The Priests' Eucharistic League (''Confraternitas sacerdotalis adorationis Sanctissimi Sacramenti'') was a
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
confraternity
A confraternity (; ) is generally a Christian voluntary association of laypeople created for the purpose of promoting special works of Christian charity or piety, and approved by the Church hierarchy. They are most common among Catholics, Lu ...
set up in the nineteenth century, with primary object the frequent and prolonged worship of the
Blessed Sacrament
The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an ordinance in others. Christians believe that the rite was instituted by J ...
by priests.
[
The confraternity was originally intended for members of the secular clergy only; but as far back as 1898 the admission of members of religious orders was authorized; and by a concession of the superior general of the ]Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament
The Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (), commonly known as the Sacramentinos, is a Catholic Church, Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right for men, founded by Peter Julian Eymard. Its members use the postnominal lette ...
dated 2 November 1902, seminarists in the United States became eligible for admission even before receiving the subdiaconate
Subdeacon is a minor order of ministry for men or women in various branches of Christianity. The subdeacon has a specific liturgical role and is placed below the deacon and above the acolyte in the order of precedence.
Subdeacons in the Eastern ...
.[
]
History
It was established in Paris by Pierre-Julien Eymard, founder of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. Already in 1857 he had wanted to adapt his work of Eucharistic adoration as would attract the clergy. to a more intimate and constant intercourse with the sacramental Lord. It was not until 1867 that the plan of a distinct confraternity was matured.[
The association assumed its mature form in 1879, received the approval of ]Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...
on 25 January 1881, and six years later, on 16 January 1887, was definitively approved and canonically erected by Cardinal Parocchi, cardinal vicar, in the church of S. Claudio in Rome. To this church was attached the Archconfraternity of the Most Holy Sacrament, and it was the canonical centre of the Priests' Eucharistic League; but the office of the central administration of the league was at the house of the fathers of the Congregation of the Most Holy Sacrament, Brussels
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
.[
]
Works of the association
The specified works of the association were the following:indulgence
In the teaching of the Catholic Church, an indulgence (, from , 'permit') is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for (forgiven) sins". The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' describes an indulgence as "a remission bef ...
s attached to the hour of adoration for the benefit of the souls of members who may have died during the previous month;
* (4) to offer the Holy Sacrifice once a year for all deceased members of the association.
See also
* Confraternities of Priests
References
{{reflist
Confraternities