Published originally in Wikipedia in 2019 by me.
Benedictinism in Albania (Alb: Benediktet ne Shqiperi) is part of the Christian Albanian heritage with the first Benedictine monks arriving in pre-medieval times, predating the arrival to the rest of Europe[1] . However, the first Benedictines in Albania were present in the 6th century[2] . The Benedictines fought to defend Albanian Catholicism against Slavic Orthodoxism and the Byzantine influences[3] .
The Benedictines in Albania worked with the motto “per ducatum Evangelii” (led by the Gospel) and were part of the Diocese of Drisht in the 15th century. The first mentioning of the monastery was in 1166, with the abbot “Michaele Abbate (archimandrite) sancti Johanis”. In 1356, Pope Innocent VI mentioned the Benedictine monastery of St John in Drisht, writing that the “schismatics have destroyed the Church of Balazensi”.
This is a reference to the war between Balsha III and Venice as the Benedictines supported Venice. Venice supported them with an entire villa which was seen as sacred by both Catholics and Orthodox alike. In 1628, a church report from the Benedictine Orsin who visited the Malësia highlands described the Pulti region[4] . The Benedictines contributed to the stampout of paganism and the Albanian interreligious harmony in the mountains.
Between 1855-1869, there was a dispute between the Catholics and Orthodox regarding the ownership. The Ottoman kaimakan of Shkodër solved the matter by declaring the monastery Ottoman property. There were many monasteries through out Albania, the first mentioned was St Paul of Pult (Sanctus Paulus Polatensis), the 15th century St Mary of Nderfandina (S Maria de Nderfandena) in the Diocese of Arber and the monastery of St Salvatore (Sancti Salvatoris Arbanensis) in Rubik, mentioned in the 12th century
Origin and history
The Order of Benedictines brought Western culture to southern Illyria in the 6th century[5] , being the first Christian movement to build a monastery in Shirgj. A Benedictine community was established in Durrës in 1168 by a document promulgated by Pope Alexander III addressed to the abbot of Durrës. In the northern part of Albania, the French Benedictines were established in 1236, initially in Shirgj, near Shkodra. In 1278, they were established in Durres under the protection of Charles D’Anjou. The fundamental principle of the Benedictines was “pray and work” (lat. Ora et labora) but they were distinguished for their cultural and educational studies. They were established in Bar, Durrës, Dioklese, Shkodra during the Medieval ages[6] . They also founded the first school of agriculture in the 9th century at the Monastery of Saint Mihail in Rac, Bar. The Benedictines were soon joined by Dominicans and Franciscans.
Benedictines in Albanian history and culture
Professor Jahja Drancolli writes: “Between the 13th century and 15th, some coastal towns such as Kotor, Bar, Ulcinj and Durrës, had autonomous tendencies, such as status, currency and administration”. In the 13th century, the Dominicans came to Albania after the Benedictines, followed by the Franciscans[7] . The Benedictines believed in lectio (reading), meditatio (meditation) and oratio (praying), which they used in their development of Christian Albanian identity having established in Shkoder with St. Mauricios.
The abbot of Shen Shirqit and Shen Baku (lat. sanctorum Sergii et achi; slav. Sveti Srgj) is mentioned as well [8] . There is also mentioning of the abbot of Shen Kollit of Drini (San Nicoli de Drino) in the Buna region, close to Shtoj in Ulcinj, and there is mentioning of Shen Gjinit of Strilali, with the abbot of Shen Sofia and Zeta in Dejë.
The Benedictine monastery in Scutari was known as “shtepia e vezireve” (House of the Vezirs) which is mentioned by Gjush Sheldija in his publications of 1958, describing a certain Alibegaj of Scutari who is supposed to have visited the monastery. Eventually the monastery was put under the jurisdiction of the Bushati family. In 1167, the Archbishop Tribunus (1158-1187) of Ragusa managed to convince the archbishop of Origin and history Benedictines in Albanian history and culture Arbanum, who was in contact with the Benedictines in Dalmatia and Northern Albania, to abandon the Greek faith and adopt Catholicism. Helen of Anjou helped rebuild the Catholic houses of the SS Sergius and Bacchus in Shkoder in 1288.
