The Plan of St. Gall :: :: University of Virginia Library

Most of the early desert monks looked upon wine as an
unsuitable drink; St. Anthony never touched it and even
St. Pachomius struck it entirely from the diet of his monks
except in case of sickness.[222] But others, such as Palladius
(d. 431) proclaimed that "it is better to drink wine with
measure than water with hubris."[223] The moderates among
the early fathers had a powerful precedent to lean upon
since the Lord himself drank wine (Matt. IX, 11). St.
Benedict settled the controversy with his distinctive discretion.
"We do indeed read that wine is no drink for
monks; but since nowadays monks cannot be persuaded of
this, let us at least agree upon this, to drink temperately
and not to satiety."[224]

[222]

Vinum et liquamen absque loco aegrotantium nullus attingat ("Outside
the infirmary no one shall touch wine and oil"), Rule of St. Pachomius,
chap. 45, ed. Boon, 1932, 24. Even when on leave of absence from the
monastery while visiting a diseased relative, this rule was rigidly enforced;
see chap. 54 of the Rule, ed. Boon, 30.

[223]

I am taking these data from Steidle's commentary to chap. 40 of
the Rule of St. Benedict; Steidle, 1952, 238. For other early proponents
of moderate use of wine see Delatte, 1913, 315.

[224]

Licet legamus uinum omnino monachorum non esse, sed quia nostris
temporibus id monachis persuaderi non potest, saltim uel hoc consentiamus,
ut non usque ad sacietatem bibamus, sed parcius; Benedicti regula, chap. 40,
ed. Hanslik, 1960, 101-102; ed. McCann, 1952, 96-99; ed. Steidle, 1952,
237-38. The source referred to by St. Benedict is the Verba Seniorum.
Cf. Delatte, 1913, 314, note 1.