Abstract
Loving kindness (caritas) became the fundamental notion of early Cistercian spirituality. As time went by, official acts gradually replaced this mutual loving kindness among individual monasteries.
The author of this paper studies the diffusion of the Cistercian order throughout Europe between the early 12th and 14th century. In Europe, the Cistercian order spread most quickly during the 12th century.
The visitations represented one of the basic tools of administration of the Cistercian order. They constituted an internal means of control of the OrderThe General chapters of the Order were held once a year at the Burgundian house of Cîteaux.
Their resolutions constituted one of the sources of Cistercian jurisdisction.In the twelfth century the Order enjoyed support of the Roman papacy. In later periods, the development of the Order was substantially influenced by measures taken by popes Clement IV and Benedict XII.
The Order began to emphasize higher education only in the half of 13th century. The education system had several levels, of which the highest was represented by institutions of higher studies affiliated to universities.A deep economic crisis befell the Order during the 13th century in western Europe, and during the 14th century in central Europe.
In those times, most of its houses fell into debt.