![Cyriakowie](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Cyriakowie.svg)
The Canons Regular of the Penitence of the Blessed Martyrs ( la, Ordo Canonicorum Regularium Mendicantium S. Mariae de Metro de Poenitentia Sanctorum Martyrum) was a small
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
religious order. It was a
penitent order which followed the
Rule of St. Augustine and emphasized piousness,
asceticism
Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...
, and devotion to the Holy Cross. Established in the 13th century, the order was initially based in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
and had a few monasteries in
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
, Germany, England, perhaps Spain and France. The Bohemian branch with the main monastery in
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
became an independent order in 1628 and was suppressed in 1783. Most popular in the
Kingdom of Poland
The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to:
Historical political entities
*Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031
*Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exist ...
(a total of five locations in the
Diocese of Kraków
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...
with the main monastery in
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
)
[ and the ]Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Li ...
(a total of 18 locations in the Diocese of Vilnius
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Vilnius ( la, Archidioecesis Vilnensis; lt, Vilniaus arkivyskupija) is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Lithuania. Established as the Diocese of Vilnius in t ...
with the main monastery in Videniškiai),[ the order was suppressed by the Tsarist authorities after the ]Uprising of 1831
The November Uprising (1830–31), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution,
was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in W ...
. The last monastery in Užupis
Užupis ( yi, זארעטשע, be, Зарэчча, russian: Заречье, pl, Zarzecze) is a neighborhood in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, largely located in Vilnius's old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Užupis means "beyond the r ...
closed in 1845. Blessed Michał Giedroyć
Blessed Michał Giedroyć ( lt, Mykolas Giedraitis; – 4 May 1485) was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic noble and brother of the Canons Regular of the Penitence of the Blessed Martyrs. Giedroyć did not have any great accomplishments, but his life ...
(officially beatified in 2018) was a member of the order.
Names and symbols
In their Latin name, "S. Mariae de Metro" referred to the in Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
where the order was originally based.[ The church is known only from written records and possibly was located near the ]Arch of Constantine
The Arch of Constantine ( it, Arco di Costantino) is a triumphal arch in Rome dedicated to the emperor Constantine the Great. The arch was commissioned by the Roman Senate to commemorate Constantine's victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvi ...
; its name might be derived from Meta Sudans
The Meta Sudans (Latin: "sweating turning post") was a large monumental conical fountain in ancient Rome.
The Meta Sudans was built some time between 89 and 96 under the Flavian emperors, a few years after the completion of the nearby Colosseum. ...
, a Roman fountain located nearby.[ It could also be a reference to Demetrius, an alleged Christian martyr who plays a role in the legends of the order's founding.][ In Lithuania, the order was known as ''baltieji Augustinai'' (White Augustinians) from their white robes.][ In Poland, the order was known as ''Markowie'' from their main center at the .][ In Bohemia, they were known as ''Cyriaci'' after ]Judas Cyriacus
Judas Cyriacus (Cyriacus of Ancona, Cyriacus of Jerusalem, Quiriacus, Quiricus, Kyriakos); es, Quirico, it, Ciriaco), d. ca. AD 360, is the patron saint of Ancona, Italy. His feast day is celebrated in the Catholic Church on 4 May.
Judas Cyriacu ...
who figured in the order's legends about its origins.[ It was also known as white crosiers or crosiers with red heart from the color of their robes or their emblem.][ The order's difficult and varied names introduce much confusion in historiography and obscure its origin and history. In particular, the order is often confused with other ]Crosiers
The Crosiers or Brethren of the Cross or crutched friars is a general name for several loosely related Catholic orders, mostly canons regular. Their names derive from their devotion to the Holy Cross. They were founded in the 12th and 13th centuri ...
.[
The monks wore white ]habits
A habit (or wont as a humorous and formal term) is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously. with white scapular
The scapular (from Latin ''wikt:scapula#Latin, scapulae'', "shoulders") is a Western Christianity, Western Christian garment suspended from the shoulders. There are two types of scapulars, the Monasticism, monastic and Catholic devotions, devot ...
s and mozzetta
The mozzetta (, plural ''mozzette''; derived from almuce) is a short elbow-length sartorial vestment, a cape that covers the shoulders and is buttoned over the frontal breast area. It is worn over the rochet or cotta as part of choir dress by ...
s.[ The scapular was embroidered with the symbol of the order – red heart with a red cross. A pierced heart is an attribute of ]Saint Augustine
Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...
