Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 12.djvu/486

 PRIESTS

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PRIESTS

Christentums, V (9th ed., Freiburg, 1908); Ehrhard, Kathol. ChrisUntum u. moderne Kutlur (2ad ed., Mainz, 1906), (cf.); Sadoc tSzALd, Ehrhards Schrift etc., ein Beitrag ziir Kt&rung der rdigiosen Frage der Gegenwart (Graz, 1909); Cathrein, Die kathol. Weltanschauung in ihren Grundlinien mit besonderer Be- riichsichtigung der Moral (2nd ed., Freiburg, 1910).

Special works are: Schell, Der Kaihnlizismus als Primip des FortschriUs (7th ed., WUrzburg, 1909); Pesch, Die soziale Be- fahigung der Kirche (2nd ed., Berlin, 1897); de Champagny, La chariti chretienne dans les premiers sihcles (Paris, 1856); Cochin, Uabolition de I'esdavage (Paris, 1862) ; Margraf, Christentum u. Sklaverei (1865); Ratzinger, Gesch. der kirchl. Armenpfiege (Freiburg, 1868); Schaub, Die kathol. Charitas u. ihre Gegner (Freiburg, 1909); Montalembert, The Monks of the West (tr. Boston, 1872) ; Whewell, Hist, of the Inductive Sciences (London, 1847); Wiseman, Science and Religion (London, 1853); Maitre, Les ^coles de V Occident (Paris, 1858); Wedewer, Das Christentum u. die Sprachtvicsenschaft (1867) ; Roscher, Principles of Pol. Economy (tr. New York, 1878); Secretan, Civilisation et croyance (Lausanne, 1S82) ; Dahlmann, Die Sprachkunde u. die Missionen (Freibiu-g, 1891); Lilly, Christianity and Modern Civilisation (London, 1903): Paulsen, Gesch. de^ gelchrten Unter- Tichts (2 vols., Berlin, 1896); Kneller, Christianity and the Leaders of Modern Science (tr. St. Louis, 1911); Muller, Nik. Kopernikus. Der AUmeister der neueren Astronomic (Freiburg, 1898) ; Pohle, P. Angela Secchi, ein Lebens-u. KuUurbild (2nd ed., Cologne. 1904) ; Willmann, Gesch. des Idealismus (3 vols., Bruns- wiek, 1908): Ilgneh, Die volkswirtschaftl. Anschauungen des hi. Antonin von Florenz (Breslau, 1904).

J. Pohle.

Priests, Confr.^tehnitibs op. — Three confraterni- ties of priests — -the Apostolic Union, the Priests' Eu- charistic League, the Priests' Communion League — have reached a stage of unprecedented diffusion throughout the Church and receive special treatment elsewhere in this Encyclopedia. Confraternities of a local character form the subject of this article. A con- fraternity is a society of persons associated for some pious object. The members are linked together by a bond of brotherhood for mutual co-operation in the pursuit of a specific object of religion or charity by means of prayer, example, and counsel. This defini- tion will exclude societies among the clergy formed for purely scientific or literary work. The clergy funds of English dioceses, even though they include certain religious obligations towards the living and the dead, fall outside its limits. The "Societas pro clero defuncto" is a mutual engagement to pray for the deceased clergy of a district; it is an association but not a confraternity. On the other hand the nu- merous societies of secular clergy in all parts of Spain, called by the name of " I\Ionte-pio ", will doubtless, many of them, fall under the title of confraternity, on account of the importance assigned to the duty of visiting the sick brethren and affording them not only material aid but spiritual consolation, and adminis- tering to them the sacraments. Two or more of the as- sociates are appointed to visit the sick at least every three days.

