Confraternities of the Cord

The Confraternities of the Cord are pious associations of Christians, the members of which wear a cord, girdle or cincture in honour of a Catholic saint or Angel whom they wish to honour and emulate.

The main aims of such Catholic confraternities are to practise daily spiritual prayer, promote religious piety and embody physical works of charity.

Background
In the early years of the Church, Christian virgins wore a cincture as a sign and emblem of purity, and hence it has always been considered a symbol of chastity as well as of bodily mortification and spiritual humility. The wearing of a cord or cincture in honour of a saint is of very ancient origin, and we find the first mention of it in the life of Saint Monica, whom reputedly received a belt sash from the Blessed Virgin Mary during an alleged Marian apparition. 

During the Middle Ages, cinctures were also worn by the faithful in honour of saints, though no confraternities were formally established, and the wearing of a cincture in honour of Saint Michael was general throughout France. Later on, ecclesiastical authority set apart special formulae for the blessing of cinctures in honour of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Francis of Paola, and Saint Philomena.

Confraternities had their beginnings in the early Middle Ages, and developed rapidly from the end of the twelfth century from the rise of the great ecclesiastical orders. The main object and duty of these societies were, above all, the practice of piety and works of charity. There are various confraternities of the Cord, whose members wear a cord as insignia just as members of other confraternities wear a scapular. There are in the Church three archconfraternities and one confraternity the members of which wear a cord or cincture.

Archconfraternity of Our Lady of Consolation

 
The oldest and most celebrated of these Confraternities of the Cord is the historical Archconfraternity of Our Lady of Consolation, also called the Archconfraternity of the Cincture of Saint Monica, Saint Augustine and Saint Nicholas of Tolentino  The Augustinian friars propagated this particular devotion. It was based on an Augustinian tradition which holds that Saint Monica in the fourth century was distraught with anxiety for her wayward son, Augustine, and that Mary gave her a sash which the Virgin wore, with the assurance that whoever wore this belt in her honour would receive her special consolation and protection.

The Confraternity of the Cord started in 1439 while the Confraternity of the Madonna of Consolation started in 1495. By the year 1575, both Confraternities merged under one Patroness, the Madonna of Consolation and Cincture. 

Pope Sixtus V recognized the namesake pious association honoring the Patroness of this Marian devotion (The Madonna of Consolation) established at the Palatine Hill, Rome under this Marian title on 3 June 1585 and issued a Pontifical decree titled Licet ex Debito which elevated their status to an Archconfraternity.

Archconfraternity of the Cord of Saint Francis 
After his conversion, Saint Francis of Assisi girded himself with a rough cord in the manner of the poor of his day, and a white cord with three knots came subsequently to form part of the Franciscan habit. 

According to the Franciscan historian Luke Wadding (1588—1657), Saint Dominic de Guzman received the cord from Saint Francis when they exchanged their girdles in a sign of friendship. From that day on, Dominic always wore it under his habit out of devotion to his fellow founder.

 Pope Sixtus V, who was a Franciscan, in his latter Papal bull Ex Supernæ Dispositionis decreed on 19 November 1585, erected the Archconfraternity of the Cord of Saint Francis in honor of Christ's passion, in the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, enriching it with many indulgences, and conferred upon the minister general of the Conventual friars the power of erecting confraternities of the cord of Saint Francis in the churches of his order and of aggregating them to the archconfraternity at Assisi. 
 The same Pontiff in his bull Divinæ Caritatis on 29 August 1587, granted new indulgences to the archconfraternity and empowered the Minister General of the Friars Minor to erect confraternities of the cord of Saint Francis in the churches of his own order, in those places where there were no Conventuals. 

 Pope Paul V decreed in his bull Cum Certas on 2 March 1607, and Nuper Archiconfraternitati on 11 March 1607 revoked all spiritual favours hitherto conceded to the archconfraternity and enriched it with new and more ample indulgences. 

 Pope Clement X approved both these bulls by the Papal brief via Dudum Felicis on 13 July 1673.

