The Militia of Jesus Christ ( it, Milizia di Gesù Cristo) was a military order in Lombardy during the

High Middle Ages The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the period of European history that lasted from AD 1000 to 1300. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and were followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended around AD 150 ...

. It was founded at

Parma Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second mos ...

Bartholomew Bartholomew (Aramaic: ; grc, Βαρθολομαῖος, translit=Bartholomaîos; la, Bartholomaeus; arm, Բարթողիմէոս; cop, ⲃⲁⲣⲑⲟⲗⲟⲙⲉⲟⲥ; he, בר-תולמי, translit=bar-Tôlmay; ar, بَرثُولَماو� ...

Bishop of Vicenza The Diocese of Vicenza ( la, Dioecesis Vicentina) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in Italy.

, a Dominican, in 1233 and approved by

Pope Gregory IX Pope Gregory IX ( la, Gregorius IX; born Ugolino di Conti; c. 1145 or before 1170 – 22 August 1241) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 March 1227 until his death in 1241. He is known for issuing the '' Decre ...

, who gave it a rule in 1234 and placed under the jurisdiction of the Dominicans.Though Lateran IV had prohibited the formulation of new religious rules, Gregory recognised the Militia as an association of laymen completely obedient to their master general and their military life. Its chief purpose was to combat heresy, like Catharism and

Waldensianism The Waldensians (also known as Waldenses (), Vallenses, Valdesi or Vaudois) are adherents of a church tradition that began as an ascetic movement within Western Christianity before the Reformation. Originally known as the "Poor Men of Lyon" in ...

, and to strengthen the bond between the

Roman Church Holy Roman Church, Roman Church, Church of Rome or Church in Rome may refer to: * The Diocese of Rome or the Holy See * The Latin Church * Churches of Rome (buildings) In historical contexts ''Roman Church'' may also refer to: * The Catholic Chur ...

and the local nobility. In imitation of the

Order of Santiago The Order of Santiago (; es, Orden de Santiago ), is a religious and military order founded in the 12th century. It owes its name to the Patron Saint of Spain, "Santiago" (St. James the Greater). Its initial objective was to protect the pilgri ...

, members of the Militia did not take a

vow of chastity Chastity, also known as purity, is a virtue related to temperance. Someone who is ''chaste'' refrains either from sexual activity considered immoral or any sexual activity, according to their state of life. In some contexts, for example when ...

, nor did they live communally or in poverty.Vincent, 953–54. The membership in turn was divided into two classes: the high-born urban nobility and the bourgeoisie. The urban nature of the militia meant an emphasis on helping the weak and disadvantaged in the cities. Members were required to perform

confession A confession is a statement – made by a person or by a group of persons – acknowledging some personal fact that the person (or the group) would ostensibly prefer to keep hidden. The term presumes that the speaker is providing information th ...

thrice annually (at

Easter Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

, and Pentecost) and acts of liturgical devotion daily or hourly. There were monthly meetings for the biblical instruction of the membership, conducted by Dominican

friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the ...

s. The knights of the order even wore the white tunic and black cloak of the Dominicans. The head officer of the Militia was the master general, who decided in what military operations members could participate when called upon by either the pope or the local bishop. The Militia was active chiefly in the vicinity of Parma, but disappears from the record after 1261, when a new order, the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary, takes over its role. There is some confusion between the Militia founded in Lombardy in 1233 and the institution called the

Militia of the Faith of Jesus Christ The Militia or Order of the (Holy) Faith of Jesus Christ ( la, Militia Jesu Christi) was an ephemeral military order founded in Languedoc in or shortly before 1221. It owed its origins probably to Folquet de Marselha, the Bishop of Toulouse; Simon ...

, a penitential order, founded by Dominic himself to combat the Cathars in southern France at the height of the Albigensian Crusade. It should also not be confused with a modern "revival" called th
Militia Jesu Christi
which sees itself as the continuation of Dominic's foundation, but without official ecclesiastical approval.

Bibliography

*Crawford, Paul (2004). "Military Orders in Italy." ''Medieval Italy: An Encyclopedia'', ed. Christopher Kleinhenz (New Jersey: Routledge University Press), pp. 720–22. . *Vincent, Catherine (2001). "Militia of Jesus Christ." ''Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages'' (New Jersey: Routledge University Press), pp. 953–54. .

Notes

{{reflist 1233 establishments in Europe Military orders (monastic society) Catholic orders of chivalry Dominican Order History of Catholicism in Italy