FAMOUS MONASTERY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 52, 29 February 1944, Page 6

FAMOUS MONASTERY

FOUNDED BY SAINT

FATE IN ITALIAN CONFLICT

One of the famous leligious buildings of the world, the Benedictine Monastery on Mount Cassino, is now under threat of demolition by the Allies because the Germans have seen fit to turn it into a fortified position. The Allies, in accord with the wishes of the Vatican, have desired. to spare this famous building, which has a history dating well over 1000 years, but military evigencies ljjay necessitate their shelling the building.

The monastery stands on a hillsome 1715 ft high, near the town, around which bitter lighting has been taking place for some time. It was here that Saint Benedict established. the monastery as the iicst of the Benedictine institutions in 529. Monastic Rules The rule of Saint Benedict was less severe than that which the Eastern ascetics followed. Besides implicit obedience to their superiors, the Benedictincs were to shun laughter, to hold no private property, to live sparsely, to exercise, hospitality and, above all, to be industrious. Compared with the ascetic orders, the Benedictines, both in dress and manners, may be termed the gentlemanly order of monks,, and whatever may be said of their religion they deserve a high tribute of respect for their artistic diligence and literary undertakings. Escape From World Benedict himself, was the founder of monachism in the. west. He found the world full of distractions, impurities and ignorance, and it was difficult to resist, by the ordinary safeguards of virtue, the colossal evils which men were environed. Only, therefore, in the devotions of. religion,, in the holy silence of solitary meditation, did he see a safe refuge from the sins of the time and the possibility of realising a spiritual strength which would enable him to stem the tide of corruption that Avas setting in. Ilis resolve to leave the city and betake himself to some deep solitude eventually took him to Mount Cassino. Works Preserved He founded in all 13 cloisters.. In addition to the usual religious exercises about which he gave tions, he directed that the. monks should employ themselves in manual labours, imparting instruction to youth, copying manuscripts in the library, etc. By this injunction, although it was not directly intended, he preserved many of the literary remains of antiquity: for the injunction, which he gave only for i'eiigious books, was extended afterwards to many secular productions. Thus many priceless works were preserved at Monte Cassino. It is remarkable that the founder of the most learned of all the monastic orders was himself little of a scholar..