But this webpage says this is untrue (about Trappists taking a vow of
silence.)

http://www.xmission.com/~hta/vows.htm

"By the profession of vows a monk is consecrated to God and joined to the
monastic community that receives him. At this time the consecration received
in the sacraments of baptism and confirmation is renewed and given vitality.
The monk makes a vow of stability, by which he obliges himself to remain
with his community and to make constant use of the means of growing in love
for God and neighbor, trusting in the providence of God to assist him.
The second vow is that of fidelity to monastic life. This life involves an
earnest following of the Gospel and living according to the Rule of St.
Benedict as interpreted by the Constitutions of the Trappist-Cistercian
Order.
By the vow of obedience, a brother promises to fulfill all that lawful
superiors command in accordance with the Rule and Constitutions, following
the example of Christ who was obedient even to death.
Some people still have the mistaken idea that Trappists make a vow of
silence. They never have made such a vow. They have rules of silence, which
were stricter in the past than are now, but there still remain times and
places when they are expected to keep silence. The purpose of silence is to
give one space in which to pray, meditate and read and allow others to do
the same. Silence is a form of charity to others, but it is not absolute.
Charity may sometimes oblige persons, including monks, to speak at the right
time and in the right way. "



Denys

-----Original Message-----
From: HP-3000 Systems Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
Glenn Koster
Sent: Monday, March 25, 2002 1:27 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: OT: Tavern Trivia

Dave replies...

> Many replied "Trappists" (thanks).
>
> Trapist monks are silent, but are all silent monks and nuns Trappist?
>

Actually, the correct word is "passalorynchite".  A trappist is only one
order in one branch of Christianity that practices the vow of silence.
The original people to take the vows of silence were an ancient
Christian sect predating the Trappists.  With Christianity, the
Trappists are the only major order remaining which strictly adheres to
the vow of silence.  (The only words that can be spoken are words said
in prayer to God / "god"... such words do not break the vow.)

However, virtually all major world religions have had some orders during
their history which take the vow of silence.  Most of that is from a
bygone era.  In modern times, most religious orders only take the vow
for specific periods of time - not for a lifetime as is the case with
the trappists.

Glenn Koster

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