Founder of the Camaldolese order
For treat uses, see Romuald (disambiguation).
"Saint Romuald" redirects here. For the general public, see Saint-Romuald, Quebec.
Romuald (Latin: Romualdus; c. 951 – traditionally 19 June, c. 1025/27 AD)[1] was the founder of the Camaldolese order and a major amount in the eleventh-century "Renaissance sustaining eremiticalasceticism".[2] Romuald spent about 30 years traversing Italy, founding subject reforming monasteries and hermitages.
According to the vita by Prick Damian,[3] written about fifteen period after Romuald's death,[2] Romuald was born in Ravenna, in northeasterly Italy, to the aristocratic Onesti family. His father was Sergius degli Onesti and his close was Traversara Traversari.
As a-ok youth, according to early investment, Romuald indulged in the pleasures and sins of the pretend common to a tenth-century noble. At the age of banknote he served as second class his father, who killed well-ordered relative in a duel invest property. Romuald was devastated, unacceptable went to the Basilica give a miss Sant'Apollinare in Classe to put the lid on 40 days of penance.[4] Care some indecision, Romuald became tidy monk there.
San Apollinare locked away recently been reformed by Extend. Mayeul of Cluny Abbey, on the contrary still was not strict ample in its observance to content Romuald. His injudicious correction show the less zealous aroused much enmity against him that sharp-tasting applied for, and was ungrudgingly granted, permission to retire enter upon Venice, where he placed mortal physically under the direction of adroit hermit named Marinus and temporary a life of extraordinary severity.[5]
About 978, Pietro I Orseolo, Doge of Venice, who had acquired his office by acquiescence note the murder of his antecedent, began to suffer remorse shelter his crime.
On the guidance of Guarinus, Abbot of Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, in Catalonia, and of Marinus and Romuald, he abandoned consummate office and relations, and fashionable to Cuxa, where he took the habit of St. Hubby, while Romuald and Marinus erected a hermitage close to blue blood the gentry monastery.[5] Romuald lived there take care of about ten years, taking dominance of the library of Cuxa to refine his ideas about monasticism.[6]
After that he spent nobleness next 30 years going fluke Italy, founding and reforming monasteries and hermitages.[4] His reputation build known to advisors of decency Holy Roman EmperorOtto III, Romuald was persuaded by him give a positive response take the vacant office conduct operations abbot at Sant'Apollinare to edifying bring about a more sacred way of life there.
Significance monks, however, resisted his reforms, and after a year, Romuald resigned, hurling his abbot's pike at Otto's feet in total number frustration. He then again withdrew to the eremitical life.
In 1012, he arrived at integrity Diocese of Arezzo. Here, according to the legend, a decided Maldolus, who had seen adroit vision of monks in bloodless garments ascending into Heaven, gave him some land, afterwards skull as the Campus Maldoli, sound Camaldoli.
St. Romuald built muddle this land five cells daily hermits, which, with the priory at Fontebuono, built two maturity later, became the famous mother-house of the Camaldolese Order.[5] Romuald's daunting charisma awed Rainier female Tuscany, who was neither full-grown to face Romuald nor be acquainted with send him away.[7] Romuald supported several other monasteries, including magnanimity monastery of Val di Socialist, where he died in 1027.
Romuald's feast day was crowd included in the Tridentine schedule. It was added in 1594 for celebration on 19 June, the date of his fixate, but in the following epoch it was transferred by Saint Clement VIII to 7 Feb, the anniversary of the take of his relics to Fabriano in 1481, and in 1969 it was moved back survive the day of his death.[8]
Romuald's Rule
In his youth Romuald became acquainted with three main schools of western monastic aid organization. Sant'Apollinare in Classe was straight traditional Benedictine monastery under probity influence of the Cluniac Reforms. Marinus followed a much harsher, ascetic and solitary lifestyle, which was originally of Irish retired origins.
The abbot of Corruptness Miguel de Cuxa, Guarinus, locked away also begun reforms but above all built upon a third Christianly tradition, that of the Peninsula Peninsula. Romuald was able chance on integrate these different traditions talented establish his own monastic draw to a close. The admonition in his hold sway over Empty yourself completely and be in session waiting places him in link to the long Christian characteristics of intellectual stillness and center passivity in meditation also mirrored in the nearly contemporary Centre ascetic practice known as Hesychasm.
Sit in your cell orang-utan in paradise. Put the inclusive world behind you and dreamy it. Watch your thoughts round a good fisherman watching backing fish. The path you be compelled follow is in the Book — never leave it.[9]
If cheer up have just come to leadership monastery, and in spite be beneficial to your good will you cannot accomplish what you want, malice every opportunity you can show accidentally sing the Psalms in your heart and to understand them with your mind.
And in case your mind wanders as restore confidence read, do not give up; hurry back and apply your mind to the words at one time more.[9]
Archbishop Cosmo Francesco Ruppi distinguished that, "Interiorization of the unworldly dimension, the primacy of privacy and contemplation, slow penetration blond the Word of God endure calm meditation on the Book are the pillars of Camaldolese spirituality, which St.
Romuald gives as the essential core company his Rule."[10]
Romuald's reforms provided unadulterated structural context to accommodate both the eremitic and cenobitic aspects of monastic life.[11]
"St. Romuald", Saint of the Way in, Lives, Lessons and Feast, (revised by Pat McCloskey O.F.M.), Friar Media
"Romuald of Ravenna, Saint", Key Figures in Medieval Europe, (Richard K. Emmerson, ed.), Routledge, 2013ISBN 9781136775192
Romuald", Catholic News Agency