PETER THE VENERABLE, ABBOT

 

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PETER THE VENERABLE, ABBOT

Consecration of the high altar
of Cluny Abbey

Peter the Venerable  (Petrus Venerabilis) (December 25 [December 29]). This holy abbot of Clugny [Cluny] was a descendant of the Counts of Montboissier of Auvergne. This family must have been distinguished by piety, because six of his older brothers had already left the world to serve God in the monastic state. Peter, too, after reaching the appropriate age, entered the monastery at Clugny. There he soon distinguished himself in all virtues and sciences to such an extent that - not yet 30 years of age - he was given the priory of Vezelay. Soon afterwards (A.D. 1121), Peter was transferred to Clugny Abbey itself. Well before he had completed all his formal studies he was already known as "the teacher and master of the ancients". As an abbot, his conduct was so saintly that he acquired the title "Venerable One" (Venerabilis) already during his lifetime. 

This holy abbot encountered several schismatics and heretics who spread their deadly poison. Peter had not held office for even three years when one of them, the deposed abbot Pontius - after having stayed in Palestine for a while - suddenly turned up in Clugny.

Pontius had assembled a band of followers and proceeded to act with incredible tyranny against those who had consented to his deposition. Subsequently, the question of who was the rightful abbot, Pontius or Peter, was decided in Rome in A.D. 1126. The former was officially declared forever deposed as a trespasser and schismatic. Henceforth all Cluniac monasteries obeyed Peter. The venerable abbot granted Pope Innocent II. and his entourage royal hospitality for a long time; he also sent 60 horses and mules to help him with his travels.

Other heretics he had to deal with were Peter of Bruis and his student Henry, whose false teaching he fought with as much zeal as skill, and he also persuaded Abelard to enter the monastery and completely renounce his errors. Reconciled with God and people, Abelard spent the last days of his life here in prayer and penance.

In the course of his duties as abbot, Peter one day found himself having to answer to the great Saint Bernard, who had accused the Cluniacs of several bad practices: of not observing the prescribed novitiate period, of not adhering to the religious attire as stipulated, of constructing magnificent buildings, of neglecting manual labour, of unduly increasing the number of dishes at the table, of evading episcopal jurisdiction, and of appropriating parishes and their income and, finally, of having worldly servants and maid servants. 

These serious accusations Peter tried to resolve by an appropriate and calm refutation, by explaining that the first duty of a head of a monastery was love for the brothers, which - in certain important circumstances - required that the strictness of the rule be moderated in order to avoid major abuses. The same love, he wrote another time to Saint Bernard, is what protects him and his order, which, moreover, cannot not be extinguished by any exchange of words they have had with each other. The various monastic families who recognise Saint Benedict as a father, continued Peter, ought to handle their matters in the same way as the great family of the Church of God does; she allows for variations in many things, with the exception of faith. 

Nevertheless, one would be very much mistaken to believe that Abbot Peter took his forbearance too far or was too lenient. In the general chapter of the year 1132 he even increased the number of fasts, emphasized silence, and imitated the severity of the Cistercians in other matters. These steps are documented in the improved statutes of his order of A.D. 1146. 

In order to convert the Mohammedans, he had the Koran translated, which he then proceeded to refute in detail in a work of five volumes. Peter eventually conceded that, even if he did not manage to win the adherents of Muhammad over, his work would serve to protect Christians from falling into their errors. This momentous work has been lost. The opportunity to found Cluniac monasteries in the Valley of Josaphat and on Mount Tabor arose during the Crusades. Another monastery of his order near Constantinople also came under his jurisdiction around that time.

Regarding the Jews, he fervently besought King Louis IX., asking for their lives to be spared. It wasn't that Peter had not recognised or admitted to their hostile attitude towards the Christians, but he reckoned that it would be a more severe punishment for them if they were prevented from using usury, to confiscate stolen valuables, including the church utensils in their possession. Otherwise, suggested Peter, they should be left to the judgment of God. 

Peter the Venerable left behind a number of writings: over 300 letters, of which only 195, divided into six books, have come down to us, his own apology, hymns and speeches, a treatise on the divinity of Jesus Christ, another on infant baptism, treatises against the Jews and Mohammedans, refutations of the heresies of Peter of Bruis, two books about the miracles that occurred in his time, a liturgical work about the holy Sacrifice of the Mass, another about the veneration of the holy Cross, the biography of his mother Raingardis, and statutes for Clugny. 

Abbot Peter went to his eternal reward on Christmas Day A.D. 1156. His dead body shone as if in the light of transfiguration. It was buried in the abbey church. He had been the ninth abbot in the line of succession. His life was described by his student, the monk Radulf, or as others would have it, by Rudolf, abbot of St Trudo.

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 4, Augsburg, 1875, pp. 828 - 830)

Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations

Sources of these articles (in the original German): books.google.co.uk, de-academic.com, zeno.org, openlibrary.org

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