The Order of the Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel or Carmelites (sometimes simply Carmel by synecdoche; Latin: Ordo fratrum Beatæ Virginis Mariæ de monte Carmelo) is a Roman Catholic religious order founded in the 12th century on Mount Carmel, whence the order receives its name. Synecdoche is taken from Greek sinekdohi (συνεκδοχή meaning "simultaneous understanding" (si-nek-duh-kee (pronounced /sɪˈnɛkdoˌki/ Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Religious orders ('Religious Institutes' cf canons 573-746 are the major form of consecrated life in the Roman Catholic Church. Mount Carmel (הר הכרמל Karem El/Har Ha'Karmel; Arabic Kurmul/Jabal Mar Elyas) is a coastal Mountain range in northern Israel Saint Bertold has traditionally been associated with the founding of the order, but few clear records of early Carmelite history have survived and this is likely to be a later invention by hagiographers. Saint Bertold of Mount Carmel (also known as Bartoldus of Calabria) was born in Limoges in south west France. Hagiography ( is the study of Saints. A hagiography, from Greek (hağios (ἅγιος "holy" or "saint" and graphē (γραφή
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Charism and origin
The charism, or spiritual focus, of the Carmelite Order is contemplative prayer. Religious meaning A charism (plural charismata. From the Greek charis - grace the divine influence on the receiver's heart and its reflection in his The Order is considered by the Church to be under the special protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary and thus has a strong Marian devotion. This ecumenical article is about general Christian views on and veneration of the Virgin Mary As in most of the orders dating to medieval times, the First Order is the friars (who are active/contemplative), the Second Order is the nuns (who are cloistered) and the Third Order consists of laypeople who continue to live in the world, and can be married, but participate in the charism of the order by liturgical prayers, apostolates (ministries), and contemplative prayer. There are also offshoots such as active Carmelite sisters.
Carmelite tradition traces the origin of the order to a community of hermits on Mount Carmel that succeeded the schools of the prophets in ancient Israel, although there are no certain records of hermits on this mountain before the 1190s. A hermit (from the Greek ἔρημος erēmos, signifying " Desert " "uninhabited" hence "desert-dweller" adjective "eremitic" The Kingdom of Israel ( ( KJV Israel in Samaria) was one of the successor states to the older United Monarchy (also often called the 'Kingdom of Israel' By this date a group of men had gathered at the well of Elijah on Mount Carmel. Elijah or Elias ( was a Prophet in Israel in the 9th century BC These men, who had gone to Palestine from Europe either as pilgrims or as crusaders, chose Mount Carmel in part because it was the traditional home of Elijah. Palestine is a name which has been widely used since Roman times to refer to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents It was but natural that this community of Eastern hermits in the Holy Land should gain constant accessions from pilgrims, and between 1206 and 1214 they received a rule from the patriarch and Papal legate Albert of Jerusalem. The Holy Land ( Arabic: الأرض المقدسة al-Arḍ ul-Muqaddasah;Ancient Aramaic: ארעא קדישא Ar'a Qaddisha; Hebrew: ארץ_הקודש A Papal Legate – from the Latin authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the Pope to Foreign nations or to some part of the Catholic Saint Albert Avogadro (1149 &ndash September 14, 1214) was a canon lawyer who served as Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from 1204 until his death The foundation was named the Stella Maris Monastery, in honour of the Virgin Mary in her aspect of Our Lady, Star of the Sea, (Latin: Stella Maris). The Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery in Haifa, Israel is a 19th-century monastery located on the slopes of Mount Carmel. This ecumenical article is about general Christian views on and veneration of the Virgin Mary Our Lady Star of the Sea is an ancient title for the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. The abbey was destroyed several times, but a refounded Stella Maris monastery is still considered the headquarters of the order.
