Religious order - Religious order

A monastic community recognized by the Roman Catholic Church. The place of their life is called a monastery. Each monastic order has its own rules (rules) according to its purpose, and their nature varies. Under canon law, they are broadly divided into ordo (Latin: order), which requires legally binding solemn vows (a vow is a promise made to God when becoming a monk), and congregatio (congregation), which requires relatively weakly binding simple vows. Many of the former are those that follow the traditions of the Middle Ages, such as the Benedictine Order, Cistercian Order, Augustinian Hermits, Franciscan Order, and Dominican Order, while most of the active monastic orders that have been established since the early modern period, except for the Society of Jesus, are the latter. The two are collectively called religio (religion).

Depending on the form and purpose of monastic life, there are various types of monastic orders, such as contemplative orders (Benedictines, Cistercians, Carthusians, etc.) that seclude themselves to a life of prayer and work within a secluded area; mendicant orders (Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites, Augustinian Hermits, etc.), which were mainly founded in the 13th century and also engage in missionary work among the people; monastic chapters made up of canonici regulares (Premonstratensian Order, etc.); and active orders (Jesuits, Salesians, Society of the Divine Word, etc.), which are engaged in activities in society such as missionary work, education, charity, and social work under relatively liberal rules. There are also knightly orders made up of knights (such as the Order of St. John, the Order of the Temple, and the German Order of Knights), and nursing orders for the purpose of caring for the sick (such as the Order of St. John, the Order of Camillos, and the Hospitallers of St. John of God). Orders in which the majority of monks are priests are sometimes called priestly orders, and orders in which the opposite is true (such as the Order of La Salle).

[Yoshio Tsuruoka]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ローマ・カトリック教会によって認可された共同生活による修道団体。その生活の場を修道院monasteryという。各修道会にはそれぞれの活動目的に応じた会の規則（会則）が定められており、その性格はさまざまである。教会法上は、法的拘束力の強い盛式誓願（誓願とは修道者になる際に神との間に結ぶ約束をいう）をたてるオルドordo（ラテン語）、order（英語）と、拘束力の比較的弱い単式誓願によるコングレガティオcongregatio, congregationとに大別される。ベネディクト会、シトー会、アウグスティヌス隠修士会、フランシスコ会、ドミニコ会など中世以来の伝統に従うものは多く前者で、近世以降数多く設立された活動的修道会は、イエズス会を除いて、もっぱら後者である。両者をあわせてレリギオreligio, religionと総称する。

　修道生活の形態、目的の別によっては、禁域にこもって祈りと労働の生活に専心する観想修道会（ベネディクト会、シトー会、カルトゥジオ会など）、主として13世紀に設立され、民衆のなかでの布教活動にも従事する托鉢(たくはつ)修道会（ドミニコ会、フランシスコ会、カルメル会、アウグスティヌス隠修士会など）、修道参事会員canonici regularesによる修道参事会（プレモントレ会など）、比較的自由な戒律のもとで布教、教育、慈善、社会事業など、社会のなかでの活動に携わる活動修道会（イエズス会、サレジオ会、神言会など）などが区別される。ほかに、騎士の身分の人々による騎士修道会（ヨハネ騎士修道会、神殿(テンプル)騎士修道会、ドイツ騎士修道会など）、病人看護を目的とする看護修道会（ヨハネ騎士修道会、カミロ会、神の聖ヨハネ病院修道士会など）もある。修道者の大半が司祭であるものを司祭修道会、逆の場合を修士修道会（ラ・サール会など）とよぶこともある。

［鶴岡賀雄］

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