Benedictines Suspend Monk For Bullying Novice

Miami, FL–Benedictines from around the country are calling on the superior of a local Order to “uphold its responsibility to maintain a safe prayer environment for monks.” This follows revelations that long-time Benedictine monk Fr. Richie Incognitus allegedly bullied fellow monk Brother Jonathon Martin. Martin recently left the Order after alleging that Incognitus left a voice mail saying, among other things, that [Martin] was “nothing more than a novice.” Superior of the Benedictines in Miami, Florida Fr. Robert Lector told EOTT that Martin was forced to pay for expensive meals. “I mean we grow our own food, but he was forced to pay for the seeds. So, though it was just a few bucks, it was a few bucks Martin didn’t have.” Other monks from the order have spoken out about Incognitus, many saying that he “prayed dirty.” “Bad novice treatment, if you will, is widespread in the Order,” said one anonymous monk. “But all in a benign nature; carrying someone’s breviary, duct-taping guys to a statue, things of that nature.” A Benedictine insider said the straw that broke the camel’s back for Martin came when he went into the lunch room and sat down after the meal prayer, then all the monks jokingly got up from his table and moved.” Incognitus was allegedly the ringleader of the harassment, so there may be more monks implicated as the investigation unfolds.