The original Carmelite Rule of St. Albert addresses a Prior whose name is only listed as "B. The eremitic Rule of St Albert is the shortest of the rules of Consecrated life in existence in the Roman Catholic spiritual tradition " When later required to name their founders, the Brothers referred to both Elijah and the Blessed Virgin as early models of the community. Later, under pressure from other European Mendicant orders to be more specific, the name "Saint Bertold" was given, possibly drawn from the oral tradition of the Order. The term mendicant (Latin mendicans, begging refers to Begging or relying on charitable donations and is most widely used for religious followers or Saint Bertold of Mount Carmel (also known as Bartoldus of Calabria) was born in Limoges in south west France. Oral tradition, oral culture and oral lore is a way for a society to transmit history, literature, law and other Knowledges
The rule consisted of 16 articles, which enjoined strict obedience to their prior, residence in individual cells, constancy in prayer, the hearing of Mass every morning in the oratory of the community, vows of poverty and toil, daily silence from vespers until terce the next morning, abstinence from all forms of meat except in cases of severe illness, and fasting from Holy Cross Day (September 14) to Easter of the following year. A priory is a House of men or women under religious vows headed by a Prior or prioress The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. In Christianity, an oratory is a Room for Prayer, from the Latin orare, to pray Religious vows are the public Vows made by the members of the religious life – cenobitic and eremitic – of the Roman Catholic, Vespers is the evening Prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Eastern (Byzantine Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, liturgies of the Terce, or Third Hour, is a fixed time of prayer of the Divine Office of almost all the Christian liturgies Vegetarianism is the practice of a diet that excludes Meat (including game and slaughter by-products Fish (including Shellfish and other sea In the Christian Liturgical calendar, there are several different feasts known as Feasts of the Cross, all of which commemorate the cross used in the Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year.
History
Early history
The Rule of St. Albert received the approval of Pope Honorius III in 1226. Pope Honorius III (1148 &ndash March 18 1227) born Cencio, was Pope from 1216 to 1227 With the increasing cleavage between the West and the East, however, the Carmelites found it advisable to leave their original home, and in 1238 they settled in Cyprus and Sicily. Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy.
In 1240 they were in Aylesford, Kent, England, and four years later in southern France, while by 1245 they were so numerous that they were able to hold their first general chapter at Aylesford, where Simon Stock, then eighty years of age, was chosen general. Aylesford is a large village on the River Medway in Kent, 4 miles NW of Maidstone in England. KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Saint Simon Stock (born c 1165 died 16 May 1265) was according to Carmelite tradition the English Carmelite to whom the Brown Scapular During his rule of twenty years the order prospered, especially by the establishment of a monastery at Paris by Saint Louis in 1259. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city
Reforms within the Order
In the 14th and 15th centuries the Carmelites, like other monastic orders, declined, and reform became imperative. Shortly before 1433 three monasteries in Valais, Tuscany, and Mantua were reformed by the preaching of Thomas Conecte of Rennes and formed the congregation of Mantua, which, was declared independent of the order by Pope Eugene IV. The Valais ( German:) is one of the 26 Cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its Tuscany (Toscana is a region in Italy. It has an area of 22990 km² and a population of about 3 Mantua (Màntova in the local dialect of Lombard language Mantua is a city in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the Thomas Conecte (d 1434 French Carmelite Monk and Preacher, was born at Rennes. Rennes ( Gallo: Resnn, Roazhon Condate Condate Riedonum is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern Pope Eugene IV (1383 &ndash February 23, 1447) born Gabriele Condulmer, was Pope from March 3, 1431, to his death In 1431 or 1432 the same pope sanctioned certain modifications of the Carmelite rule, and in 1459 Pope Pius II left the regulation of fasts to the discretion of the general. Pope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini ( Latin Aeneas Sylvius; October 18, 1405 &ndash August 14, 1464) John Soreth, who was then general, and had already established the order of Carmelite nuns in 1452, accordingly sought to restore the primitive asceticism, but died of poison at Nantes in 1471. Nantes (Naoned Gallo: Naunnt) is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast
In 1476 a bull of Pope Sixtus IV founded the Carmelites of the Third Order, who received a special rule in 1635, which was amended in 1678. Pope Sixtus IV ( July 21, 1414 &ndash August 12, 1484) born Francesco Della Rovere, was Pope from 1471 to 1484 The 16th century saw a number of short-lived reforms, but it was not until the second half of the same century that a thorough reformation of the Carmelites was carried out by Saint Teresa of Ávila, who, together with John of the Cross, established the Discalced Carmelites. For other saints with similar names please see Saint Teresa. Saint Teresa of Ávila, known in religion as Saint Teresa of Jesus and For another saint who lived around the same time and area see John of Avila. The Discalced Carmelites, or Barefoot Carmelites, is a Catholic Mendicant order with roots in the eremitic tradition of the Desert Fathers
Out of concern over the advent of Protestantism, the order was now inspired with an asceticism and a devotion hitherto unknown to it. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. In 1593 the Discalced Carmelites had their own general, and by 1600 they were so numerous that it became necessary to divide them into the two congregations of Spain and of Italy, or St. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Elise, the latter including all provinces except Spain. Henceforth there were four Carmelite generals: the general of the Observantines, of the independent congregation of Mantua, and of the two congregations of the Discalced Carmelites. Other reforms within the Order include those of Tourainne and Mantova.
