Fratelli Lunghi
Four Egyptian brothers of exceptional stature, monks of Nitria: Dioscorus, Ammonius, Eusebius, and Euthymius. Under Valens they suffered imprisonment for orthodoxy, then enjoyed the esteem of the patriarch of Alexandria, Theophilus, who promoted Dioscorus to bishop of Hermopolis and wished to consecrate Ammonius as bishop as well, but the latter evaded this by cutting off one of his ears.
Peace was broken in the year 400 through the fault of Theophilus. Since the monks of Nitria had received the priest Isidore, unjustly excommunicated by the patriarch, they incurred his wrath. Theophilus had the leaders, the three brothers of Dioscorus, condemned as Origenists. They were indeed admirers of Origen, read his writings assiduously, and followed his method of allegorical exegesis, yet they did not share his errors. Never before had there been any discussion among them of Origenism or anti-Origenism. Now Theophilus, already a fervent admirer of Origen, made use of anti-Origenism to strike his adversaries. Forced to leave Egypt along with other monks, the four brothers first went to Palestine, then in 402 to Constantinople to seek justice against Theophilus. St. John Chrysostom, though refusing them communion so as not to offend Theophilus, received them and provided for their needs. Accused also in this place by Theophilus’ agents, they appealed to the tribunal presided over by Chrysostom. Dioscorus and Ammonius died at the time of the Oak Synod; later the other two.
Fratelli Missionari di San Francesco d'Assisi, Istruttore dei
This institute began in 1866 through the efforts of a certain Paul Moritz, a converted Jew from Danzig, together with other confrères already belonging to a so-called Congregation of the Immaculate Conception for the Conversion of India, founded in Cologne in 1862 by Anthony M. Bodewig.
A former Jesuit and parish priest of Bonn, he later moved to Milan, from where in 1865 about twenty lay missionaries departed for the diocese of Lahore.
In 1901 it was canonically erected by the bishop of Nagpur (India), who approved its constitutions in 1909. On 12 May 1906 it was aggregated to the Third Regular Order of St Francis. In 1908 the generalate was transferred from Kandwa, diocese of Nagpur, to Mount Poinsur, now in the diocese of Bombay. It received its first approval from Propaganda on 8 January 1921, which by a rescript of 27 [month missing] 1927 placed it under its jurisdiction. On 29 June 1927 the constitutions were approved ad septennium. After a few years of difficult existence, the house of aspirants or postulancy at Peterborough, diocese of Northampton (England), founded in 1907, was closed, and another was opened at Como, later transferred to Malasiano, where the representative of the superior general resides.
The purpose of the institute is the propagation of the Faith, especially in India.
In 1949 the brothers were working in 24 dioceses and numbered 100 in all, of whom 90 were professed and 10 novices.