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An oblate in Christian monasticism (especially Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Methodist) is a person who is specifically dedicated to God or to God's service. Currently, ''oblate'' has two meanings: *Oblates are individuals, either laypersons or clergy, normally living in general society, who, while not professed monks or nuns, have individually affiliated themselves with a monastic community of their choice. They make a formal, private promise (annually renewable or for life, depending on the monastery with which they are affiliated) to follow the Rule of the Order in their private life as closely as their individual circumstances and prior commitments permit. Such oblates do not constitute a separate religious order as such, but are considered an extended part of the monastic community, and as such also often have the letters OblSB〔http://www.osb.org/obl/nvest9907.html〕〔http://www.stgertrudes.org/laymembership.html〕 or ObSB after their names on documents. They are comparable to the tertiaries associated with the various Orders of friars. *"Oblate" is also used in the official name of some religious institutes as an indication of their sense of dedication. ==Origins and history== The word ''oblate'' (from the Latin ''oblatus'' - someone who has been offered) has had various particular uses at different periods in the history of the Christian church. The children vowed and given by their parents to the monastic life, in houses under the Rule of St. Benedict, were commonly known by this term during the century and a half after its writing, when the custom was in vogue, and the councils of the Church treated them as monks. This practice continued until the Tenth Council of Toledo in 656 forbade their acceptance before the age of ten and granted them free permission to leave the monastery, if they wished, when they reached the age of puberty. The term ''puer oblatus'' (used after that Council) labels an ''oblate'' who had not yet reached puberty and thus had a future opportunity to leave the monastery,〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=JSTOR: The English Historical Review, Vol. 47, No. 188 (Oct., 1932), pp. 568-582 )〕 though ''puer oblatus'' can also refer to someone entering an abbey.〔http://phonoarchive.org/grove/Entries/S13475.htm 〕 At a later date the term "oblate" designated such lay men or women as were pensioned off by royal and other patrons upon monasteries or benefices, where they lived as in an almshouse or homes. In the 11th century, Abbot William of Hirschau or Hirsau (died 1091), in the old diocese of Spires, introduced two kinds of lay brethren into the monastery: # the ''fratres barbati'' or ''conversi'', who took vows but were not claustral or enclosed monks # the ''oblati'', workmen or servants who voluntarily subjected themselves, whilst in the service of the monastery, to religious obedience and observance. Afterwards, the different status of the lay brother in the several orders of monks, and the ever-varying regulations concerning him introduced by the many reforms, destroyed the distinction between the ''conversus'' and the ''oblatus''. The Cassinese Benedictines, for instance, at first carefully differentiated between ''conversi'', ''commissi'' and ''oblati''; the nature of the vows and the forms of the habits were in each case specifically distinct. The ''conversus'', the lay brother properly so called, made solemn vows like the choir monks, and wore the scapular; the ''commissus'' made simple vows, and was dressed like a monk, but without the scapular; the ''oblatus'' made a vow of obedience to the abbot, gave himself and his goods to the monastery, and wore a sober secular dress. But in 1625, we find the ''conversus'' reduced below the status of the ''commissus'', inasmuch as he could make only simple vows for a year at a time; he was in fact indistinguishable, except by his dress, from the ''oblatus'' of a former century. Then, in the later Middle Ages, ''oblatus'', ''confrater'', and ''donatus'' became interchangeable titles, given to any one who, for his generosity or special service to the monastery, received the privilege of lay membership, with a share in the prayers and good works of the brethren. Canonically, only two distinctions ever had any consequence: # that between those who entered religion "per modum professionis" and "per modum simplicis conversionis" the former being ''monachi'' and the later ''oblati'' # that between the oblate who was ''"mortuus mundo"'' ("dead to the world," that is, who had given himself and his goods to religion without reservation), and the oblate who retained some control over his person and his possessions – the former only (plene oblatus) was accounted a ''persona ecclesiastica'', with enjoyment of ecclesiastical privileges and immunity (Benedict XIV, "De Synodo Dioce.", VI).〔Catholic Encyclopedia〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Oblate」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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