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Dear Susanne, Rather than deviationists, the nuns may have been simply remiss in their duties, nor particularly ready to go back to regular observance. These faults may not have been so minor if the visitor, after noting that 'the convent of nuns has become lax in the observance of the rule, although no major excesses were found and all submitted to the visitor' immediately adds that 'some burdens of divine worship have been eased and it is hoped [he cautiously leaves himself out of the picture] that the undertaking will prosper on account of the zeal and discretion of the abbess.' This sounds like compromise to me - the nuns promised obedience in exchange for partial release from their liturgical duties. But the situation was far from settled, if the visitor relied on the abbess' qualities for a continued improvement. Furthermore - and here I tread on unknown ground, because I am not a religious, but perhaps some Benedictine will correct me if I am wrong - the liturgy (Mass and Divine Office) is central to the Benedictine rule. Thus, to excuse the nuns from liturgical worship would be like telling the Dominicans that they really don't need to preach, or to the Templars that they need not defend the Holy Land, or to Mother Teresa's nuns that they don't have to tend the sick. Cheers, Luciana -- **************************************** Luciana Cuppo Csaki Societas internationalis pro Vivario e-mail: [log in to unmask] http://www.geocities.com/athens/aegean/9891/ **************************************** %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%