is the Order of Cluny, which at the start of the 12th century, the time of its maximum expansion, had almost 1,200 monasteries - a truly impressive figure!
In Cluny, 1100 years ago, in 910, a monastery was founded under Abbot Bernone, following a donation made by William the Pious, Duke of Aquitaine.
At that time, Western monasticism, which had flowered a few centuries earlier under St. Benedict, had become decadent for various reasons: unstable politcal and social conditions due to continuous invasions and devastation by peoples who had not been integrated into the European fabric; widespread poverty; and above all, the dependence of monasteries on the local lords, who controlled everything that had to do with the territories in their jurisdiction.
In this context, Cluny represented the spirit of a profound renewal of monastic life in order to lead it back to its original inspiration.
In Cluny, the observance of the St. Benedict's Rule was revived with some adaptations that had been introduced by earlier reformers. Above all, the intention was to guarantee the central role that liturgy should occupy in Christian life.
The Cluniac monks dedicated themselves with love and great care to the celebration of the liturgical Hours, the singing of Psalms, processions that were as devout as they were solemn, and above all, the celebration of Holy Mass.
They promoted sacred music. They wished architecture and art to contribute to the beauty and solemnity of liturgical rites. They enriched the liturgical calendar with special celebrations, such as, for instance, at the start of November, the commemoration of the faithful departed, as we celebrated it recently. They built up the cult of devotion to the Virgin Mary.
So much importance was given to liturgy, because the monks of Cluny were convinced that it was a means of participating in the heavenly liturgy.
The monks felt responsible for interceding at the altar of God for the living and the dead, especially since numerous faithful always asked to be remembered in prayer.
Moreover, it was precisely for this that William the Pious had wanted to establish the Abbey of Cluny. In the document that attests to this foundation, we read: "I establish with this gift that at Cluny, there shall be constructed a monastery for regulars [monks] in honor of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and that this monastery shall house monks who live according to the Rule of St. Benedict... that it may be a venerable asylum of prayer with vows and supplications, where the heavenly life is sought with desire and intimate ardour, and prayers, invocations, and supplications are assiduously addressed to the Lord".
To safeguard and nourish this atmosphere of prayer, the Cluniac rule emphasized the importance of silence, a discipline which the monks gladly undertook, convinced that the puity of virtues to which they aspired, required intimate and constant individual recollection.
It is therefore not surprising that a reputation for sanctity soon developed about Cluny, and that many other monastic communities desided to follow its practices.
Many princes and Popes asked the abbots of Cluny to disseminate their reforms, and soon, there was a dense network of monasteries linked to Cluny, either with actual juridical ties, or by charismatic affiliation.
Thus there came to be delineated a Europe of the spirit in various regions of France, Italy, Spain, Germanh and Hungary.
The success of Cluny was assured above all by the elevated spirituality which was cultivated there, but also by other conditions which favored its development.
Unlike what had happened up to then, the monastery of Cluny and the communities dependent on it were acknowledged to be exempt from the jurisdiction of the local bishops and were placed directly under the Roman Pontiff.
This resulted in a special link with Peter's Chair, and thanks precisely to the protection and encouragement of the Popes, the ideals of purity and fidelity which the Cluniac reform pursued, could be rapidly disseminated.
Besides, the abbots of Cluny were elected without any interference from civilian authorities, unlike elsewhere. Truly worthy personages succeeded each other in heading Cluny and the numerous monastic communities that were its dependencies: Abbot Odon, whom I spoke about in a catechesis two months ago; and other great personalities like Emard, Msyeul, Odilo and Hugh the Great - each of whom served long years, thus assuring stability in the reforms they undertook as well as their dissemination. Like Odon, the last three named are also venerated as saints.
The Cluniac reforms had positive effects not only in purifying and reawakening monastic life, but also on the life of the universal Church itself. In fact, the aspiration to evangelical perfection represented a stimulus to combat two serious evils that afflicted the Church at that time: simony, or the acquisition of pastoral office by purchase, and the immorality of the secular clergy.
The abbots of Cluny, with their spiritual authoritativeness, and the Cluniac monks who became bishops - some of them even becoming Popes - were protagonists in that impressive action of spiritual renewal.
The fruits were not sparse: priestly celibacy was once more esteemed and practised, and more transparent procedures were introduced to the assignment of ecclesiastical offices.
Equally significant were the benefits to society from the Cluniac reforms. At a time when only ecclesiastical institutions attended to the needs of the indigent, charity was practised with commmitment.
In all cases, an almoner was dutybound to house travellers and pilgrims in need, priests and religious who were travelling, and above all, the poor who came begging for food and lodging.
No less important were two other institutions that were typical of medieval civilization and promoted by Cluny: the so-called "truces of God" and the 'peace of God".
In a time that was strongly marked by violence and the spirit of vendetta, the 'truces of God' assured periods of non-belligerence, on the occasion of certain religious feasts and days of the week.
The 'peace of God" was a call to respect helpless persons and sacred places or risk ecclesiastical sanctions.
Thus, in the consciousness of the peoples of Europe, a process of long gestation grew, which would lead, in increasingly clear manner, to acknowledge two elements fundamental for building society, namely, the value of the human being, and the primary good that peace is.
Besides, as it was with other monastic foundations, the Cluniac monasteries had ample properties which, diligently worked upon, contributed to economic development.
Other than manual labor, the medieval monks also ran schools for children and set up libraries and scriptoriums for the transcription and translation of books. [This was 2-3 centuries before the printing press was invnted.]
In this way, a thousand years ago, when the process of forming the European identity was in full development, the Cluniac experience, dispersed throughout vast regions of the European continent, made its important and valuable contribution.
The Cluniac experience recalled the primacy of spiritual goods. It maintained human tension towards the things of God. It inspired and favored initiatives and institutions to promote human values. It educated Europeans in the spirit of peace.
Dear brothers and sisters, let us pray that all those who really have at heart an authentic humanism and the future of Europe, may rediscover, appreciate and defend the rich cultural and religious patrimony of those centuries.
The Holy Father had special messages for some of the pilgrim groups. First, to the Poles:
On your National Day today, allow me to recall once more the words of the Servant of God John Paul II: "The kiss I leave on Polish soil has a special significance for me. It is like a kiss on a mother's hands, since the Fatherland is also our motherland. Her history has not been easy ... she has suffered much... and so she is entitled to a special love" (Warsaw, 6/16/83).
May this description of your homeland be reason for you to be grateful for her freedom today and an encouragement to work with great concern for her future. May the Lord bless Poland and each of you.
To the Hungarians:
Today we commemorate St. Martin of Tours, who was born in Pannonia, Hungary. May your land be Holy Pannonia, land of saints.
To the Czechs:
Tomorrow, you will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the canonization of Agnes of Bohemia, who, in the collective imagination of your country, is linked to the gift of freedom reacquired. Avail of this gift for your sanctification.
To the Italians:
I greet with particular affection the officers and students of the Finance Guard from your headquarters in Coppito, L'Aquila. Dear friends, your base has become a reference point for the people of L'Aquila who have been sorely tried [by the March earthquakes].
The most beautiful medal that your department can pride itself in is that of solidarity, of which in these past months, you have been both protagonist and witness, committing you further to carry ou your work with an auhentic spirit of service.
He commended the young, the newlyweds and the sick to the protection and intercession of today's saint, Martin of Tours.