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<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <title>CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Regulars</title><script src="https://dtyry4ejybx0.cloudfront.net/js/cmp/cleanmediacmp.js?ver=0104" async="true"></script><script defer data-domain="newadvent.org" src="https://plausible.io/js/script.js"></script><link rel="canonical" href="https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12722c.htm"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <meta name="description" content="Monks in observance of the Rule of St. Benedict"> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="RSS" href="http://feeds.newadvent.org/bestoftheweb?format=xml"><link rel="icon" href="../images/icon1.ico" type="image/x-icon"><link rel="shortcut icon" href="../images/icon1.ico" type="image/x-icon"><meta name="robots" content="noodp"><link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="../utility/screen6.css" media="screen"></head> <body class="cathen" id="12722c.htm">  <br/> <div id="capitalcity"><table summary="Logo" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width="100%"><tr valign="bottom"><td align="left"><a href="../"><img height=36 width=153 border="0" alt="New Advent" src="../images/logo.gif"></a></td><td align="right"> <form id="searchbox_000299817191393086628:ifmbhlr-8x0" action="../utility/search.htm">  <input type="hidden" name="safe" value="active"> <input type="hidden" name="cx" value="000299817191393086628:ifmbhlr-8x0"/> <input type="hidden" name="cof" value="FORID:9"/>  <label for="searchQuery" id="searchQueryLabel">Search:</label> <input id="searchQuery" name="q" type="text" size="25" aria-labelledby="searchQueryLabel"/>  <label for="submitButton" id="submitButtonLabel" class="visually-hidden">Submit Search</label> <input id="submitButton" type="submit" name="sa" value="Search" aria-labelledby="submitButtonLabel"/> </form> <table summary="Spacer" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td height="2"></td></tr></table> <table summary="Tabs" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr> <td bgcolor="#ffffff"></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../"> Home </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_white_on_color" href="../cathen/index.html"> Encyclopedia </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../summa/index.html"> Summa </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../fathers/index.html"> Fathers </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../bible/gen001.htm"> Bible </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../library/index.html"> Library </a></td> </tr></table> </td> </tr></table><table summary="Alphabetical index" width="100%" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td class="bar_white_on_color"> <a href="../cathen/a.htm"> A </a><a href="../cathen/b.htm"> B </a><a href="../cathen/c.htm"> C </a><a href="../cathen/d.htm"> D </a><a href="../cathen/e.htm"> E </a><a href="../cathen/f.htm"> F </a><a href="../cathen/g.htm"> G </a><a href="../cathen/h.htm"> H </a><a href="../cathen/i.htm"> I </a><a href="../cathen/j.htm"> J </a><a href="../cathen/k.htm"> K </a><a href="../cathen/l.htm"> L </a><a href="../cathen/m.htm"> M </a><a href="../cathen/n.htm"> N </a><a href="../cathen/o.htm"> O </a><a href="../cathen/p.htm"> P </a><a href="../cathen/q.htm"> Q </a><a href="../cathen/r.htm"> R </a><a href="../cathen/s.htm"> S </a><a href="../cathen/t.htm"> T </a><a href="../cathen/u.htm"> U </a><a href="../cathen/v.htm"> V </a><a href="../cathen/w.htm"> W </a><a href="../cathen/x.htm"> X </a><a href="../cathen/y.htm"> Y </a><a href="../cathen/z.htm"> Z </a> </td></tr></table></div> <div id="mobilecity" style="text-align: center; "><a href="../"><img height=24 width=102 border="0" alt="New Advent" src="../images/logo.gif"></a></div>  <div id="mi5"><span class="breadcrumbs"><a href="../">Home</a> > <a href="../cathen">Catholic Encyclopedia</a> > <a href="../cathen/r.htm">R</a> > Regulars</span></div> <div id="springfield2"> <div class='catholicadnet-728x90' id='cathen-728x90-top' style='display: flex; height: 100px; align-items: center; justify-content: center; '></div> <h1>Regulars</h1> <p><em><a href="https://gumroad.com/l/na2"><strong>Please help support the mission of New Advent</strong> and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more  all for only $19.99...</a></em></p> <p>(<a href="../cathen/09019a.htm">Latin</a> <em>regula,</em> rule).</p> <p>The observance of the <a href="../cathen/02436a.htm">Rule of St. Benedict</a> procured for the <a href="../cathen/10487b.htm">monks</a> at an early period the name of "regulars". The Council of Verneuil (755) so refers to them in its third canon, and in its eleventh canon speaks of the "ordo regularis" as opposed to the "ordo canonicus", formed by the canons who lived under the <a href="../cathen/02581b.htm">bishop</a> according to the canonical regulations. There was question also of a "regula canonicorum", or "regula canonica", especially after the extension of the rule which <a href="../cathen/03729b.htm">St. Chrodegang</a>, <a href="../cathen/02581b.htm">Bishop</a> of <a href="../cathen/10247a.htm">Metz</a>, had drawn up from the sacred canons (766) [cf. capitularies (n. 69 circa 810, n. 