How were lives of mendicant friars different from monks?

Answer 1

Answer 1: The friars really confront the people of God in his parish while the monks live in contemplation inside the monastery.The monk does not really evangelize outside.


Answer 2:The first answer's correct. Here's more...

The questioner uses the word "were" as though it were a thing of the past. Nothing could be further from the truth. It continues, still; and in much the same way, today, as in the past.

Monks and friars both live similarly contemplative lives, "in community," in a "friary" (in the case of friars), or a "monastery" (in the case of monks). Another word for "monk" (and sometimes intentionally used instead of "monk") is "monastic."

The monk lives a "cloistered" life, in a monastery, serving the world largely through prayer. Some are even "ascetic," meaning that they deprive themselves of various worldly things as part of their service to God. Some monks, though they live together in a monastery and so are already in a sort of seclusion, do so in in even greater seclusion within the monastery, and so are hermits. Some monasteries even have separate little cabin-like buildings (called "hermitages") in which a single monk may live for long periods, as a hermit, having no contact with anyone. Some hermits live entirely outside the monaster, in a hermitage that's out in the world, somewhere. If there are no separate hermitages in the monastery, and so if the monk lives in seclusion in his cell in the monastery, then he's called a "recluse." Monks who live in full community in the monastery are called "cenobites."

In the case of monks who perform some kind of service for a fee or donation, or who manufacture something of value, used by the outside world, then they serve by providing that, too; and the proceeds, of course, help to support the community. Many Trappist orders, for example, make and sell bread that is of very high quality. Some orders are in or near vineyards, and have wineries, and make wine... including alter wine for use during the Eucharist. Monks, though, in any case, rarely, if ever, leave the monastery.

Unlike at least most (but certainly not all) monks, Friars do their work nearly entirely out in the world. Friars are not "cloistered." That is the single largest salient difference between friars and monks. There are others, but that's the big -- or at least the most obvious -- one.

Monks and friars often even look alike, wearing similar kinds of robes (called "habits"), consisting, often, of a tunic, over which often fits a scapular, and then usually with a hood (sometimes called a "cowl;" although some call the entire robe, if there's no separate tunic and scapular, but if there is a hood, the "cowl"); and they both live similarly prayerful and contemplative lives...

...punctuated, though, by praying what's called "The Daily Office," or "The Divine Office," or "The Liturgy of the Hours," or "The Canonical Hours," all of which consist of several prayers per day and night, in a largely Bendictine practice, at the following times of day and/or night...

• Matins (late night) (aka, Vigils or Nocturns)
• Lauds (at dawn, or earlier)
• Prime (around 6AM)
• Terce (around 9AM)
• Sext (around noon)
• None (around 3PM)
• Vespers (around 6PM)
• Compline (before retiring, usually around 9PM)

...using a book called a "breviary," which consists of the liturgy, which includes prayers, psalmody, hymns and responsive musical -- often Gregorian -- chanting called "antiphons." After Vatican II, Pope Paul VI changed things so that Prime was removed, entirely; and Lauds sorta' took its place, usually at around 6AM. Matins were made entirely optional (a guy's gotta' get his sleep); and the daily prayers -- Terce, Sext and None -- were prayed as one could, in the midst of one's work (expecially, if a friar and he's out in the world), so long as at least one of them was gotten to. Of course, each holy order is different. Some are more strict than others, and so, with them, even the three daily prayers must be prayed; and all prayers need to be prayed, as a group, whenever the friar is at the friary.

Both monks and friars live by some kind of "rule" or "rule of the order," usually one of the three most well known: The "Rule of St. Francis," or the "Rule of St. Benedict," or the "Rule of St. Augustine" (though are are others). Such rules set forth the religious Canon of the order, as welll as a set of standards and responsibilities by which all must live their lives.

