Christian Doctrine, Archconfraternity of

CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE, Archconfraternity of. - Erected in Rome by Paul V with the brief Ex credito nobis of 6 Oct. 1607.

The impetus given by the Council of Trent to the Catholic restoration had caused to arise in Rome, through the initiative of the pious Milanese layman Marco de Sadis Cusani, a "Company or Congregation of Christian Doctrine" (v. CATECHESIS), which concerned itself with the teaching of the catechism to children in the parishes, in the institutes, in the streets, and which had as its seat the church of S. Martino in Panerella, a branch of the basilica of S. Lorenzo in Damaso. Paul V, witness to the progress and the fruits obtained, wished to take it under his special protection, and erected it, with the aforementioned brief, as an Archconfraternity in the basilica of St. Peter, granting it, besides indulgences, the faculty of aggregating to itself all the other similar confraternities erected in Rome by the Ordinary. The Archconfraternity had its own statutes and regulations, which were continually better adapted to the times and to various needs; with the bull Salutaris doctrinae fontes, of 9 March 1746, it had its seat transferred by Benedict XIV to the church of S. Maria del Pianto.

Pius X with the encyclical Acerbo nimis of 15 Apr. 1905 determined that the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine be erected in all Catholic parishes, so that parish priests might have for the teaching of the catechism valid coadjutors in pious lay persons, who wish to contribute to this salutary and holy work (Acta S. Sedis, 30 [1905], p. 271 ff.). The same is prescribed by the CIC (can. 711 § 2), which adds that every confraternity legitimately erected by the Ordinaries remains ipso iure aggregated to the Archconfraternity of Rome and participates in its indulgences and privileges. No special organization is fixed; the Ordinaries, therefore, may issue those norms that they deem opportune secundum peculiaria aduncta (cf. the reply of 6 March 1927 of the Commission for the Interpretation of the CIC: AAS, 19 [1927], p. 151); in the appendix, in fact, to the decrees of various Councils and diocesan Synods, special statutes are proposed for such confraternities. Their erection was again urged by the decree Provido sane consilio of the S. Congregation of the Council (12 Jan. 1935: AAS, 27 [1935], pp. 145-54).

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