AMITTO. – A sacred vestment made of linen (approx. 0.70 x 0.80 m), worn around the neck and over the shoulders, with ribbons to tie the ends on the chest. Scholars are not in agreement regarding its origins. Some, deriving its name from the Greek *anabolai* or *anabolium*, by which it is designated in the *Ordines Romani* from the 8th to the 12th century, maintain that it originated from the scapular with which monks fastened their tunic around the body to allow free movement of the arms. Others, however, have seen in it the *focale*, *pallium orarium*, or *sudarium* of the Romans, a kind of scarf worn around the neck beneath the *pennula* or *dalmatic* (v.), to protect against cold or sweat. On Trajan’s Column in Rome, Roman soldiers sent to Germany can be seen wearing such a scarf around their necks. Amalarius calls it *amitto* (from *amicire*), because it was wrapped around the neck and shoulders. By the 10th century, it began to be worn over the head like a hood. This usage persisted throughout the Middle Ages, and in some churches, particularly in France, even until the 17th and 18th centuries. This hood was adorned with gold embroidery or precious stones and was placed on the head like a helmet. Over time, however, it reverted to its original simplicity.
According to current regulations, it must be made of linen, hemp, or flax, and have a clearly visible cross at the top or center, which the priest kisses before using it, and it must be blessed by the bishop or someone authorized to do so. It is worn before the alb; however, in ancient Rome, it was placed over II. This usage is still preserved in the Ambrosian and Lyonese rites; and even in the Roman rite, in some cases, the *amitto* is placed over the surplice or rochet. The *amitto* symbolizes the strength with which one must fight the demon. Beautiful, in this regard, is the prayer that the priest recites while putting it on: *"Impone, Domine, capiti meo galeam salutis ad expugnandos diabolicos incursus."*
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**A. M. M. (AIDE MÉDICALE AUX MISSIONS).** – An association founded in 1935 within the Belgian Medical Society of St. Luke, to provide medical assistance to missions in the Belgian Congo. It established the *"Ouvroirs"*, which ensure that hospitals and clinics, especially where an AMM doctor is already present, are supplied with the necessary sanitary and medical equipment. In 1938, the *"Ouvroirs"*, while continuing their activities as before, were constituted as a non-profit association under the name *Assistance aux Maternités et Dispensaires du Congo* (AMDC).