The Rules of St.

Benedict
Chapter 46: Concerning Those Who Do Amiss in Any Other Matters

Under this chapter of the Rules of St. Benedict, it was stated that “If anyone at any work
or in any place, shall have done anything amiss when it becomes known through some other
member of the community let him be subjected to severe correction; but in a case of the fault
upon the conscience being unknown to others, let him lay it open to his spiritual seniors or to the
abbot only”. This chapter provided emphasis on the relevance of recognizing one’s faults and
revealing them to spiritual symbols. Just as in the life of the monks, the first thing to happen
when a brother commits a fault is that he should admit the fault before the abbot and the
community. However, it was also provided that sometimes, a monk is not ready to make his
faults known to his abbot, yet the monk must still deal with his own faults. So, St. Benedict
makes it possible for the monk to speak to another monk. This chapter recognized the spiritual
gifts of monks other than those of the abbot.

Just like in my life, I tend to make wrong decisions that affect my life in general.
However, by making these choices, little did I know that there is a duty for me to do, which is to
confess and admit that I committed a wrong. It is not easy to admit a wrong. An example of this
would be when a certain groupmate of mine forgot to do the assigned task, but he/she did not
admit it, but someone knew about it, it is more preferred and humane to not be known to other
members of such matter and just remind him/her in private, and instead continue working on the
paper.

Another example would be, the story of a young student who stole a watch from his co-
student but was not penalized publicly by the teacher who conducted a search. It turned out that
the teacher along with the class, during the search, did not open his eyes. The message of the
story is that it is better to praise in public and to reprimand in private. Not only this will be
tantamount to protection and reformation, but it also upholds the dignity of that person who did a
wrong. As per Abraham Lincoln, “mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice”. To be a good
leader is not just about power and punishment, but more importantly, it is about love and
compassion. Just as in this chapter of the rules of St. Benedict, if a fault is publicly committed, it
is not a hidden fault; but if the monk commits a fault that is not known to the brethren, Benedict
does not recommend making it known. Just as they say, education needs wisdom.