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ORIGIN
Among the many pious
societies in the Church of God, the Confraternity of the Most Holy Cross
and Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ holds a prominent position. It owes
its origin to St. Paul of the Cross, who was born in Ovada, Italy,
January,3 1694.
This Saint was not content
to establish a Congregation of men whose purpose in life would be to
unite contemplation of the Passion of Christ with the preaching of the
glories and ignominies of the Cross. Nor was the scope of his Apostolate
finished when he founded a group of Religious Women who were to meditate
day and night on the Sufferings of Christ, and who by their life of
prayer and penance would make atonement for the coldness and ingratitude
of men. St. Paul of the Cross further desired to enroll persons living
in the world into societies who would recall to mind the sufferings of
their Redeemer.
OBJECT
The object St. Paul
of the cross had in mind was that through this salutary devotion, men
and women of the world would lead lives conformable to Him who Died for
them on the Cross.
Among those societies, the
one established at Veroli, Italy, in 1755 deserves special mention. It
had the privilege of receiving it's rule from the Saint himself.
Unfortunately, the original copy of these rules has been lost. This
Society was first called the Brotherhood of the Passion. Later on it
came to be known as the Confraternity of the Most Holy Cross and Passion
of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Continuing down to the present time, it still
preserves the Holy Founder's aim and spirit.
Favored by Bishops
throughout Italy, the work begun by St. Paul of the Cross, has been
carried onward by his spiritual sons. In the Churches attached to the
Monasteries of the Passionist Fathers, as well as in the parishes where
they conduct Missions and Retreats, the Confraternity, as circumstances
permit, has been erected. The first branch of the Confraternity in the
United States was erected in the Church of St. Michael the Archangel,
Union City, New Jersey, on Passion Sunday, April 6, 1918.
Rules similar to those
compiled by the saintly Founder, are offered to the members of the
Confraternity as a help to free their hearts from sinful attachments; to
concentrate their affection on the love of Jesus Crucified, and to lead
them to the imitation of His Virtues in which solid piety and true
holiness consist.
APPROBATION
For some time, there had
been no Papal Approbation, and the
Confraternity was not endowed with
spiritual favors and privileges. On the twenty-second of September,
1861, Pope Pius IX, of blessed memory, by a brief "Curavit Nobis"
granted to the Superior-General of the Passionists the privilege of
erecting the Confraternity throughout the world, and of communicating to
the members all the indulgences and spiritual favors already granted by
the Holy See to the Passionist Congregation. Moreover, the Confraternity
members participate in all the good works performed, and in the Masses
offered for the living and dead in the same Congregation.
By a Rescript dated July
20th, 1863, the Holy See granted the faculty of investing the members of
the Confraternity in the Black Scapular, especially approved for the
Congregation of the Passionists. These signal favors helped considerably
to increase the membership of the Confraternity. Branches were
established in France, England, Ireland, Spain, Australia and America.
The spiritual seed so happily sown by St. Paul of the Cross had taken
firm root and now began to grow with vigor.
FURTHER APPROBATION
As a further mark of
approbation of the good work done by the Confraternity, the same Pius
IX, committed to the Passionist Congregation, the custody of the
Pontifical Sanctuary of the "Holy Stairs" annexed to the Basilica of St.
John Lateran in Rome, which he made the principal centre of the
Confraternity.
It remained for the Holy
Father, Benedict XV, who had a singular devotion to St. Paul of the
Cross, to bestow one more special privilege on the Confraternity. On the
occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the canonization of the Founder
of the Passionists, His Holiness, by a brief "Probe Novimus" of February
16th, 1918, at the request of the Superior-General of the Congregation,
graciously granted that the Confraternity, at the "Scala Sancta" ("Holy
Stairs") be raised to the dignity of an Archconfraternity, and at the
same time approved a new summary of indulgences for members of the
Confraternity.
This good work which St.
Paul of the Cross began, and which now has in a special manner the
blessing and approbation of the Holy See, seems especially destined to
combat the evils of the present time. Now, more than ever, if nations
and individuals are to be converted from error and indifference and won
back to truth and holiness, it must be through devotion to the Passion
of Jesus Christ.
Members of the Confraternity
can give much assistance in this great work. By observing the Rules of
the Society, b meditating upon the sufferings of Jesus Christ, by living
in union with Him, they can show by their lives that Christ Crucified is
still the Power of God and the Wisdom of God.
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