Differences among prominent monastic orders within Catholicism

[Michie]

Contemplative monastic orders all share a common commitment to a life of prayer, silence, and seeking God through contemplation. What distinguishes them are the specific traditions, rules, and practices that each order follows.
The word catholic has a history that predates Christianity itself. Its use, however, has evolved over centuries to represent a significant denomination of Christianity. Whereas the use of the term in reference to the Christian Church dates back to the very early days of Christianity, its meaning has developed in parallel with the growth and diversification of the same Christian faith. The term is derived from the Greek word katholikos — a word that might mean either “universal” or “according to the whole” (kat holós). In the early days of Christianity, the term was used to emphasize the universality and unity of the Christian faith, irrespective of cultural, geographical, or linguistic differences.

Continued below.

Telling prominent monastic Catholic orders from one another

Contemplative orders share a common commitment to a life of prayer and silence. What distinguishes them are the specific traditions that each order follows.

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