Adiscalcedreligious order is one whose members gobarefoot or wearsandals. These orders are often distinguished on this account from other branches of the same order. The custom of going unshod was introduced into the West by SaintFrancis of Assisi for men and by SaintClare of Assisi for women.
The word is derived from theLatindiscalceātus, fromdis ("apart", "away") andcalceātus ("shod"), fromcalceāre ("to provide with shoes"), fromcalceus ("shoe"), fromcalx ("heel").[1]
%2c_mus%25C3%25A9e_d%2527art_et_d%2527histoire%2c_tableau_-_Ste_Th%25C3%25A9r%25C3%25A8se_en_extase_en_%25C3%25A9crivant_ses_%25C5%2593uvres_et_surprise_par_ses_s%25C5%2593urs%2c_%25C3%25A9cole_fr.%2c_XVIIIe_s..JPG)
Discalceation means "removal of footwear". The nuns in the Carmelite reform convents erected byTeresa of Ávila abstained from wearing shoes, and were therefore indicated asdiscalced. She and St.John of the Cross were the founders of theDiscalced Carmelites.
The origins of discalceation lie inExodus 3:5,[2] where God tells Moses: "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground".
A separate custom in Biblical times of taking off only one shoe as part of a socially witnessed contract is referred to inRuth 4:7[3] andDeuteronomy 25:9:[4]
After the various modifications of theRule of Saint Francis, the Observants (who existed as an independent branch of theFranciscan Order before 1897) adhered to the custom of going unshod. TheMinim friars andCapuchins followed in this practice. The Discalced Franciscans ofSpain (known asAlcantarines, who formed a distinct branch of theFranciscan Order before 1897) went without footwear of any kind.[5] The followers ofSt. Clare of Assisi at first went barefoot, but later came to wear sandals and shoes.
TheColettine and Capuchin nuns returned to the use of sandals. Sandals were also adopted by theCamaldolese monks of the Congregation of Monte Corona (1522), theMaronite Catholic monks, the Poor Hermits of St.Jerome of the Congregation of BlessedPeter of Pisa, theAugustinians ofThomas of Jesus (1532), the BarefootedServites (1593), theDiscalced Carmelites (1568), theFeuillants (Cistercians, 1575), theTrinitarians (1594), theDiscalced Mercedarians (1604), and thePassionists (1720).
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Discalced".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
Authority control databases: National |
|---|
 | ThisCatholic Church–related article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