A confraternity of priests in the strict sense of the word seeks before all else the personal sanctification of its members. Sacerdotal confraternities in different parts of the world present a close family-likeness, their common object being to preserve priests from the dangers of spiritual and social isolation, and to afford them something of that mutual support which belongs to a religious community. "Conjunctse vires plus valent quam singula?" is the expression by which the Holy See has recently consecrated the principle. The particular aims of priests' confraternities may be reduced to three : personal holiness, ecclesiastical learn- ing, and mutual financial aid. The first two are uni- versal, the third appears occasionally. The religious exercises almost invariably insisted upon are: the half-hour's meditation, Mass with preparation and thanksgi\'ing of fifteen minutes, visit to the Blessed Sacrament, the devout recitation of the Breviary, rosary, wei^kly confession, monthly recollection, and biennial retreats. Ecclesiastical learning is under- stood to comprise the study of those subjects which are projier to the various dejiartments of the ministry, and great importance is attached to associated study by means of conferences and discussions. Financial

assistance embraces cases of sickness and old age, as well as loans, medical attendance, and legal advice.

\. Spain. — The uncertainty of the position of ecclesiastics under a hostile Government has led to the display of considerable activity, of late years in different parts of Spain, in the estabUshment of the "Monte-pio", an association for the help of priests in sickness or old age. Such societies are to be found in the Dioceses of C6rdova, Madrid-Alcald (founded 1909), and for the clergy of the cities of Valencia (1897), Toledo (1901), Le6n (1902), Orviedo (1903), Saragossa (1904), Palencia (1905), Astorgia (1906), Urgel (1906), Orense, Salamanca (1907), and in the districts of north Aragon, Ayerbo, and Bolea in Huesca. In Granada there is the "Refugio de San Pedro Nolasco" under the care of the religious of St. John of God for priests who by reason of age or infirmity are ordinarily unable to celebrate Slass. Should there be further accommodation after these have been provided for, priests over si.xty years of age who are able to celebrate regularly are also admitted. There is a society of clergy for mutual aid in the Diocese of Majorca (establisdied 1846) and Vitoria (1846), also in the cities of San Sebast ian and Guernica ; another called "La Providenza" is found in the Diocese of Tarra- gona. A brotherhood for mutual assistance in case of illness exists among the clergy of the town of Vich (1846) in the Diocese of Barcelona. Masses are said for all deceased members once a year, and for indi- vidual members shortly after death. The co-oper- ative society called ' ' The Spanish Clergy Association ", established in Ambrona (Soria) for the purchase of provisions, hardly falls within the scope of the present article, nor does the society now being projected in Madrid by Fr. Armendariz for the vindication of the clergy from the calumnies of the anticlerical press. In Ciudad Real, Cadiz, and other dioceses there exists a brotherhood in which each priest prays for his fellow members. At his death his mass-register is shown to the brotherhood, and if it appears that he has faithfully offered Mass for deceased members, each living member offers a Mass for him. The brotherhoods framed upon the type of the "Associa- ci6n de Sacerdotes del Obispado de Ja^'n ", under the title of Our Lady of Capilla and St. Euphrasius, dedi- cate their lives to the apostolate of the working-class in any of the forms required by the present social con- ditions. They teach Christian doctrine in the schools ; they distribute wholesome literature; they attract the young to confraternities and the practices of religion; and they are always ready for work in the confes- sional, so as to make it easy for people to approach the sacraments. They hold a day's retreat every month, during which the charitable duties for the next month are allotted. In case of sickness three of the associates are selected to minister spiritually to the sick brother.

The "Venerable Congregaci6n de Sacerdotes de San Felipe Neri y Nuestra Seiiora de la Presentaci6n " took its rise under the invocation of St. Philip in the parish church of St. James, Valladolid, as early as the year 1645. Later on the members erected the church of the Orator}-, where the congregation is now in- stalled, and in 1609 united with the ancient but languishing confraternity of the Presentation. The personal sanctification of the associates, and as a con- sequence the greater spiritual profit of the faithful, form the objects of the Institute. Priests and clerics in sacred orders are eligible for admission, and on en- tering take an oath of fidelity to the rules which pre- scribe certain religious duties and in particular visi- tation of the sick, attendance at the funerals of the brethren, and prayers for the dead. As a type of other forms may be taken the ancient "Hermandad [Brotherhood] de San Pedro de la Ciudad de Xerez". Its aim is the performance of spiritual and corporal works of mercy. The confraternity supplies a legal