Controversies with other orders
By the middle of the 17th century the Carmelites had reached their zenith. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar At this period, however, they became involved in controversies with other orders, particularly with the Jesuits. The Society of Jesus ( Latin: Societas Iesu, SJ and SI or SJ, SI) is a Catholic religious order The special objects of attack were the traditional origin of the Carmelites and the source of their scapular. The Sorbonne, represented by Jean Launoy, joined the Jesuits in their polemics against the Carmelites. This article is about the Collège de Sorbonne. For other uses of the name see Sorbonne. Jean de Launoy ( Joannes Launoius) (1603-1678 was a French historian
Papebroch, the Bollandist editor of the Acta Sanctorum, was answered by the Carmelite Sebastian of St. Daniel Papebroch (1628&ndash1714 was a Belgian Jesuit Hagiographer, one of the Bollandists. The Bollandists are an association of scholars - originally all Jesuit, but now including non-Jesuits -- philologists and historians -- who since the early seventeenth century Acta Sanctorum ( Acts of the Saints ' is an encyclopedic text in 68 folio volumes of documents examining the lives of Christian saints in essence a critical Paul, who made such serious charges against the orthodoxy of his opponent's writings that the very existence of the Bollandists was threatened. The peril was averted, however, and in 1696 a decree of Juan Tomás de Rocaberti, archbishop of Valencia and inquisitor-general of the Holy Office, forbade all further controversies between the Carmelites and Jesuits. Juan Tomás de Rocaberti (b of a noble family at Perelada, in Catalina, c The term Inquisition can refer to any one of several institutions charged with trying and convicting heretics within the Roman Catholic Church and Two years later, on November 20, 1698, Pope Innocent XII issued a brief which definitely ended the controversy on pain of excommunication, and placed all writings in violation of the brief upon the Index. Events 284 - Diocletian was chosen as Roman Emperor. 762 - Bögü Khan of the Uyghurs, Pope Innocent XII ( March 13, 1615 &ndash September 27, 1700) born Antonio Pignatelli was Pope from 1691 to 1700 Excommunication is a religious Censure used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community
Modern history
The French Revolution, the secularization in Germany, and the repercussions on religious Orders following the unification of Italy were heavy blows to the Carmelites. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an By the last decades of the 19th century, there were approximately 200 Carmelite men throughout the world. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar At the beginning of the 20th century, however, new leadership and less political interference allowed a rebirth of the Order. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on Existing provinces began refounding provinces that had gone out of existence. The theological preparation of the Carmelites was strengthened, particularly with the foundation of St. Albert's College in Rome.
By 2001, the membership had increased to approximately 2,100 men in 25 provinces, 700 enclosed nuns in 70 monasteries, and 13 affiliated Congregations and Institutes. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. In addition, the Lay Carmelites count 25-30,000 members throughout the world. Provinces exist in Italy, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Malta, Poland, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Singapore, Indonesia and Australia. Delegations directly under the Prior General exist in Portugal, the Czech Republic, the Philippines, and France. Carmelite Missions exist in Lithuania, Romania, Burkino Faso, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Cameroon, Mozambique, Kenya, India, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, Trinidad, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and Argentina. Monasteries of enclosed Carmelite nuns exist in Italy, Ireland, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Brazil, Peru, the United States of America, Kenya, the Philippines, Nicaragua, Indonesia and the Dominican Republic. Hermit communities of either men or women exist in the United States of America, France, Italy, Indonesia and Brazil.
