Section 09: Legacy and Reception

The modern afterlife of St Benedict — in the Western Church that claims him as a founder and patron, and in the Eastern Orthodox Church that venerates him as a pre-schism Western father. The two files cover, first, Benedict as Patron of Europe (proclaimed by Pope Paul VI in 1964) and the modern Benedictine and Cistercian families that carry his Rule today — and, second, the Orthodox veneration: how and why the Eastern Church honors a sixth-century Latin saint, his feast on 14 March, the troparion, the modern Orthodox interest in the ancient Western saints, and the modern scholarship — de Vogüé, Kardong, the RB1980 edition — that has refounded the critical study of Benedict and his Rule.

Tradition: Pre-Schism Western (Latin) / Orthodox reception

Contents

File Topic
Patron of Europe Benedict proclaimed Principal Patron of Europe by Paul VI (Pacis Nuntius, 24 October 1964); the relics question (Monte Cassino and the Fleury translation claim); the destruction and rebuilding of Monte Cassino, last in 1944; the modern Benedictine Confederation, the Cistercians and Trappists, and the living families of the Rule today
The Orthodox Veneration The Eastern Orthodox veneration of Benedict as a pre-schism Western saint; the principle of the undivided Church; the feast on 14 March and the troparion; the modern recovery of the ancient Western saints (St John of Shanghai and others); the modern scholarship — Adalbert de Vogüé, Terrence Kardong, and the RB1980 edition — that governs the critical study of Benedict and is the backbone of this collection

How to Use

  • Read Patron of Europe for the Western reception — the modern proclamation, the relics, the rebuilt mountain, and the living orders.
  • Read The Orthodox Veneration for the Eastern reception that gives this collection its standpoint, and for the modern critical scholarship that makes a source-faithful treatment of Benedict possible.
  • The whole collection’s source-discipline is set out in The Source Problem and Reading the Dialogues.

Cross-References