. White symbolized purity while red symbolized martyrdom and sacrifice. The meaning of the emblem could be summarized as "perfecting the heart by faithfully carrying the cross".[
The order followed the Rule of St. Augustine. Its surviving constitutions (1612 from Poland and 1750 from Bohemia) are essentially copies of the Dominican constitutions.][ The order was particularly devoted to the ]crucifixion of Jesus
The crucifixion and death of Jesus occurred in 1st-century Judea, most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. It is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, attested to by other ancient sources, and consid ...
and the Holy Cross as well as the early Christian martyrs
In Christianity, a martyr is a person considered to have died because of their testimony for Jesus or faith in Jesus. In years of the early church, stories depict this often occurring through death by sawing, stoning, crucifixion, burning at th ...
(including a pseudo-martyr Demetrius).[ The order was known for its pastoral work.][ It was also described as a mendicant order, though this description is unclear and debatable.][ However, the information about the order's activities is very fragmentary as its rules prohibited publicizing one's work,][ and many libraries and archives were lost when the monasteries were closed.][
]
History
The origin of the order is unknown though it shares with other Crosiers
The Crosiers or Brethren of the Cross or crutched friars is a general name for several loosely related Catholic orders, mostly canons regular. Their names derive from their devotion to the Holy Cross. They were founded in the 12th and 13th centuri ...
the legends about its founding in the 1st century by Pope Anacletus
Pope Anacletus (died ), also known as Cletus, was the bishop of Rome, following Peter and Linus. Anacletus served between and his death, . Cletus was a Roman who, during his tenure as pope, ordained a number of priests and is traditionally credi ...
and restoration by Empress Helena
Flavia Julia Helena ''Augusta'' (also known as Saint Helena and Helena of Constantinople, ; grc-gre, Ἑλένη, ''Helénē''; AD 246/248– c. 330) was an ''List of Augustae, Augusta'' and List of Roman and Byzantine empresses, Empress of ...
and Judas Cyriacus
Judas Cyriacus (Cyriacus of Ancona, Cyriacus of Jerusalem, Quiriacus, Quiricus, Kyriakos); es, Quirico, it, Ciriaco), d. ca. AD 360, is the patron saint of Ancona, Italy. His feast day is celebrated in the Catholic Church on 4 May.
Judas Cyriacu ...
.[ The earliest known papal document referencing the order is by ]Pope Alexander IV
Pope Alexander IV (1199 or 1185 – 25 May 1261) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 December 1254 to his death in 1261.
Early career
He was born as Rinaldo di Jenne in Jenne (now in the Province of Rome), he ...
from 9 April 1256 which mentioned three monasteries – in Rome, Alsfeld
Alsfeld () is a town in the center of Hesse, in Germany.
Located about north of Frankfurt, Alsfeld is in the center of Hesse and part of the densely populated Frankfurt Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region. It is well known for its well-preserved old ...
(Germany), and Kuyavia
Kuyavia ( pl, Kujawy; german: Kujawien; la, Cuiavia), also referred to as Cuyavia, is a historical region in north-central Poland, situated on the left bank of Vistula, as well as east from Noteć River and Lake Gopło. It is divided into three t ...
– that came under papal protection. In 1256, the order was invited by King Ottokar II of Bohemia
Ottokar II ( cs, Přemysl Otakar II.; , in Městec Králové, Bohemia – 26 August 1278, in Dürnkrut, Lower Austria), the Iron and Golden King, was a member of the Přemyslid dynasty who reigned as King of Bohemia from 1253 until his deat ...
[ to ]Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
where the monks built the Church of the Holy Cross (completed in 1356).[ In 1257, the order was invited to Poland by Duke ]Bolesław V the Chaste
Bolesław V the Chaste ( pl, Bolesław Wstydliwy; 21 June 1226 – 7 December 1279) was Duke of Sandomierz in Lesser Poland from 1232 and High Duke of Poland from 1243 until his death, as the last male representative of the Lesser Polish branch o ...
.[ The order was in danger of being suppressed by the ]Second Council of Lyon
:''The First Council of Lyon, the Thirteenth Ecumenical Council, took place in 1245.''