 Pope Benedict XIII in his constitution Sacrosancti Apostolatus decreed on 30 September 1724 conceded to the minister general of the Conventuals authority to erect confraternities of the cord of Saint Francis in churches not belonging to his own order in those places where there were no Franciscans. The French Catholic Saint Benedict Joseph Labre was a member of the Archconfraternity.

Archconfraternity of the Cord of Saint Joseph 

The Archconfraternity of the Cord of Saint Joseph was based at the Church of San Rocco. Confraternities of the Cord of Saint Joseph must be aggregated to the archconfraternity in the Church of St. Roch at Rome in order to enjoy its spiritual favours and indulgences.

The cure of an Augustinian nun at Antwerp in 1657 from a grievous illness, through the wearing of a cord in honour of Saint Joseph, gave rise to the pious practice of wearing it to obtain the grace of purity through his intercession. The devotion soon spread over many countries of Europe, and in the 19th century was revived at Rome in the Church of Saint Roch and in that of Saint Nicolas at Verona, Italy. 

Pope Pius IX in a rescript dated 19 September 1859, approved a special formula for the blessing of the cord of Saint Joseph.

Universal Archconfraternity of Saint Philomena 

The Universal Archconfraternity of Saint Philomena is an apostolate in which members commit to live "according to the Gospel of Christ with the example of Saint Philomena", spreading devotion to her, and encouraging youth to walk the Christian life.

Members must have read Life of the Young Saint, wear at all times the Cord of Saint Philomena (which can be blessed by a priest), pray daily the Little Crown of Saint Philomena, and receive Holy Communion on 10 January, 25 May, and the 10th, 11th or 13 August. An indulgence is gained by members who wear the Cord of Saint Philomena on these days, granted that the usual conditions have been fulfilled, including receiving the sacraments of Confession and Eucharist, as well as praying for the Pope's intentions. The Cord of Saint Philomena is made of cotton or wool threads of white and red, representing "faith and the purity of virginity". Members of the Universal who wear the Cord of Saint Philomena will be "preserve[d], chaste and pure, safe from temptation" as it has "the virtue of healing sickness of body and spirit".

The names of those enrolled at a Confraternity of Saint Philomena site must be forwarded to the Sanctuary of Saint Philomena, which are "recorded in the general registry of the Universal Archconfraternity of Saint Philomena."

Confraternity of the Cord of Saint Thomas of Aquinas 
It is related in the life of Saint Thomas Aquinas that as a reward for his overcoming a temptation against purity, he was girded with a cord by angels and that in consequence, he was never again tempted against this virtue. This cord is still preserved in the church at Chieri, near Turin, Italy. Soon after the saint's death many of the faithful began to wear a cord in honour of Saint Thomas, to obtain the grace of purity through his intercession.

The first Confraternity of the Cord of Saint Thomas -- popularly known as the Angelic Warfare Confraternity -- was erected at the Catholic University of Leuven by the Belgian Dominican friar Franciscus Deurweerders in 1649. It numbered among its members all the professors and students of the Faculty of Theology (which has Thomas Aquinas as patron saint) and many of the faithful. Thence it spread to Maastricht, Vienna, and many other cities of Europe. In the 17th century, societies were formed at different universities, the members of which wore a cord in honour of Saint Thomas.

Pope Innocent X sanctioned this new confraternity by a brief dated 22 March 1652. The members are required to have their names enrolled, to wear a cord with fifteen knots or the medal of the confraternity, and to practice some particular devotion to Saint Thomas and Our Blessed Lady. One recites, daily, fifteen Hail Marys and two special prayers unique to the Confraternity. The obligation to recite daily prayers does not bind under sin. To be received into this confraternity, any Dominican priest can perform the ceremony.  A non-Dominican priest can perform the ceremony with authorization from the Director of the confraternity. Its indulgences and privileges are contained in the great bull of Pope Benedict XIII, "Pretiosus" (26 April 1727, sect. 9) and in the decree of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences (8 May 1844).

See also
 Archconfraternity

Notes

Sources

External links
 Angelic Warfare Confraternity

Confraternities