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>
> A cloister is the inner area of a monastery where outsiders are either
> excluded altogether or have only the most restricted access.
>
> Nunnery is a relatively modern designation, in English only, for women's
> monasteries. Whenever I use it, I pair it with monkery (a must rarer but
> nevertheless licit usage.) The distinction between nun and sister is also
> a
> modern legalism. In medieval texts the most common use is sanctimonial
> for
> female religious though you will also find monacham and --very
> rarely--nonne. Sister is what they call each other. Orders develop
> slowly
> as conglomerates of monasteries from the late twelfth century and again,
> congegations
> (as descriptive of a group of religious communities ) is generally a
> modern
> designation for groups under episcopal supervision as compared to
> independent orders.
>
All religious groups founded since a certain date I can't recall
(Council of Trent?) are officially congregations (not orders) and the women
are sisters not nuns. Some groups have tried to get around the distinction
by identifying themselves as reforms of an ancient order or by following the
rule of an ancient order. It is, as you say, a legalism, and the main
purpose was to minimize the number of groups not subject to episcopal
control.
Francine Nicholson
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