Many friars leave the friary early in the mornings, after Lauds (formerly Prime, at around 6AM), to some kind of work for the larger secular, community (the town, city or county) in which the friary is located... volunteering (or sometimes in paid positions) in hospitals, hospices, homeless shelters, soup kitches, or whatever else seems appropriate. They stop for the prayers, as needed, but only if they can. Most friars are happy if they can get to just one of the three daily prayers whenever they're out and about in the world. When they're at the friary, though, none of the prayers are typically optional; and all friars respond to the tolling of the bell by going to the chapel and praying the office together.

Most monks, though, stay put, in the monastery, and do whatever work is needed (and/or to which they've been assigned) on the monastery grounds, interrupted, of course, by the prayers as their hours come and go. Like the friars, they respond to a bell being rung, and make their way to the chapel where they pray the office together. Prayers tend not to be optional, unless perhaps the monk really and truly is doing something which can't be interrupted; or if he's infirmed. Even then, though, they will pause and say some kind of prayer at the appointed times; or they will recite at least a part of the office. It all just depends on the monk or friar, and the order, and the circumstances.

The friars who tend to stay at the friary actually live lives quite similar to the monks who never leave the monastery. Such friars, like their monk counterparts in the monasteries, perform whatever work on the friary grounds is needed, or to which they've been assigned. However, it is more common to find friars, and not quite so much monks, doing work in the friary that's intended to somehow be used outside, in the world. Some friaries, for example, offer computer programming services, or build and maintain websites for others (usually churches and religious organizations); and so one or more friars is doing work for others out in the world, but they never (or at least rarely) leave the friary. Of course, there are monasteries that do such things, too, but somewhat more rarely.

Many both friaries and monasteries are big on "hospitality," and offer places for people to stay in an almost hotel/motel-like fashion; or they offer pilgrims the opportunity to live as a guest in the community... typically for a week at a time, in a sort of spiritual retreat sort of thing. Some of them have guest rooms which actually look like hotel/motel rooms, while others want the visitor to experience monastic life, and so offer them modified versions of the very kinds of tiny cells in which the monks live. Most -- especially monasteries, but many friaries, as well -- eat all meals in contemplative silence (I'm always imagining that someone is going to inappropriately burst-out in suppressed laughter of the sort that immature teenagers do when, for example, kneeling at a casket, or engaging in group silent prayer), and so visitors can find that quite disconcerting if they're not used to it. For that reason, some friaries and monasteries which offer rooms or cells will have a special room for guest meals, where a few monks pr friars will join the guests and conduct prayers, and ask that they eat in silence or not; but, in either case, before the plates are cleared, there can be conversation and even laughter and the asking of questions, etc. In such places, the guests sometimes have their plates cleared by staff, but in others the monks or friars want guests to experience the clearing of plates and even taking turns in the kitchen, just as the monks do.

Of the two places where one could do the aforementioned suppressed laughter thing, and still not be told he's going to hell (actually, that doesn't really happen, but you get my point about how such laughter would not be well-received), it would be at a friary. Friars -- at least many of them -- tend to be more worldly, have better senses of humor, and tend not to take themselves too awfully seriously... at least compared with monks. One friar I know, in fact, tells some of the dirtiest jokes... even swears a little, too (though never such as the "F" word, or anything that serious); and he has the most hearty belly laugh you've ever heard! He's a terrific guy who's been around, suffers no fools, loves and serves the Lord, and just does his thing with his friar brothers out "amongst them," as they sometimes say. All that said, there are some monks out there with some seriously good senses of humor, too; and worldliness. No friar has anything on at least some of them. It all just depends on the order, its history, how it has traditionally been organized, regulated and behaves, etc. Some communities are more serious, others more relaxed. It all just depends.

The lives of both monks and friars are, in the main, about work. It's not that they don't have down/relaxation time; they do. However, most of the hours of most of their days are about doing some kind of work which either serves the community, or serves God. Most monasteries explain that they live lives of private and communal prayer (the latter being the Divine Office, explained above), manual labor, solitude, community life, fasting and vigils. There tends not to be very much television (if any, at all); nor sitting around listening to music (though I know a friar who's a programmer who writes software for his order and for clients thereof, and maintains the website(s) of the order (and of its clients), who sits at the computer with his iPod headphones in his ears, jammin' away to anything from Gregorian Chant all the way to Megadeath; you should see the little utility he has sitting down in the system tray which notifies him of prayer times on the screen).

