Humiliati

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I. A penitential order dating back, according to some authorities, to the beginning of the eleventh, but more probably to the beginning of the twelfth century, to the reign ofEmperor Henry V, who, after quelling a rebellion inLombardy, led the principal nobles of the cities implicated back toGermany as captives. Converted from the vanities of the world, these assumed a penitential garb of grey and gave themselves up toworks of charity andmortification, whereupon the emperor, after receiving their pledges of future loyalty, permitted their return toLombardy. At this time they were often called Barettini, from the shape of their head-dress. Their acquaintance with the German woollen manufactures enabled them to introduce improved methods intoItaly, thus giving a great impetus to the industry, supplying the poor with employment and distributing their gains among those in want. On the advice ofSt. Bernard, in 1134, many of them, with the consent of their wives, withdrew from the world, establishing their firstmonastery atMilan. They exchanged their ashen habit for one of white. Some years later, on the advice of St. John Meda of Oldrado (d. 1159), they embraced theRule of St. Benedict, adapted by St. John to their needs; they receivedpapalapprobation fromInnocent III about 1200, and from many succeeding pontiffs The order grew rapidly, gave manysaints and blessed to theChurch, assisted in combating theCathari, formed trades associations among the people, and played an important part in the civic life of every community in which they were established. In the course oftime, however, owing to the accumulation of temporal goods and the restriction of the number of members admitted (for at one time there were only about 170 in the 94monasteries), grave abuses crept in, whichSt. Charles Borromeo was commissioned byPius IV to reform. His fearless efforts roused such opposition among a minority that a conspiracy was formed and a murderous assault made on him by one of the Humiliati, a certain Girolamo Donati, called Farina, which, though it was unsuccessful, was responsible for the execution of the chief conspirators and the suppression of the order by aBull of 8 Feb., 1571. The houses and possessions were bestowed on otherreligious orders, including theBarnabites andJesuits, or applied to charity.

II. The wives of the first Humiliati, who belonged to some of the principalfamilies ofMilan, also formed a community under Clara Blassoni, and were joined by so many others that it becamenecessary to open a secondconvent, the members of which devoted themselves to the care of thelepers in a neighbouringhospital, whence they were also known asHospitallers of the Observance. The number of theirmonasteries increased rapidly, but the suppression of the male branch of the order, which had administered their temporal affairs,proved a heavy blow, involving in many cases the closing ofmonasteries, though the congegation itself was not affected by theBull of suppression. Thenuns observed the canonical Hours,fasting rigorously and taking the discipline at stated times. Some retained the ancientBreviary of the order, when other houses adopted theRoman Breviary. The habit consists of a robe andscapular of white over a tunic of ashen grey, the veils being usually white, though in some houses black. The lay sisters, who retain the name of Barettine, wear grey. There are still inItaly five independent houses of Humiliati.

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