The Discalced Carmelite Order is still represented on the summit of the Carmel range at the Muhraka Monastery. Discalced is a term applied to those religious congregations of men and women the members of which go entirely Barefoot or wear Sandals with or without other covering The monastery is situated about 25 kilometers south of Haifa on the eastern side of the Carmel, and stands on the foundations of a series of earlier monasteries. The site is believed by Christians, Jews and Muslims to be where the encounter between the prophet Elijah and the priests of Baal took place (1 Kings, 18:20-40). The Books of Kings ( Sefer Melachim, ספר מלכים are a part of Judaism 's Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible. The name of the monastery, Muhraka, meaning "place of burning", is a direct reference to the biblical account.
There are several major Carmelite figures in the 20th century, including St. Thérèse of Lisieux, one of the few female Doctors of the Church, so named because of her famous teaching on the "Little Way" of confidence in God; Titus Brandsma, a Dutch scholar and writer who was killed in Dachau Concentration Camp because of his stance against Nazism; and St. Doctor of the Church ( Latin doctor, teacher from Latin docere, to teach is a title given by a variety of Christian Churches to individuals Blessed Titus Brandsma ( Bolsward, February 23, 1881 &ndash Dachau July 26, 1942) was a Dutch Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (née Edith Stein), a Jewish convert to Catholicism who was also imprisoned and died at Auschwitz. Edith Stein ( October 12, 1891 &ndash August 9, 1942) was a German-Jewish philosopher, a Carmelite nun Martyr Saint Raphael Kalinowski (1835-1907) was the first friar to be sainted in the Order since co-founder Saint John of the Cross. Saint Raphael Kalinowski, OCD (Rafał Kalinowski Rapolas Kalinauskas (September 1 1835 &ndash November 15 1907 was a Polish Discalced Year 1835 ( MDCCCXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year For another saint who lived around the same time and area see John of Avila. The writings and teachings of Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, a Carmelite friar of the 17th century, continue as a spiritual classic under the title The Practice of the Presence of God. Brother Lawrence (c 1614 - February 12, 1691) was a lay brother in a Carmelite Monastery, who is today most commonly remembered for The Practice of the Presence of God is a text compiled by Father Joseph de Beaufort of the wisdom and teachings of Brother Lawrence, a 17th century Other non-religious (i. e. , non-vowed monastic) great figures include Blessed George Preca, a Maltese priest and Carmelite Tertiary. Saint George Preca (in Maltese: San Ġorġ Preca) ( 12 February 1880 - 26 July 1962) was a Maltese
Habit and scapular
The original rule of the order was changed to conform to that of the mendicant orders on the initiative of St. The mendicant orders are religious orders which depend directly on the charity of the people for their livelihood Simon Stock and at the command of Pope Innocent IV. Saint Simon Stock (born c 1165 died 16 May 1265) was according to Carmelite tradition the English Carmelite to whom the Brown Scapular Pope Innocent IV, born Sinibaldo Fieschi was Pope from June 28, 1243 to December 7, 1254. Their former habit of a mantle with black and white or brown and white stripes was discarded, and they wore the same habit as the Dominicans, except that the cloak was white. The Order of Preachers ( Latin: Ordo Praedicatorum) after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is A cloak is a type of loose Garment that is worn over indoor Clothing and serves the same purpose as an Overcoat &mdashit protects the wearer from the cold They also borrowed much from the Dominican and Franciscan rules. The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic Their distinctive garment was a scapular of two strips of gray cloth, worn on the breast and back, and fastened at the shoulders. For the shoulder bone see the article Scapula. A scapular (from Latin scapula, shoulder is a length of Tradition holds that this was given to St. Simon Stock by the Virgin herself, who appeared to him and promised that all who died clothed in it would be saved (this tradition was not fully articulated until it appeared in documents dating to 1642, however, some 400 years after St Simon's death, making it of doubtful authenticity). This ecumenical article is about general Christian views on and veneration of the Virgin Mary There arose a sodality of the scapular, which affiliated a large number of laymen with the Carmelites. The order speedily became infected with arrogance, however, contesting the "invention" of the rosary with the Dominicans, terming themselves the brothers of the Virgin, and asserting, on the basis of their traditional association with Elijah, that all the prophets of the Old Testament, as well as the Virgin and the Apostles, had been Carmelites. The Rosary (from Latin rosarium, meaning "rose garden" or "garland of roses" is a popular traditional Roman