Capuchins

Capuchins [Ital.,=hooded ones], Roman Catholic religious order of friars, one of the independent orders of Franciscans , officially the Friars Minor Capuchin [Lat. abbr., O.M.Cap.]. The order was founded (1525-28) in central Italy as a reform within the Observants, led by Matteo di Bascio. It is one of the largest orders. Born, like the Jesuits, at the beginning of the Counter Reformation, the Capuchins became a major force in church activity, especially in preaching and in missions. With the Jesuits they did much to revive Catholicism in the parts of Europe where Protestantism had prevailed. The Capuchins have been very important in foreign missions; they were early arrivals in French Canada.

Bibliography: See study by Father Cuthbert (1928, repr. 1971).

Capuchins (officially Friars Minor of St Francis Capuchin, O.F.M.Cap.) Roman Catholic religious order, founded in 1525 as an offshoot of the Franciscans. Capuchins are so-called because of the pointed cowl (capuche), which forms part of their habit. They re-emphasized Franciscan ideals of poverty and austerity, and played an important role in the Counter-Reformation through their missionary activities.

Capuchins. Reformed branch of the Christian Franciscan order. In 1525, Matteo da Bascio (1495–1552) sought to return to the greater simplicity of the early Franciscans. He wore the pointed cowl or hood (capuce, hence the name) of St Francis, and he and his companions devoted themselves to care of plague victims.