Militia of Jesus Christ

The Order of Christ in Italy (it.: Milizia di Gesù Cristo ) was a place and time is excluded military order of knights in Lombardy. He was employed by Bartolomeo di Breganze OP, Bishop of Vicenza. Pope Gregory IX. (1227-1241) gave the papal approbation in 1233 and presented the Order of Knights under the jurisdiction of the Dominicans. The Italian Order of Christ was dissolved in 1261 and went on to the Dominican religious order Frati Gaudenti.

Composition and mission

The membership was divided into the aristocratic and bourgeois knighthood, taking exams or not a chastity vow of poverty. The military order of knighthood was founded with the main objective focus keep the force as a heretic Cathars ( Albigenses ) and Waldensians in Lombardy and Parma and tackle. At the same time, they formed a link between the Roman Church and the local nobility. In the cities, their attention was drawn to the support of the weak and disadvantaged. Her religious duties was that they delivered the confession at Easter, Christmas and Pentecost. They met monthly to Biblical teachings, which were enforced by religious priests of the Dominicans. As a habit, the members wore a white tunic and black mantle of the Dominicans. The Order of Christ was of a general master, who was a higher military officer out. He was also the military leader in the application and directed the operations in and around Parma.

Note

This order of knights is not identical with the order of knighthood " soldiers of faith in Jesus Christ " (Latin: Militia of Jesus Christ ), who had been in southern France (Languedoc ) and was used in the campaign against the Albigenses.