Catholic devotion. Their second general, Nicholas of Narbonne (1265–1270), protested in vain, only to be deposed from his office. A miniature version of the Carmelite scapular is very popular among Catholics. It is one of the most popular sacramentals of the Catholic church. Sacramentals are material objects or things ( sacramentalia) set apart or blessed by the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Churches and the Anglican Wearers usually believe that if they faithfully wear the Carmelite scapular (also called "the brown scapular" or simply "the scapular") and strive to live a Christian life, they will be saved from eternal damnation. Hell, according to many Religious beliefs, is a location in the Afterlife, which may be described as a place of suffering Catholics who decide to wear the scapular are usually enrolled by a priest, and some choose to enter the Scapular Confraternity. Third Order Lay Carmelites wear a scapular which is smaller than the shortened scapular worn by Carmelite religious for sleeping, but still larger than the devotional scapulars. The term Third Order designates persons who live according to the Third Rule of Catholic religious orders either outside of a monastery in the world or in a religious community
Visions and devotions
Among the various Catholic orders, Carmelite nuns have had a proportionally high ratio of visions of Jesus and Mary and have been responsible for key Catholic devotions. Since the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ in Calvary until today a number of people have claimed to have had visions (and indeed personal conversations with Him and This article is primarily about devotions in the Latin Rite. For devotions in the Eastern Catholic Churches, refer to the articles on the individual Churches
Sister Marie of St Peter a Carmelite nun in Tours France started the devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus. Sister Marie of St Peter (1816 - †1848 was a Carmelite nun who lived in Tours, France. Tours is a city in France the Préfecture (capital city of the Indre-et-Loire département, on the lower reaches of the river The Holy Face of Jesus is a title for specific images which some Catholics believe to have been miraculously formed representations of the face of Jesus Christ. She said that in an 1844 vision Jesus told her: "Oh if you only knew what great merit you acquire by saying even once, Admirable is the Name of God, in a spirit of reparation for blasphemy. " Another Carmelite nun, Saint Therese of Lisieux was instrumental in spreading this devotion throughout France in the 1890s with her many poems and prayers. Eventually Pope Pius XII approved the devotion in 1958 and declared the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus as Shrove Tuesday (the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday) for all Roman Catholics. Pope The Holy Face of Jesus is a title for specific images which some Catholics believe to have been miraculously formed representations of the face of Jesus Christ.
References
- Scaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religion
- Copsey, Richard and Fitzgerald-Lombard, Patrick (eds. ), Carmel in Britain: studies on the early history of the Carmelite Order (1992-2004).
- "The Carmelite Order" by Benedict Zimmerman. The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1908.
Communities of Carmelite Tradition
- Discalced Carmelites
- Byzantine Discalced Carmelites
- Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel
- Lay Carmelites of Oswego, New York
- Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites
- Episcopal Carmel of Saint Teresa
- Hermits of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
- Carmelite Hermits of the Trinity
See also
- Carmelite Rule of St. Albert
- Carmelite Rite
- Book of the First Monks
- Constitutions of the Carmelite Order
- Teresa of Avila
- Brother Lawrence
- John of the Cross
- Thérèse de Lisieux
- Teresa de los Andes
- Francisco Palau
- Mary Magdalen de' Pazzi
- Sabbatine privilege
- Dialogues of the Carmelites
- Jan Tyranowski
- Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites
- Ipswich Whitefriars
External links
- Carmelite Vocation
- The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross
- Index of Carmelite Websites
- Carmelites of the St. Elias Province in the United States
- Home page of the Carmelites (O.Carm.)
- Discalced Carmelite Sisters in Seremban, Malaysia
- Discalced Carmelite Monastery of the Sacred Hearts
- Carmelites of Britain and Ireland
- Discalced Carmelite Order
- Byzantine Discalced Carmelites
- Anglican/Episcopal Carmel of St. Teresa
- Meditations from Carmel - podcast
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel Monastery, Haifa, Israel
- - St. Therese of Lisieux, Carmelite and Doctor of the Church: her life, writings, spirituality, and mission
- Order of Carmelites in Ireland & Zimbabwe
- Carmel's Heights (audio CD)
- Discalced Carmelite Saints Calendar
- Our Garden of Carmel
- Documentary made for SVT - detailing life in The Carmelite Order
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