The Second Council of Lyon was the fourteenth ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church, convoked on 31 March 1272 and convened in Lyon, Kingdom of Arl ...
of 1272–1274.[
In a papal bull of 1295, ]Pope Boniface VIII
Pope Boniface VIII ( la, Bonifatius PP. VIII; born Benedetto Caetani, c. 1230 – 11 October 1303) was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 December 1294 to his death in 1303. The Caetani, Caetani family was of b ...
listed eight monasteries of the order – one in Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, three in the Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia ( cs, České království),; la, link=no, Regnum Bohemiae sometimes in English literature referred to as the Czech Kingdom, was a medieval and early modern monarchy in Central Europe, the predecessor of the modern Czec ...
(two of them in Prague), two in the Kingdom of Poland, one in Germany, and one in an unknown island in Kuyavia.[ The order was invited to the ]Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Li ...
by King Władysław II Jagiełło
Jogaila (; 1 June 1434), later Władysław II Jagiełło ()He is known under a number of names: lt, Jogaila Algirdaitis; pl, Władysław II Jagiełło; be, Jahajła (Ягайла). See also: Names and titles of Władysław II Jagiełło. w ...
in 1390 shortly after the official Christianization of Lithuania
The Christianization of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos krikštas) occurred in 1387, initiated by King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Władysław II Jagiełło and his cousin Vytautas the Great. It signified the official adoption of Christianity ...
in 1387.[ The order also had monasteries in England (founded in ]Guildford
Guildford ()
is a town in west Surrey, around southwest of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The name "Guildf ...
in 1260) and perhaps in Spain and France.[ The monasteries in Spain were reportedly located in ]Sarria
Sarria is a municipality in the province of Lugo, northwestern Spain, in the autonomous community of Galicia. Sarria is the most populous town on the French Way in Galicia, with 13,700 inhabitants. It is head of the region and the most popular ...
and Arzúa
Arzúa () is a municipality in the autonomous community of Galicia in the province of A Coruña in northwestern Spain. It has an area of 155.89 km², a population of 6,315 (2012 estimate), and a population density of 40.64 people/km². It is ...
, both founded by pilgrims visiting the Camino de Santiago
The Camino de Santiago ( la, Peregrinatio Compostellana, "Pilgrimage of Compostela"; gl, O Camiño de Santiago), known in English as the Way of St James, is a network of pilgrims' ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint ...
in the Kingdom of Galicia
The Kingdom of Galicia ( gl, Reino de Galicia, or ''Galiza''; es, Reino de Galicia; pt, Reino da Galiza; la, Galliciense Regnum) was a political entity located in southwestern Europe, which at its territorial zenith occupied the entire north ...
, and were incorporated into the Order of Hermits of Saint Augustine
The Order of Saint Augustine, ( la, Ordo Fratrum Sancti Augustini) abbreviated OSA, is a religious mendicant order of the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1244 by bringing together several eremitical groups in the Tuscany region who were fo ...
in 1567.[
Initially based in Rome at the Church of the Sancta Mariae de Metro,][ the ]superior general
A superior general or general superior is the leader or head of a religious institute in the Catholic Church and some other Christian denominations. The superior general usually holds supreme executive authority in the religious community, while t ...
later relocated to Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
in 1340.[ In 1420, during the ]Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, European monarchs loyal to the Cat ...
, the order fled Bohemia to Regensburg
Regensburg or is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the Danube, Naab and Regen rivers. It is capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the state in the south of Germany. With more than 150,000 inhabitants, Regensburg is the f ...
. At the time, four (Prague, Klášterec nad Orlicí
Klášterec nad Orlicí (german: Klösterle) is a municipality and village in Ústí nad Orlicí District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 900 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
The villages of Čihák, Jedlina, Lhotka a ...
, Pardubice
Pardubice (; german: Pardubitz) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 89,000 inhabitants. It is the capital city of the Pardubice Region and lies on the Elbe River. The historic centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monu ...
, and Benátky nad Jizerou
Benátky nad Jizerou (; german: Benatek) is a town in Mladá Boleslav District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 7,400 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban mon ...
