The cloistered nuns they are nuns who they spend their life in the conventdedicating himself to prayer and work, without being able to go out (from this derives the word cloistered, that is, closure), if not on special occasions. Contacts with the outside world are rigidly regulated, but the precise rules change according to the orders (Benedictine, Clarisse, Carmelitane, etc.): some observe the “Papal cloister”that is, the rules established by the Holy See; others follow Specific rules. The cloister It also exists for menbut – with the exception of some orders – is only passivein the sense that they cannot receive strangers in the convent, but they can go out. The day of the cloistered nuns generally includes Moments of prayer and workIn addition, of course, at the time for meals and personal hygiene. Any woman can become cloistered nuneven if it has been married: the important thing, for the Church, is that her desire to devote himself to contemplative life is sincere.
What is the cloister
Cloister, which derives from the Latin clausus (closed), means closure. The cloistered nuns are nuns who spend their lives closed in the conventdedicating himself almost exclusively to prayer and work. Therefore, they do not work as an apostolate outside of convents, like other nuns who are nurse, teachers, etc., but they dedicate themselves to one mainly contemplative life. There are two main types of cloister: that papalbased on rules established by the Holy See, and that of individual monastic orderswhich can apply different rules.
The papal cloister is regulated from the Code of Canon Law of 1983 And it is foreseen for both men and women. For menhowever, is alone passivein the sense that strangers cannot enter, while For women it is “complete”because, in addition to not being able to receive visits, they cannot move away from convents, except special cases. The day of the cloistered nuns is in Most dedicated to prayer, meditation and work. Generally, the nuns they wake up very earlyaround 5.00 in the morning, and spend a few hours in prayer and meditation. Around 8.00 they have breakfast and later each nun is dedicated to specific taskswhich can include manual works (sewing, preparation of food, etc.), care of the garden and monastery and similar activities. After lunch, the nuns generally participate in Moments of collective meditation or do other manual works. In the evening, very often the Rosary’s recitation And a light meal, after which the nuns go to sleep.
These rules, however, do not apply to all orders. In some cases, the cloister is more rigid and also contacts e The dialogues between the sisters are limited. The most extreme order is that of Carthusian (who are both men and women): in the Certosa, as their convents are called, monks and nuns spend most of their time in total solitude, also consuming meals inside their cell (with few exceptions) and observe Silence almost always.
Contacts with the outside world and the case of Naples of 2015 with Pope Francis
While spending life especially in contemplation, the cloistered nuns, unlike what you might think, they are not completely separated from the outside world. First of all, they read newspapers and listen to the radio (more rare television), which allows them to know what happens in the world. On some occasions, moreover, they can receive visitors in the monasteries, albeit only in specific environments, such as speakers. Within certain limits, they can also use the digital communication means, including i social media and in special moments they can move away, temporarily suspend the cloisterif authorized by the bishop of their diocese.
In this regard, a well -known case concerns the Clorse nuns of the convents of Napleswhich on March 21, 2015 were authorized by the Cardinal Crescenzio Sepearchbishop of the city, to go out to participate in the meeting in the cathedral with Pope Francis, who came to visit the Campania capital. In the cathedral, the nuns, they met Francis to embrace and greet him, tearing him and risking even to fall, while Cardinal Sepe tried, unnecessarily, to make them desist, recalling them loudly in the Neapolitan dialect. The scene aroused curiosity and hilarity throughout Italy.
History and statistics of the cloistered nuns
The cloister has existed from the first centuries of Christianity, when the first contemplative life experiences were affirmed. However, the development of monasticism took place above all starting from Middle Ageswith the birth ofBenedictine order in the 6th century and other orders in the following centuries. An important date was 1298, when the Pope Bonifacio VIII He imposed the cloister to all religious. However, the provision was not universally applied and was made more rigid by Pio V In 1566. The provisions currently in force date back, as we have seen, to 1983.
However, today i contacts with the outside They are generally more frequent, as required by the provisions of the Holy See. The most recent documents are the Apostolic Constitution Vultum of the quarere (The search for the face of God), issued by Francesco in 2016, who among other things invited the nuns to use the web, albeit “with discernment”, and application education Cor orans (Orante heart) of 2018. Currently, according to the most reliable sources, the cloister nuns in the world are just under 38,000of which About 5,000 in Italy.
