Bona Mors Confraternity
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Bona Mors Confraternity (Bona Mors is Latin for "Happy Death") was founded 2 October, 1648, in the Church of the Gesu, Rome, by Father Vincent Carrafa, seventh General of the Society of Jesus
, and approved by the Popes Innocent X and Alexander VII.
In 1729 it was raised to an archconfraternity
and enriched with numerous indulgence
s by Benedict XIII
. He authorized the father general of the Society of Jesus
, who in virtue of his office, was the director, to erect confraternities in all churches of the Jesuit order. In 1827 Leo XII gave to the director general the power to erect and affiliate branch confraternities in churches not belonging to the Society of Jesus, and to give them a share in all the privileges and indulgences of the archconfraternity.
The object of the association is to prepare its members by a well-regulated life to die in peace with God. The longer title: "Confraternity of Our Lord Jesus Christ dying on the Cross, and of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, his sorrowful Mother," expresses the chief means to attain that end: devotion to the passion of Christ, and to the sorrows of Mary. Besides this union of prayers and good works of the associates and the special instructions at the public meetings help powerfully to prepare for a 'happy death '.
The conditions for membership are to present oneself to the director; to express to him one's desire to become a member; to receive from him an outward sign of acceptance, usually in the form of a certificate of admission; and to have one's name registered in the local Bona Mors register. Only "by an unusual and extraordinary exception," says a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences, "is it allowed to enroll those absent." The director is authorized to decide what constitutes such an exceptional case. The practices of the association and the indulgences granted to the members are specified in the manual of the confraternity (New York, 1896).
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, and approved by the Popes Innocent X and Alexander VII.
In 1729 it was raised to an archconfraternity
Archconfraternity
An archconfraternity is a Roman Catholic confraternity, empowered to aggregate or affiliate other confraternities of the same nature, and to impart to them its indulgences and privileges.-Status and operation:...
and enriched with numerous indulgence
Indulgence
In Catholic theology, an indulgence is the full or partial remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven. The indulgence is granted by the Catholic Church after the sinner has confessed and received absolution...
s by Benedict XIII
Pope Benedict XIII
-Footnotes:...
. He authorized the father general of the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, who in virtue of his office, was the director, to erect confraternities in all churches of the Jesuit order. In 1827 Leo XII gave to the director general the power to erect and affiliate branch confraternities in churches not belonging to the Society of Jesus, and to give them a share in all the privileges and indulgences of the archconfraternity.
The object of the association is to prepare its members by a well-regulated life to die in peace with God. The longer title: "Confraternity of Our Lord Jesus Christ dying on the Cross, and of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, his sorrowful Mother," expresses the chief means to attain that end: devotion to the passion of Christ, and to the sorrows of Mary. Besides this union of prayers and good works of the associates and the special instructions at the public meetings help powerfully to prepare for a 'happy death '.
The conditions for membership are to present oneself to the director; to express to him one's desire to become a member; to receive from him an outward sign of acceptance, usually in the form of a certificate of admission; and to have one's name registered in the local Bona Mors register. Only "by an unusual and extraordinary exception," says a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences, "is it allowed to enroll those absent." The director is authorized to decide what constitutes such an exceptional case. The practices of the association and the indulgences granted to the members are specified in the manual of the confraternity (New York, 1896).