Catholic

The Order of St. Benedict ( Ordo Sancti Benedicti in Latin, abbreviated as OSB), known also as the Benedictines (sometimes referred to as Black Monks, due to the color of their religious habits), is a monastic religious order in the Roman Catholic Church. Strictly speaking, however, the Benedictines do not constitute a single religious order, since each of its monasteries is autonomous. This order consists of monks, lay brothers, and nuns who follow the Rule of St. Benedict. The fortunes of the Order of St. Benedict may be said to have waxed and wane over the course of its long history. In the centuries after the death of its founder, the order flourished in Europe, and became an important institution