My point is that it can sometimes -- often, in fact, in the case of friars -- be not quite as buttoned-down and rigid as one might expect...

...however, it is quite routine; and the high points, each day and night, of said routine are sacrosanct and invoilable. There is a very high regard for the sacred, and for one another's privacy, and prayer, and contemplation; and community members are encouraged to meditate about their Christlikeness and service to God at every reasonable opportunity.

One difference between monks and friars, too, is that the monks tend to live on donations -- typically quite formally organized -- from the church and other both institutions and individuals; augmented by whatever income, if any, the monastery generates through the production of products for sale...

...whereas many friars are "mendicant," meaning that they effectively beg for donations... for alms... for food... to support both themselves, and the friary. Even menicant Friaries, though, usually also get more formal donations or grants from the church, and from both institutions and individuals; but true mendicant friars actually "beg" for food and donations in a manner similar to the famous mendicants St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Dominic. Since friars tend to be out in the world, they're more able to so do than are monks, who tend to never leave the monastery. And by "beg," I mean that they tend to simply, when they're out and about, drop hints... say something to whomever they happen to be with, at the time, something like "let's find someplace to eat and you can buy me lunch;" or, if they're working at a soup kitchen, they'll eat for free with the homeless. In more formal situations, though, they will ask, point-blank, for donations, reminding those in the room that that's the only means by which they survive; and that it's giving to the Church, and is tax deductible, just like when they give their offering during mass. Some friars who are part of orders that are more modern in their thinking, and have embraced technology, even set-up monthly deductions from people's credit or debit cards; I even know a friar -- I kid you not -- who's now carrying a smartphone with a "Square" card reader, and its app installed, so that he can collect donations from people who want to use their credit/debit card, on the spot. Whichever friars in the order are more formally tasked with fundraising spend their entire days grantwriting, making appointments to make presentations to corporate donors, etc.

Monks tend to commit to one monastery, in one place, for life; whereas Friars tend to be part of a larger province, covering a multi-state area, and will sometimes move around a bit within said province.

The road to becoming a monk or friar is typically long and sometimes arduous; usually taking several years. It differs -- sometimes greatly -- from order to order, but, generally speaking, there is...

...first, some kind of initial (or "initiate") contact and "getting to know you" sort of period, sometimes called "observership" or something connoting that sort of activity, lasting weeks, months to perhaps a year, wherein the candidate still lives his normal life outside the monastery, but spends increasing amounts of time with the order, and learning about it. Some monasteries do an 8- to 12-week residential visit, instead; and others do the 4- to 8-week non-residential thing, followed by the 8- to 12-week residential thing. Many of them, then, in turn, make some of the following steps a little shorter.

The "Postulancy" period (when the candidate is called a "postulant," usually still wearing normal street clothing) follows, usually involves both non-residential, and periods of residential living (with each residential period becoming increasingly longer), and tends to last six months to two years.

Then there's the "Noviciate" period (during which the candidate is called a "novice," and he usually starts wearing some kind of habit or garb which clearly identifies him as a novice), which is usually entirely residential, and tends to last one to two years.

If the novice is still committed after that, then multiple periods of profession of temporary, conditional vows -- often called "solumn vows" -- typically repeatedly, for year-long periods at a time, begins. The post-noviciate, "solemnly professed" or "solemnly avowed" period is nearly always entirely residential, and includes wearing a habit of some kind which indicates the solemnly-avowed status, along with how far along in the every-year solemn vow renewal process is said novitiate. The solemn vows are renewed anywhere from twice (in other words, for two one-year-long solemn vow professions), all the way to, in some orders, a minimum of five times (or a total of five one-year-long solemn vow professions).

