St. Majolus, St. Odilo, and St. Hugh: Benedictine Abbots of Cluny

Overwhelming influence of the Benedictine tradition

In the history of the Church, the monastic movement at Cluny owed its brilliant rise and overwhelming influence to both its dynamism and its internal stability. Free from the control of secular magnates, their monastic life was able to develop depth. The monks were much known in the Western community for their emphasis on prayer. Common prayers with other monasteries and concern for all of Christianity contributed to their overwhelming influence. This concern for all Christians gave the monks of Cluny a certain openness towards the world. They pursued scientific studies, were interested in political developments, and maintained contacts with emperors and kings. St. Majolus, the fourth abbot of Cluny was highly esteemed by Otto I.

St. Majolus

Also known as Mayeul, Majolus was born at Avignon, France. Because of the marauding Saracens, he fled to his relatives at Mâcon, Burgundy. He studied under abbot Antony of L'Isle Barbe, then was named archdeacon upon returning to Mâcon. Later on he was named bishop of Besançon. He did not want this post, so he went to Cluny to be one of its monks. In 965 A.D., he was elected Cluny's fourth abbot. The monasteries of Germany were entrusted to him by Emperor Otto I. St. Majolus was noted for his scholarship and was held in great esteem by other rulers of the time. He appointed St. Odilo as his coadjutor in 991 A.D. and devoted himself to prayer and penance. He died on May 11.

St. Odilo

St. Odilo succeeded St. Majolus, and under his leadership, Cluny became the most important abbey in Western Europe. It was he who instituted the feast of All Souls (November 2). He practiced great austerities and sold much of Cluny's treasures to feed the poor during a famine in 1006 A.D. He increased the number of abbeys under Cluny, and together with Abbot Richard of Saint-Vanne was responsible for the rule guaranteeing sanctuary to those seeking refuge in a church. St. Odilo led Cluny for more than fifty years. During the last five years of his life, he became ill and passed away on January 1, 1048 A.D.

A stricter observance

The next abbot to succeed Odilo was Hugh. We will learn that under St. Hugh's abbacy, the prestige of Cluny reached its highest point, as new houses were opened all over Europe. Because of this, the Cluny monks acquired extensive tracts of land. Towards the end of St. Hugh's abbacy, a more fervent idealism arose within some monks of the order (those who wanted to follow a stricter observance of poverty). This group moved out of Cluny and went to Citeaux. This marked the beginning of a new monastic order, the Cistercians. Their third abbot, St. Stephen Harding drew up the rule for the Order. St. Stephen combined his exceptional gifts of administration with his passionate love of poverty.

Sources of these blog posts

• A History of the Church, by Franzen and Dolan
• A Concise History of the Catholic Church, by Thomas Bokenkotter
• Lives of the Saints, by Richard P. McBrien
• Dictionary of Saints, by John J. Delaney

A Deeper Prayer Tradition from the Monastic Movement in Europe

A Deeper Life of Prayer and Work

Becoming too active in work and life can make us miss the balance that is needed to obtain both health of body and soul. This is where the practice of meditation and contemplation can help restore that balance. Meditation is simply reading the Scriptures. The Sunday or weekday readings are the best as you can also integrate the homilies given by the priest-presiders at the Mass. After meditation, all that is needed is to stay before an image you are devoted to: the Sacred Heart, our Mother of Perpetual Help, or the best - the Blessed Sacrament in the parish. Meditation and contemplation can restore that balance we need from the activities that involve us in the world. It will help us see "through Heaven's eyes", and ground our souls back in God. If one has opportunity to read the lives of Benedictine saints and their writings, these can also help in understanding how to meditate and contemplate. Foremost among these Benedictines are the abbots of the Benedictine Monastery at Cluny.

The Great Abbots of the Monastery of Cluny

Monasticism began in the early centuries of the Church. These monasteries championed a way of life based on prayer - especially meditation and contemplation. But as with all things that exist in the world, sometimes secular influences can dilute, so to speak, the purity of the monastic spirituality. So, everytime this happens in monasticism there is always a return to the original spirit of St. Benedict. When many monasteries in Europe began to lose their autonomy and started to be controlled by powerful secular leaders, certain leaders, both secular and religious usually come to the forefront to restore the purity of the monastic spirit. One of these leaders was Duke William of Aquitaine. William of Aquitaine founded a monastery at Cluny, France. This monastery became the beginning of the reform movement in monasticism. Through Cluny and its spiritual influence, monasteries regained their autonomy and independence from influential secular rulers. Cluny's spirit of reform was led by seven great saintly abbots who also acted as peacemakers and negotiators in the politics of Europe at the time. The first three of these saintly abbots were St. Berno, St. Odo and St. Aymard.

Sts. Berno, Odo and Aymard, Benedictine Abbots of Cluny

St. Berno

After Duke William of Aquitaine founded the monastery of Cluny in ca. 908-910 A.D., he chose St. Berno to be its first abbot. St. Berno came from a wealthy family. Born in Burgundy, he joined the Benedictines at Martin's, Autun, and then became abbot of Baume-les-Messiers. He reformed Baume-les-Messiers and then founded a monastery at Gigny. As Duke William established St. Berno as Cluny's first abbot, Berno led the monastery well from ca. 909-927 A.D.

St. Odo

St. Odo was known as a reformer and was widely respected throughout Europe. He succeeded St. Berno as the second abbot of Cluny. Born near Le Mans, France, he was raised in the household of Duke William of Aquitaine. He received his tonsure at age 19, a canonry at St. Martin's at Tours, and then spent several years studying in Paris. St. Odo was a monk under St. Berno at Baume-les-Messiers. When St. Berno was transferred to Cluny, St. Odo was named director of the Baume MOnastery school. Odo eventually became abbot of Baume in 924 A.D. When St. Berno passed away, St. Odo succeeded him at Cluny. He continued St. Berno's work of reformation and was also authorized by Pope John XI to reform the monasteries of northern France and Italy. St. Odo was a peacemaker and negotiator in the politics of his time. After successfully persuading secular rulers to let monasteries be independent, he died at Tours on November 18, 942. St. Odo had written hymns, treatises, and a biographical sketch on the life of St. Gerard of Aurillac - a count who built a church and abbey at Aurillac.

St. Aymard

St. Aymard succeeded St. Odo and became the third abbot of Cluny. He worked to continue St. Odo's reforms. In 954 A.D., St. Aymard became blind and took Majolus as his coadjutor. St. Aymard eventually resigned because of his blindness and spent the last years of his life in Cluny until his death in October 5, 965 A.D.

Sources of this blog posts

• A History of the Church, by Franzen and Dolan
• A Concise History of the Catholic Church, by Thomas Bokenkotter
• Lives of the Saints, by Richard P. McBrien
• Dictionary of Saints, by John J. Delaney