The Rule offers a thorough counsel to the community regarding the abbot. This chapter marks a shift of attention to other roles in the community. First, it considers the role of prior. Prior means “first” and is intended to serve as an extension of the abbot. As an extension of the abbot, the prior must be totally loyal to the abbot’s will in all things that are in Christ. The prior provides counsel to the abbot where counsel is needed for the faithfulness and wellbeing of the abbot. However, the prior does not assume himself (nor the prioress, herself) to be an assistant abbot. The temptation of pride is again addressed in this chapter.
Structure is needed for the health of a thriving community. The Ruleoffers the abbot tools for structure and organization. However, those tools come with labels of caution and warning. John Michael Talbot, founder of Little Portion Hermitage, wrote a book, Blessings of St. Benedict. Talbot writes about this chapter, “…the Rule only cautiously allows for a prior…It had also become a problem when pride compelled the prior to set up his own little kingdom and even compete with the abbot for authority.” Pride is a powerful sin of mortal consequence, and can destroy a community. Our father Benedict pointed to the consequences of pride to include usurping tyrannical power, foster contention, and sowing seeds of discord.
In healthy communities, the prior is a blessing rather than a curse. Often priors serve their abbot well and preserve the health of both abbot and community. This is especially evident when everyone continues to realize that Christ Himself is the center of our religious life, not authority or personal power. The healthy community never forgets St. Benedict’s admonition in the prologue of The Rule, “Listen carefully…attend to them with the ear of your heart.” Priors must be true counselors to the abbot, along with the entire community. Therefore, the prior is the abbot’s helper and an example to the community of one who keeps The Rulewith greater discipline.
I close this commentary on priors by sharing the words of Philip Lawrence, Abbot of Christ in the Desert —
There are really important teachings in this part of the Chapter. First, the abbot should make all decisions in the monastery–presuming, of course, that he has taken counsel. The abbot remains clearly the leader of the community. This is not democracy. But the abbot must listen and listen and listen.
We hear also Benedict’s deep preference for a system of deans rather than a prior, but if a prior is necessary, the abbot should appoint one. This “giving in” to the normal governance structures of his time is typically a part of Benedict’s manner. We find the same “giving in” in the matter o drinking wine. There is a real sense that Benedict can adapt to lots of things, as long as they are not intrinsically immoral.
There is a strong admonition for the person who will be appointed prior and strong limits are given for that role. Yet at the end, it is the abbot who is admonished because an abbot can feel threatened by the monk who is prior and perhaps actually a better monk or person than the abbot!
Let us try to live in peace and pursue the goal of being truly faithful monks. May we all be freed from jealousies. May we all see to serve the Lord and our brothers.[1]
[1]https://christdesert.org/prayer/rule-of-st-benedict/chapter-65-the-prior-of-the-monastery/
