Vows of Chastity, Poverty and Obedience
The three monastic vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience were the constitutional foundation of the religious life of the Teutonic Order, and they were, the essential obligations of the religious vocation of the brethren. The vows were taken, in a formal ceremony of profession, after a period of probation as a novice, and they were, in the Order’s case, binding for life. The breach of any of the three vows was, in the Order’s discipline, a grave fault, punishable by suspension from the Order’s offices, by imprisonment, by public penance, or, in the most serious cases, by expulsion from the Order. The three vows , were the principal source of the Order’s religious identity.
The Vow of Chastity
The vow of chastity obliged the brethren to abstain from sexual activity of any kind, and the vow of chastity was, the principal obligation of the religious vocation of the brethren. The vow of chastity was, in the Order’s case, stricter than the obligation of clerical celibacy that was imposed on the secular clergy of the Latin Church, and the vow of chastity was an essential element in the religious identity of the brethren.
The Order’s practice was stricter than that of the secular clergy, and the Order’s discipline in cases of incontinence in the Middle Ages, a matter of considerable repute. The Order’s discipline in cases of incontinence was generally severe: a brother who was convicted of incontinence was generally expelled from the Order, and a brother who was convicted of incontinence with a married woman or a consecrated virgin was liable to the most severe penalties of the Order’s discipline.
The vow of chastity was, in addition to the obligation of sexual abstinence, an obligation of the brethren’s conduct in the presence of women. The brethren were not, permitted to be alone with women, and the brethren were not, permitted to engage in conversation with women outside the presence of a third party. The Order’s discipline in the Middle Ages, a matter of considerable strictness, and the Order’s discipline was a central element in the Order’s reputation for moral rigour.
The Vow of Poverty
The vow of poverty obliged the brethren to renounce all private property, and the vow of poverty was the principal obligation of the religious vocation of the brethren with respect to the use of material goods. The brethren were, in principle, the owners of nothing, and the Order’s properties were, in law, the property of the Order as a corporate body. The vow of poverty was, in the Order’s case, modelled on the practice of the older monastic orders.
The practice of the vow of poverty was, in the Order’s case, modified by the substantial wealth of the Order’s commanderies and the considerable sums of money that the brethren, in some periods, had at their personal disposal. The Order’s discipline in the Middle Ages, a matter of considerable variation, and the Order’s practice was, in the late Middle Ages, the subject of substantial criticism by the more austere reformers of the observant movement.
The vow of poverty was, in addition, an obligation of the brethren’s use of the Order’s common property. The brethren were not, permitted to use the Order’s common property for private purposes, and the brethren were not, permitted to take the Order’s common property for private use. The Order’s discipline in the Middle Ages, a matter of considerable strictness.
The vow of poverty was, in addition, an obligation of the brethren’s conduct with respect to the alms and the donations that the Order received from the faithful. The brethren were not, permitted to accept alms for their private use, and the brethren were not, permitted to accept donations for their private benefit.
The Vow of Obedience
The vow of obedience obliged the brethren to submit, in all things lawful, to the will of their superiors, and the vow of obedience was, the principal source of the Order’s military effectiveness. The brethren were obliged, by the vow, to obey the orders of their commanders in all matters of military service, and the discipline of the Order on campaign was, in consequence, exceptionally strict. The vow of obedience was, in the Order’s case, stricter than the obligation of obedience that was imposed on the secular clergy of the Latin Church.
The vow of obedience was, in addition, an obligation of the brethren’s conduct in the convent. The brethren were obliged, by the vow, to obey the orders of the commander of the house in all matters of the conventual life, and the brethren were obliged, by the vow, to obey the orders of the grand master in all matters of the Order’s administration. The Order’s discipline in the Middle Ages, a matter of considerable strictness, and the Order’s discipline was a central element in the Order’s reputation for the strict discipline of the Order’s administration.
The vow of obedience was, in addition, an obligation of the brethren’s conduct in the chapter. The brethren were obliged, by the vow, to obey the decisions of the chapter, and the brethren were obliged, by the vow, to submit to the discipline of the chapter of faults. The Order’s discipline in the Middle Ages, a matter of considerable strictness.
The vow of obedience was, in addition, an obligation of the brethren’s conduct on campaign. The brethren were obliged, by the vow, to obey the orders of the commander in chief in all matters of military operations, and the brethren were obliged, by the vow, to obey the orders of the marshal of the Order in all matters of the Order’s military administration.
Sources
- Boockmann, Hartmut. Der Deutsche Orden: Zwölf Kapitel aus seiner Geschichte. Munich: Beck, 1981.
- Forey, Alan. The Military Orders: From the Twelfth to the Early Fourteenth Centuries. Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1992.
- Strehlke, Ernst, ed. Tabulae ordinis Theutonici. Berlin: Weidmann, 1869.
Related Reading
For the Rule of St Augustine, see the cluster on the Rule of St Augustine. For the Augustinian customs of the Order, see the article on Augustinian customs. For the Statuten of the Order, see the article on the Statuten. For the founding of the Order at Acre, see the article on the founding. For the military vocation of the Order, see the pillar on the military activities. For the institutional life of the Order, see the pillar on Order structure.