Discalced

Barfüßer (Latin: Discalceati, " Discalced ", hence Discalceaten ) is the name of members of certain Catholic religious communities in which they go barefoot or wear sandals or fastened with straps soles without socks. A distinction is made between " barefoot " in milder or stricter sense - depending on whether they are actually barefoot or in sandals or whether they are year-round or only during the warmer months barefoot.

Already Francis of Assisi practiced walking barefoot. For the first time prescribed in a rule of the order, it was of Teresa of Ávila in 1560 the Discalced Carmelites. Finally, the strict rules of the mendicant orders took over this practice as a sign of poverty and renunciation - the Franciscans, Carmelites, Poor Clares, Mercedarians, Trinitarians, and the Passionists. An impulse for this monastic rule could Jesus' invitation to his disciples, not even shoes take on the mission, its been (Mt 10:10 and Lk EU 10.3 EU). Today Barfüßer wear mostly sandals.

Another meaning of Barfüßer there is the levirate, the brother in law marriage when the brother of a deceased husband does not want to take his wife to wife. The sister can then spit in his face, and before the elders of his house should then " Barfüßerhaus " hot (Deut 25:5-10 EU).