Then, finally, after the multiple year-long solemn vow professions, the candidate may ask, or the order may invite him (it all just depends on how the order does things) to make/profess final and permanent vows, which bind him as a "permanently professed' or "permantently avowed" member for his entire lifetime.

The commitment is huge, and so the order will take its time ensuring that the candidate is very serious. Each of these stages are typically referred to as "periods of discernment," or "stages of discernment." The average amount of time, from initial contact to final profession of permanent lifetime vows, tends to be around five to maybe seven years, depending on the person, the order, the circumstances, etc. The Jesuits have the longest discernment period, lasting from 8 to 12 years. Some orders also have other stages by different names; or they may call the stages herein explained by different names.

Most common, though, is...

a) the non-residential "initiate" or "inquirer/observer" state, wearing street clothing, frequently visiting the monastery or friary, for some relatively-small number of weeks or months (six months is typical); and then,

b) the "postulancy," still wearing street clothing, but usually in residence, for from six to 18 months; and then,

c) the "noviciate," wearing a novice's habit, in residence, for from six to 18 months; and then,

d) "solemnly avowed" or "solemnly professed," wearing a solemnly avowed or professed style of habit, in residence, for usually a minimum of two years, sometimes three; and each year re-taking the "solemn vow"; and then, finally,

e) "permanently avowed" or "permanently professed," one time, for life; after which the full habit is worn, and permanent residency is established.

The permanent vow usually also includes that the avowed/professed agees to be buried in the monastery's or friary's private, on-the-grounds cemetery; and so professing permanent vows usually means that one's corporeal body never leaves the grounds, ever again (other than, of course, visits elsewhere, or to go to work, etc.). In the case of friars, "grounds" includes all friaries owned and/or operated by their order; so the friar may move, during his life, from friary to friary, but the order usually has a cemetary at the main or "headquarters" (for lack of a better term) friary.

If the candidate has no post-secondary religious education, some orders will encourage the acquisition of a Bachelor of Theology (BTh or ThB), or Bachelor of Divinity (BDiv or BD) degree; and the novitiate will be adjusted to a year to complete The Bachelor's freshman year; and then the "solemnly avowed" period adjusted to three years long, during which the sophomore thru senior years of the BTh/ThB or BDiv/BD are earned. If the candidate wants to become a priest or theological professor, then the bachelors degree could be begun during postulancy, and continue thru the novitiate and into the solemnly-avowed period; which solemnly-avowed period could then have its length adjusted to coincide with the completion of one of the masters degrees listed in the next paragraph. How those periods would be adjusted, though, would be entirely flexible; and the degree could end-up being something mostly earned during the solemnly-avowed or even permanently-avowed periods.

If the candidate has a post-secondary religious education -- or even just a "suitable to religion" sort of bachelor's degree in almost any subject -- and wants to also become a priest or theology professor, then, in some orders, a Master of Theology (MTh or ThM), or Master of Sacred Theology (STM), or even a Master of Divinity (MDiv)) could be earned during the residential postulancy-thru-end-of-solemnly-avowed periods; or during the permanently-avowed period.

Any doctoral-level degree (PhD, ThD or DMin) would, in some orders, be earned only after profession of permanent vows.

The bottom-line answer, then, to the question, "How were/are the lives of friars different from the lives of monks?" is that they're actually not all that different, except that monks are usually cloistered, and friars are usually out and about in the world. The details of the differences, though, are as I've herein above described.

Answer 2

Mendicant Friars originally mean the Franciscans and the Dominicans; since then it has been extended to include Carmelites (1245), the Hermits of St. Augustine (1256), and the Servites (1424). Some other Orders received the name later on.

Mendicant Friars are forbidden by Canon Law and their statues from personally owning anything, and they are required to work or beg for their living. Further, they are not bound to a monastery.

Monks, when they make their vows, take a vow of stability (something that Friars do not) to the monastery in which they are professed, thus binding themselves to that House for the remainder of their life.