) monasteries were closed. The monks returned to Prague in 1436 but had to flee more permanently to Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
in 1470.[ In the 16th century, the order's monasteries were located only in Poland and Lithuania.][ In 1628, after the ]Battle of White Mountain
), near Prague, Bohemian Confederation(present-day Czech Republic)
, coordinates =
, territory =
, result = Imperial-Spanish victory
, status =
, combatants_header =
, combatant1 = Catholic L ...
, the Canons Regular of Penitence returned to Prague but they were not satisfied with their Polish superior general.[ After a failed attempt to merge with the Belgian ]Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross
The Crosiers, formally known as the Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross ( la, Canonici Regulares Ordinis Sanctae Crucis), abbreviated OSC, is a Catholic religious order of canons regular of Pontifical Right for men.[John of Nepomuk
John of Nepomuk (or John Nepomucene) ( cs, Jan Nepomucký; german: Johannes Nepomuk; la, Ioannes Nepomucenus) ( 1345 – 20 March 1393)
was the saint of Bohemia (Czech Republic) who was drowned in the Vltava river at the behest of Wenceslaus IV ...]
(killed in 1393) who, according to Bohuslav Balbín
Bohuslav Balbín (3 December 1621 Hradec Králové (German: Königgrätz) – 29 November 1688 Prague) was a Czech writer, historian, geographer and Jesuit, called the "Czech Pliny". He became well known also as an advocate of the Czech language i ...
(1621–1688), was first buried in the Church of the Holy Cross of the order and only later transferred to St. Vitus Cathedral
, native_name_lang = Czech
, image = St Vitus Prague September 2016-21.jpg
, imagesize = 300px
, imagelink =
, imagealt =
, landscape =
, caption ...
.[ The festival continues to be celebrated in Prague every 15 May. The Bohemian order was closed in 1783 due to ]Josephinism
Josephinism was the collective domestic policies of Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor (1765–1790). During the ten years in which Joseph was the sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy (1780–1790), he attempted to legislate a series of drastic reforms ...
reforms introduced by Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 unt ...
.[
As the number of monasteries in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania continued to grow, the order formed a separate Lithuanian ]province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
.[ As the monasteries in Poland closed down, the Lithuanian provincial superior based in Videniškiai became the superior general.][ The superior in Videniškiai had the title of ''infulatus'', i.e. he had the right to wear bishop's insignia (]mitre
The mitre (Commonwealth English) (; Greek: μίτρα, "headband" or "turban") or miter (American English; see spelling differences), is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of bishops and certain abbots in ...
and crosier
A crosier or crozier (also known as a paterissa, pastoral staff, or bishop's staff) is a stylized staff that is a symbol of the governing office of a bishop or abbot and is carried by high-ranking prelates of Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholi ...
).[ After the failed anti-Tsarist ]Uprising of 1831
The November Uprising (1830–31), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution,
was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in W ...
, the Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
implemented various Russification
Russification (russian: русификация, rusifikatsiya), or Russianization, is a form of cultural assimilation in which non-Russians, whether involuntarily or voluntarily, give up their culture and language in favor of the Russian cultur ...
policies and closed all monasteries of the order except for one in Užupis
Užupis ( yi, זארעטשע, be, Зарэчча, russian: Заречье, pl, Zarzecze) is a neighborhood in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, largely located in Vilnius's old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Užupis means "beyond the r ...
which was attached to the . This monastery also closed in 1845 bringing the end of the order.[
]
Members
The most famous member of the order were:
* Blessed Michał Giedroyć
Blessed Michał Giedroyć ( lt, Mykolas Giedraitis; – 4 May 1485) was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic noble and brother of the Canons Regular of the Penitence of the Blessed Martyrs. Giedroyć did not have any great accomplishments, but his life ...
(died in 1485), known for his piety, was officially beatified
Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...
in 2018[
* Priest Jakub Sójecki of ]Przyrów
Przyrów is a village in Częstochowa County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Przyrów. It lies approximately east of Częstochowa and north-east of the regional capit ...
(1579–1659)[
* Michał Olszewski (), author of a popular Lithuanian-language collection of religious readings][
]
Monasteries in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
References
Further reading
*
{{Authority control
Augustinian canons
Catholic religious orders established in the 13th century
1845 disestablishments
Catholic Church in the Czech Republic
Catholic Church in Lithuania
Catholic Church in Poland