References
- Murzaku, Ines Angeli (2015). Monasticism in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Republics (https://books.goo
gle.se/books?id=jNdzCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT359&lpg=PT359&dq=Jesuits+in+Albania&source=bl&ots=SEUG0wUbg
9&sig=ACfU3U2mqQI8pRdlT6bOoHf9TJ1Zgm8mdw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjCzLj6ntvlAhWByqYKHXa9Az
U4ChDoATAAegQICRAB#v=onepage&q=Benedictines&f=false). Routledge. ISBN 9781317391043. Retrieved
9 November 2019. - Galaty, Michael L.; Lafe, Ols; Lee, Wayne E.; Tafilica, Zamir (2013). Light and Shadow: Isolation and Interaction in
the Shala Valley of Northern Albania (https://books.google.se/books?id=f2mRDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA155&lpg=PA155
&dq=Benedictines+in+Albania&source=bl&ots=yWMwjtwMB6&sig=ACfU3U0XLsB0a0MJJpz_htdpE8n39mlzzA&h
l=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwihhquW1dzlAhULwsQBHTQQDBMQ6AEwBnoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=Benedictine
s%20in%20Albania&f=false). ISD LLC. ISBN 9781938770913. - Elsie, Robert (2001). A Dictionary of Albanian Religion, Mythology and Folk Culture (https://books.google.se/book
s?id=N_IXHrXIsYkC&pg=PA34&lpg=PA34&dq=Benedictines+in+Albania&source=bl&ots=JVNjoYrHbL&sig=ACfU
3U2MLLhK0zNstoWOvZauHRW45Uk-Yg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwihhquW1dzlAhULwsQBHTQQDBMQ6AE
wA3oECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=Benedictines%20in%20Albania&f=false). C. Hurst. p. 34. ISBN 9781850655701.
Retrieved 9 November 2019. - Galaty, Michael L.; Lafe, Ols; Lee, Wayne E.; Tafilica, Zamir (2013). Light and Shadow: Isolation and Interaction in
the Shala Valley of Northern Albania (https://books.google.se/books?id=f2mRDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA155&lpg=PA155
&dq=Benedictines+in+Albania&source=bl&ots=yWMwjtwMB6&sig=ACfU3U0XLsB0a0MJJpz_htdpE8n39mlzzA&h
l=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwihhquW1dzlAhULwsQBHTQQDBMQ6AEwBnoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=Benedictine
s%20in%20Albania&f=false). ISD LLC. ISBN 9781938770913. - Catholicism, Culture, Conversion: The History of the Jesuits in Albania (1841-1946) (https://books.google.se/book
s?id=ra8cjRm-dV0C&dq=Benedictes+Albania&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=Benedictines). Pontificio Istituto
orientale. 2006. pp. 35, 44, . ISBN 9788872103524. - Elsie, Robert. THE SCUTARINE CATHOLIC CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF NINETEENTHCENTURY ALBANIAN LITERATURE (http://www.elsie.de/pdf/articles/A1991ScutarineCatholic.pdf) (PDF).
Retrieved 9 November 2019. - Sota, Jani (2015). Christian Clerical Schools – Shelters of Education and Culture in Albanian Territories (From
Beggining to XV Century) (https://www.mcser.org/journal/index.php/ajis/article/download/8384/8048). Tirana:
External Collaborator of Institute of History, Center for Albanological Studies, Tirana. Retrieved 9 November 2019. - Malaj, Edmond (2017). Urdhra kishtare në Shkodër dhe rrethina gjatë Mesjetës (https://www.researchgate.net/pub
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Balkan Academia 