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TheOlivetans, formally known as theOrder of Our Lady of Mount Olivet, are amonastic order. They were founded in 1313 and recognised in 1344. They use theRule of Saint Benedict and are a member of theBenedictine Confederation, where they are also known as theOlivetan Congregation, but are distinguished from theBenedictines in their white habit and centralized organisation. They use the post-nominals 'OSB Oliv'.
The Olivetans were founded in 1313 byBernardo Tolomei (born Giovanni Tolomei) along with two of his friends from the noble families ofSiena, Patrizio Patrizi and AmbrogioPiccolomini. They initially lived as hermits in the "savage waste ofAccona". The building of the monastery here began with theapprobation of the foundation charter byGuido Tarlati,bishop of Arezzo (26 March 1319).[1]
The name "Olivetan" comes from the name of the order's original hermitage, called Monte Oliveto in honour of Christ's Passion.[1] The monastery later became known as "Monte Oliveto Maggiore" ("greater") to distinguish it from successive foundations atFlorence,San Gimignano,Naples and elsewhere. It is still the motherhouse of the order or congregation.
After the arrival of a number of new followers, the nascent community adopted theRule of St. Benedict and was recognised by PopeClement VI in 1344.[2] In 1408 Gregory XII gave them the extinct monastery of St. Justina at Padua, which they occupied until the institution there of the Benedictine reform.[1]
Unlike many other Benedictine congregations, the Olivetans have a centralized structure, supervised by the abbot general at Monte Oliveto Maggiore.[3] Olivetan Benedictines wear a white habit.
The Olivetan monks runBec Abbey inFrance, which was left in ruins in 1792 by the French Revolution. In 1948 Olivetans from the Monastery of Our Lady of Holy Hope at Mesnil-Saint-Loup and the Monastery of the Virgin Mary at Cormeilles-en-Parisis re-established the monastery at Bec.
In 1955, Benedictine monks from St. Benedict's Abbey in Wisconsin took over the formerTrappist monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey in Pecos, New Mexico. In 1985, the monastery became part of the Olivetan congregation. The abbey offers retreats and spiritual direction.[4]
The Monastery of Christ Our Saviour was founded in 1980 in the village ofTurvey Abbey, Bedfordshire. Adjacent to the monastery is the Priory of Our Lady of Peace of Olivetan Benedictine nuns. The monastery and the priory share worship services. While the monks have no outside apostolate, guests are welcome. The priory is not open to the public, but the chapel is open and visitors are welcome.[5]
The Congregation also maintain abbeys and prioral churches in Italy, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, Switzerland, Israel, Korea, Mexico, Guatemala and Brazil.[2] In 1960 they formed the Olivetan Congregation within theBenedictine Confederation.
Olivetan nuns are distinguished from the sisters in that the nuns focus primarily on theDivine Office according to theRule of Saint Benedict, while the sisters engage in outside apostolates such as religious education or pastoral care, and therefore follow a modified form of the rule.[6]
In 1874, Benedictine sisters from the Convent of Maria Rickenbach in the Canton of Unterwalden, Switzerland, arrived as teachers in Maryville, Missouri. Shortly thereafter some of the sisters were sent to Arkansas. In 1893 the Arkansas community affiliated with the Olivetans. In 1900, they opened St. Bernard's Hospital in Jonesboro.[6]
The Prophecy of St. Malachy is a supposed list of 112 popes beginning in 1143 withPope Celestine II and continuing apparently to the end of time. It was allegedly discovered around 1595 by Benedictine monkArnold de Wyon, who attributes it to the 12th centuryMalachy of Armagh. Each pope is identified with a short cryptic motto. The next to last pope has the mottoGloria oliuæ (Glory of the olive).
After the election ofJoseph Ratzinger to the papacy in 2005, proponents of the prophecy[who?] connected him to the entry for the next to last pope: Ratzinger chose the name Benedict; one of the Benedictine congregations is the Olivetans, thus,Gloria oliuæ.
However, there is no particular connection between the Olivetan Order and Pope Benedict XVI. In 1139, Malachy visited Rome, stopping atClairvaux Abbey both on the way and on his return. His contemporary,Bernard of Clairvaux wrote avita of St. Malachy, providing many interesting anecdotes, but does not mention any prophecy. Reputable church historians since the 18th century have considered "The Prophecy of St. Malachy" a forgery,[7] most likely written around 1590. Most scholars consider the document a 16th-century elaborate hoax,[8] bearing similarities to a 1557 history of the popes byOnofrio Panvinio, including mistakes.[9]
Thomas Groome, of Boston College said, "...the 'Prophecies of St. Malachy' are a grand old fun tale that have about as much reliability as the morning horoscope".[7]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
