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mmmyesplease--- t1_ir9ywmm wrote

Did it change? Unless has it always been an exception for widows with money? In history there are examples of older women “taking the veil.” Are their still exceptions for wealth?

Generally interested.

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Thewanderer212 t1_ira6k0w wrote

If you go back far enough monastic orders were exclusively for the rich outside of unique circumstances. You were expected to buy your way in unless you were an exceptional candidate and the monastery would sponsor you.

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Poj_10 t1_irb210g wrote

Not necessarily. There were two "types" of monks: choir and lay monks. The choir monks were usually priests (male monastic communities select which of them become priests) and would spend most of their time in the choir, literally singing the prayers of the community (big deal in monastic setting). These were usually the wealthier people and they were often physically separate from the lay members, who were not taught Latin (and thus couldn't sing in the choir) and were responsible for the physical upkeep and labor of the monastery. These usually went to members who did not have any familial status or wealth. So people could join, they just were often tasked with the manual labor and less glamorous jobs.

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Splarnst t1_irkepi6 wrote

>who were not taught Latin (and thus couldn't sing in the choir)

It’s not like you have to understand what you’re singing to sing it well?

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