[Iscool]

Among many other false notes, I find it amusing that a supposed former Dominican would describe the Dominicans as a monastic order when the entire point of the Dominicans in the first place is that they are not monastics.

But yet, there are many Dominican monasteries in operation today, even in the U.S...

[wideawake]

Again, Dominicans are not monks and they do not live in monasteries. Dominicans are friars and live in friaries.

While I understand that non-Catholics don't see much difference between one Catholic in a religious habit and another, a Catholic friar - which this man claims to once have been - would be well aware of the distinction.

While it is true that monasteries have often been repurposed for use by friars, no Dominican - no matter what building he lived in - would refer to himself as a monk.

[Mad Dawg]

But yet, there are many Dominican monasteries in operation today, even in the U.S...

Did this get cleared up? The establishment in DC is not a monastery. It's the "Dominican House of Studies" for the Province of St. Joseph, The Eastern Province. Most of the other places are "priories." The monasteries are where the Second Order Dominican nuns hang out. They are an enclosed contemplative order.

Dominic purposefully did not want monks. He wanted "canons" and used as a basis the rule of the Augustinian Canons. The Dominican 'rule' is not a monk's rule, and the Dominican life is not a monk's life. The Dominican/Franciscan 'revolution' was set against the established and stable monastic orders.