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 SODALITY

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SODALITY

O. Servorum B.M.V.", I, 107, ad an. 1264; Gianius, " Annales O. Serv. B.M.V.", I (2nd cd., Lucca, 1719), 3S4, ad an. 1412; " Libro degli ordinamenti de la Cora- pagnia di Santa Maria del Carmine scritto nel 1280" (Bologna, 1867)]. Pious associations of this kind, however, soon appeared, which were solely under the bishop and had no close connexion with an order. An interesting example of such an association of the year 1183 is described in the "Histoire gfinorale du Languedoc" (VI, Toulouse, 1879, 106 sqq.), as an "association formed at Lc Puy for the restoration of peace". A ciu-pcnter named Pierre (Durant) is given as the founder of this society. In regard to a "Confraternity of the Mother of God" which existed at Naupactos in Greece about 1050, see "La Con- fraternita di S. Maria di Naupactos 1048", in the "Bullettino dell' Istituto storico italiano", no. 31 (Rome, 1910, 73 sqq.).

From the era of the Middle Ages very many of these pious associations placed themselves under the special protection of the Bles.sed Virgin, and chose her for patron under the title of some sacred mystery with which she was associated. The main object and duty of these societies were, above all, the practice of piety and works of charity. The decline of ec- clesiastical hfe at the close of the Middle Ages was naturally accompanied by a decline of religious as- sociational hfe, the two being related as cause and effect. However, as .soon as the Church rose to re- newed prosperity in the coutse of the sixteenth century, by the aid of the Counter-Reformation an<l the appearance of the new religious congregations and associations, once more there sprang up numerous confraternities and sodalities which laboured with great success and, in many cases, are still effective.

Of the sodalities which came into existence just at this period, particular mention should be made of those called the Sodalities of the Blessed Virgin Mary {congregationes seu sodalitates B. Marim Vir- ginis), because the name sodality was in a special manner peculiar to these, also because their labours for the renewal of the life of the Church were more permanent and have lasted until the pres- ent time, so that these sodalities after fully three hundred years still prosper and flourish. Even the opponents of the Catholic Church seem to recognize this. The article " Bruderschaf ten, kirchliche" in Herzog-Hauck, "Realencyklopildie fur protestan- tische Theologie", discusses almost exclusively the Sodalities of the Bles.sed Virgin Mary as the pattern of Catholic sodalities. It cannot, indeed, be denied that these sodalities are, by their spirit and entire or- ganization, better equipped than other confraterni- ties to make their members not only loyal Catholics but also true lay apostles for the salvation and bless- ing of all around them. In the course of time other pious Church .societies sprang from the Sodalities of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or were quickened by these to new zeal and fruitful labours, e. g. the work of foreign mi-ssions, the"Society of St. Vincent de Paul", the "Society of St. Francis Regis", and many others. While all other confraternities and sodalities have as their chief end a single pious devotion or exercise, a single work of love of God or of one's neighbour, the peculiar aim of the Sodalities of the Blessed Virgin M:ir\'is, by iiicansof the true veneration of the Ble.ssed N'irgin, to build up and renew the whole inner man in order to render him capable of and zealous for all works of .spiritual love and charity. Consequently these sodalities are described below in detail sepa- rately from the others.

II. All sodalities, pious associations, and confra- ternities may be divided into three classes, although these classes are not absolutely distinct from one another. The first class, A, includes the confrater- nities which .seek mainly to attain piety, devotion, and the increase of love of God by special veneration

of God, of the Blessed Virgin, the angels, and the saints. The second class, B, consists of those sodali- ties which are founded chiefly to promote the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. The third class, C, may be considered to include those associations of the Church the main object of which is the well-being and improvement of a definite class of persons.

A. — 'The first class includes: (1) The "Confrater- nity of the Most Holy Trinity with the White Scap- ular" (see Scapular). (2) The Confraternities of the Holy Ghost. In 1882 such a confraternity was estab- lished for Austria-Hungary in the church of the Lazarists at Vienna, and in 1887 it received the right of aggre- gation for the whole of Germany. Special mention should here be made of the " Archconfraternity of the Servants of the Holy Ghost". It was first established in 1877 at the Church of St. Mary of the Angels, Bays- water, London. In 1878 it received the pa])al confir- mation and special indulgences, in the following year it was raised to an archconfraternity with unlimited power of aggregat ion for the whole world . The d irector of the archconfraternity, to whom application for ad- mission can be made personally or by letter, is the su- perior of the Oblates of St. Charles Borromeo, at the Church of St. Mary of the Angels, Bayswater, London, W. A third confraternity for the glorification of the Holy Ghost, especially among the heathen, was estab- lished in the former collegiate Church of Our Lady at Knechtsteden, Germany. It is directed by the Fathers of the Holy Ghost and of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Its organ is the missionary monthly, "Echoaus Knechtsteden". (3) There is no special confraternity in honour of the Heavenly Father. There is, however, an "Archconfraternity of the Most Holy Name of God and of the Most Holy Name of Jesus". Originally this formed two dis- tinct confraternities, which owed their origin to the Dominicans. At a later date they combined and were united into one society, the establishment of which is under the control of the general of the Do- minicans. Paul V cancelled the indulgences pre- viously granted to the confraternity and granted new ones. It is probable that the Brief of 21 Sept., 1274, of Gregory IX, addressed to the general of the Dominicans, gave the first impulse to the founding of the above-mentioned confraternities. In this Brief the pope called upon the father-general to promote, by preaching, the veneration of the Holy Name of Jesus among thi' jH'uple. In America especially this society has spread widely and borne wonderful fruit. It has a periochcal, "The Holy Name Journal," and has been granted new indulgences for those of its mem- bers who take part in its public processions (Analccta Ord. Fratr. Pnedic, XVII (1909), 325 sq. See Holt Name, Society of the]. There are other confrater- nities and sodalities, especially in France, and also in Rome and Belgium, for the prevention of blasphemy against the name of God and of the desecration of Sundays and feast days (Beringer, "Les indulgences", II, 115 sqq.; cf. Act.S. Sed., I, 321).

(4) A triple series of confraternities has been formed about the Person of the Divine Saviour for the veneration of the Most Holy Sacrament, of the Sacred Heart, and of the Passion.

The confraternities of the Most Holy Sacra- ment were founded and developed, strictly speaking, in Italy from the end of the fifteenth century by the apostolic zeal of the Franciscans, especially by the zeal of Cherubino of Spoleto and the Ble.ssed Ber- nardine of Feltre ("Acta SS.", Sept., VII, 837, 858). Yet as early as 1462 a confraternity of the Most Holy Sacrament existed in the Duchy of Jillich, in the Archdiocese of Cologne; other Confraternities of the Most Holy Sacrament were also founded in the Archdiocese of Cologne in the course of the fifteenth century- (cf. "Koln. Pastoralblalt", 1900, 90). At Rome the Confraternity of the Most Holy Sacra-