“There was a man of venerable life, blessed by grace, and blessed in name, for he was called "Benedictus" or Bennet: who, from his younger years, carried always the mind of an old man: for his age was inferior to his virtue”. With these words the first author writing about St. Benedict, pope Gregory the Great (540-604), starts devoted to him the II book of his “Dialogues”. 

According to tradition Benedict came from a powerful family of Anicius. He was born in about 480 in Nursia. He began studies in Rome, but he quit them to start anachoretic life.At first he lived in a grotto near Subiaco, 72 km to the east of Rome (Monte Albano). Gregory informs that the sainthood of Benedict`s life made monks from a nearby monastery ask him to be their abbot. This story has an unusual ending – monks discouraged by his requirements tried to poison him.Benedict, astonished by the conduct of cobrothers, returned to Subiaco. However soon afterwards disciples started gathering around him. Together with the rise of their amount the saint decided on the foundation of new monasteries. Benedict himself moved to the hill of Monte Cassino, where he set up a monastery in still pagan surroundings. There he also finally drew up the text of his Rule. At the end of his life, as Gregory describes, the saint had an unusual vision: “He saw a light, which banished away the darkness of the night, and glittered with such brightness, that the light which did shine in the midst of darkness was far more clear than the light of the day. Upon this sight a marvellous strange thing followed, for, as himself did afterward report, the whole world, gathered as it were together under one beam of the sun, was presented before his eyes”. 

Benedict is worshiped as a patron of good death. The saint himself received the Holy Communion on the day of his death and died standing in the monastery chapel (oratorium), singing a psalm held up by brothes. According to tradition Benedict died in 543.

The monastery on Monte Cassino, in the past many times destroyed, till now remains the place of special cult of the saint Patriarch. Another important place of cult is Saint-Benoit-sur Loire Abbey in France where, according to certain sources, his body was brought in the 7th or 8th century from the destroyed by Longobards monastery on Monte Cassino. The original of the Rule did not survive till now. It burnt in 896 in the fire of the monastery in Teano.

When in 1964, during the Second Vatican Council, pope Paul VI decided to proclaim St. Benedict the patron of Europe, he did not think only of small Europe. The very moment of the proclamation was connected with a solemn consecration by the pope himself of the rebuilt church of Monte Cassino Abbey. In the homily preached that day Paul VI said that the successful restoration of the abbey was, so to say, a symbolic end of a war and, if God allows, very likely, wars.

John Paul II not only adopted fully the care of his predecessors for European unity, but also in a very real way spread the notion of Europe on our whole continent. As well, even at the beginning of the pontiffcate the celebration of the 1500th anniversary of St. Benedict`s birth in 1980 gave an oppportunity to reminder and emphasize the position of St. Benedict. In the manifesto to the abbot of Monte Cassino on 21st March 1980 the pope reminded the European significace of Benedictine heritage adding however, significantly, that it happened “without the countries of Byzantine culture although even they felt its influence”. Enumeration of the list of northern and central Europe countries, Poland inclusive, was a memento of a broader size of Europe, how easily forgotten then in the West. In the papal memento there follows very clearly the approval of progress of the European Union with equally distinct bringing back still lasting division of Europe.

Benedict`s idea is built on two basic foundations,namely on prayer and work. The Rule throws off slavery, so fundamental for the ancient world. Do not we need even today – the pope asks – to refer to the tradition of man`s liberation? “Why is not the Benedictine slogan (ora et labora – pray and work) presently in our world a memento exhorting to liberating oneself from the bondage of consumerism, the bondage of habits in thinking and judging, while setting programmes and lifestyles only from the point of view of economy?” Refering to a certain text from the Dialogues of Gregory the Great, the pope completes this maxim saying:”Pray, work and do not be sad”.

The Benedictine Rule collects long experience of ancient monks and draws it up into principles of community life in the way that fits splendidly to the needs of thousands of monasteries in western Europe. Other religious rules, monastic and canonic, always turned back to an almost classical example, which the text of St. Benedict had become since it was introduced by Charles the Great in all monasteries of his empire. The monumental pulpit from Sandomierz shows St. Benedict with a fruiting tree growing from his side. The artist`s idea becomes clear if we see how many orders live according to St. Benedict`s Rule. Let us mention e.g. Cameldolites, Cistercians, Benedictines, nuns of the Order of the Holy Sacrament or nuns Benedictine missionaries. The Patriarch`s idea still remains vivid and bears fruit constantly. 

The figure of the Saint became inpiration for many artistic and literary works. One of the most discerning portraits was drafted by a Polish writer, Hanna Malewska, in the novel “Przemija postać świata” (The Form of the World Is Passing Away).

The Benedictine formula of a small community combining skilfully authority and order with kindness, delicacy, e.g. towards the most needy, made a sort of an ideal model, inspiring pattern. In this sense it is difficult to overestimate the significance of its text, and in this sense it is possible to speak symbolically about St. Benedict as “Europe`s father”.

Since 1989 the issue of inclusion of Poland in the union of free European nations creating – not without difficult debates and obstacles – European Union has become a crucial problem , vital, as it is supposed, for the future of our country. The revival of St. Benedict`s cult in Poland acquires particular significance in this situation, it becomes an important task not only for still vivid here Benedictine communities, but for the whole Catholic Church; what is more, many other Churches and Christian communities can boldly admit to great Benedict`s tradition and, in a sense, people of agnostic humanism which acknowledges European tradition. Peace and Benedictine moderation create here a unique opportunity of meting.

Benedictine tradition has been present since 10th cenury in the country and the Polish Church; St. Adalbert and his ideological heritage are particularly connected with it. By a paradox of history the conquest of Monte Cassino by the Polish army in May 1944 acquires a special meaning for us especially today. The cemetery of Polish soldiers there is an impressive trace of the unity of societies of the former Republic, Catholics, Protestants, Uniats, Orthodox, Jews. St. Benedict – patron of Europe – can patronize it excellently. It would be a good thing if Polish pilgrims to Monte Cassino remember it and if the memory of the hill – the craddle of European culture – is connected in the social consciousness also with the memory of the great patron of Europe.