Confraternities of priests are communities of ordained members within the Catholic Church. These societies, in distinction from the many
confraternities
A confraternity (; ) is generally a Christian voluntary association of laypeople created for the purpose of promoting special works of Christian charity or piety, and approved by the Church hierarchy. They are most common among Catholics, L ...
open to lay persons, reached an important place of influence in the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
by the end of the nineteenth century. At that point, the Apostolic Union, the
Priests' Eucharistic League, and the
Priests' Communion League, had become widely established in many countries.
[ There were also such confraternities operating nationally.
]
Description
A confraternity is a society of persons associated with 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. A confraternity of priests in the strict sense of the word seeks before all else the personal sanctification of its members. Sacerdotal confraternities have as their common objective 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
Religion is a range of social- cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural ...
community. The particular aims of priests' confraternities may be reduced to three: personal holiness, ecclesiastical learning, and mutual financial aid. Financial assistance embraces cases of sickness and old age, as well as loans, medical attendance, and legal advice.
Examples
The Confraternity of Catholic Clergy was founded in 1975. It is an association of Catholic Priests and Deacons in the United States who are pledged to the pursuit of personal holiness, loyalty to the Roman Pontiff, commitment to theological study and strict adherence to the authentic teachings of the Magisterium.
The Australian Confraternity of Catholic Clergy was founded in 1987.
The Irish Confraternity of Catholic Clergy was established in 2013.Irish Confraternity of Catholic Clergy
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References
External links
Catholic EncyclopediaConfraternity of Catholic Clergy website
Confraternities
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