138 of 818, 819, ed. Alf. Boretii)]. And when the canons were divided into two classes in the eleventh century, it was natural to call those who added religious poverty to their common life regulars, and those who gave up the common life, seculars. Before this we find mention of "sæculares canonici" in the Chronicle of <a href="../cathen/02522b.htm">St. Bertin</a> (821) (Martène, Anecdot., III, 505). In fact as the <a href="../cathen/10487b.htm">monks</a> were said to leave the world (<a href="../cathen/02084a.htm">St. Augustine</a>, Serm. 40 de div.), sometimes those <a href="../cathen/11726a.htm">persons</a> who were neither <a href="../cathen/04049b.htm">clerics</a> nor <a href="../cathen/10487b.htm">monks</a> were called seculars, as at times were <a href="../cathen/04049b.htm">clerics</a> not bound by the rule. Sometimes also the name "regulars" was applied to the canons regular to distinguish them from <a href="../cathen/10487b.htm">monks</a>. Thus the collection of Gratian (about 1139), C. xix, q. 2, c. 2 and q. 3, c. 1, speaks of canons regular, who make canonical profession, and live in a regular canonicate, in opposition to <a href="../cathen/10487b.htm">monks</a> who wear the <a href="../cathen/10459a.htm">monastic</a> habit, and live in a <a href="../cathen/04340c.htm">monastery</a>. But the <a href="../cathen/04670b.htm">Decretals</a> of <a href="../cathen/06796a.htm">Gregory IX</a>, <a href="../cathen/12454b.htm">promulgated</a> 5 Sept., 1234, use the word "regularis" in a more general sense, in book III, ch. xxxi, which is entitled "De regularibus et transeuntibus ad religionem". However in ch. xxxv "De statu monachorum et canonicorum regularium" the distinction returns, disappearing in the corresponding book and chapter of the <a href="../cathen/04670b.htm">Decretals</a> of <a href="../cathen/02662a.htm">Boniface VIII</a> (3 March, 1298), t. XVI, in 6, which is entitled merely "De statu regularium" and reappearing in the collection of <a href="../cathen/04039b.htm">Clementines</a> (25 Oct., 1317) but with the conjunction <em>vel,</em> which indicates the resemblance between them. (Although another edition has <em>et,</em> the title of ch. x, c. 3 Clem. in the official edition reads "De statu monachorum, vel canonicorum regularium".)</p> <div class="CMtag_300x250" style="display: flex; height: 300px; align-items: center; justify-content: center; "></div> <p>From that time, while the word "religious" is more generally used, the word "regular" is reserved for members of <a href="../cathen/12748b.htm">religious</a> orders with <a href="../cathen/14133a.htm">solemn</a> <a href="../cathen/15511a.htm">vows</a>. It means strictly those religious who have made solemn profession. Those who have taken simple <a href="../cathen/15511a.htm">vows</a> in the <a href="../cathen/14081a.htm">Society of Jesus</a> are also regulars in the proper sense according to the Constitution <a href="../cathen/01766d.htm">"Ascendente"</a> of <a href="../cathen/07001b.htm">Gregory XIII</a>. Writers are not all agreed on the question whether the religious of other orders can properly be called regulars before solemn profession. The <a href="../cathen/11144a.htm">novices</a> of <a href="../cathen/12748b.htm">religious</a> orders are regulars only in the wider meaning of the word.</p> <div class="pub"><h2>About this page</h2><p id="apa"><strong>APA citation.</strong> <span id="apaauthor">Vermeersch, A.</span> <span id="apayear">(1911).</span> <span id="apaarticle">Regulars.</span> In <span id="apawork">The Catholic Encyclopedia.</span> <span id="apapublisher">New York: Robert Appleton Company.</span> <span id="apaurl">http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12722c.htm</span></p><p id="mla"><strong>MLA citation.</strong> <span id="mlaauthor">Vermeersch, Arthur.</span> <span id="mlaarticle">"Regulars."</span> <span id="mlawork">The Catholic Encyclopedia.</span> <span id="mlavolume">Vol. 12.</span> <span id="mlapublisher">New York: Robert Appleton Company,</span> <span id="mlayear">1911.</span> <span id="mlaurl"><http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12722c.htm>.</span></p><p id="transcription"><strong>Transcription.</strong> <span id="transcriber">This article was transcribed for New Advent by WGKofron.</span> <span id="dedication">With thanks to St. Mary's Church, Akron, Ohio.</span></p><p id="approbation"><strong>Ecclesiastical approbation.</strong> <span id="nihil"><em>Nihil Obstat.</em> June 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor.</span> <span id="imprimatur"><em>Imprimatur.</em> +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.</span></p><p id="contactus"><strong>Contact information.</strong> The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is webmaster <em>at</em> newadvent.org. Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.</p></div> <div class='catholicadnet-728x90' id='cathen-728x90-verybottom' style='display: flex; height: 100px; align-items: center; justify-content: center; '></div> </div> <div id="ogdenville"><table summary="Bottom bar" width="100%" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td class="bar_white_on_color"><center><strong>Copyright © 2023 by <a href="../utility/contactus.htm">New Advent LLC</a>. 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