Why do you think Benedictine monks were only allowed a few simple possessions?
The Benedictine Order was the largest group of monks in Europe in the early Middle Ages. In his rule, Benedict listed the guidelines monks had to follow. Here he describes what eachmonk was allowed to own.“For bedding, a mattress, a blanket, a coverlet and a pillow are enough. The beds should be frequently inspected by the Abbot as a precaution against private possessions. If anyone is found to have anything which was not given him by the Abbot, he is to undergo the severest punishment; and that this vice [wickedness] of personal ownership may be totally eliminated, everythingnecessary should be given by the Abbot; namely, a cowl [hood], a tunic [long shirt], stockings, shoes, a belt, a knife, a pen, a needle, a handkerchief and writing tablets, so that all excuses about necessity are removed.–from The Rule of Saint Benedict, translated by Abbot Why do you think Benedictine monks were only allowed a few simple possessions? Why was personal ownership a vice? Are there any possible reasons, besides religious conviction, that a man might desire to become a Benedictine monk?
