Confraternities

views updated

Confraternities

During the Renaissance, the most important religious groups for laypeople* in the Roman Catholic Church were spiritual brotherhoods called confraternities. Members of these groups worshiped together, both privately and publicly, and performed acts of charity and service to the public. Between 10 and 20 percent of adults in European cities belonged to confraternities. This figure was even larger in rural areas and in northern parts of Europe.

Roles of Confraternities. The earliest confraternities arose during the 1200s as extensions of religious orders. Members of these groups engaged in public acts of worship and penance*, as well as performing works of charity. They drew their members mainly from the ranks of artisans*, merchants, and professionals.

The smallest confraternities modeled themselves after the disciples of Jesus in the Bible. These groups had only a few dozen members and devoted themselves to private prayer and moral guidance. Larger groups, with several hundred members, engaged in more public activities. They wrote songs for religious services, led public processions, and performed acts of charity. Members of confraternities joined together based on their neighborhood, profession, or nationality.

Confraternities adopted many of the practices of religious orders such as the Franciscans. These included daily prayer, confession, and regular meetings for religious services. Many groups had their own priests who delivered sermons and performed sacred rituals. In some areas, these activities challenged local churches. In many parts of northern Europe, however, confraternities and churches worked together.

Confraternities performed a great deal of charitable work. They aided orphans and prisoners, helped to house and educate the poor, and cared for the sick and dying. Many towns and cities relied heavily on confraternities to provide these types of public services. The groups also developed extensive aid schemes for their own members. The dues they collected went into a fund to provide early forms of health insurance and pensions for families struck by sickness or death.

Another function of confraternities was patronage* of the arts and culture. They sponsored the creation of many early hymns and mystery plays* that laid the foundations for later, more complex forms of music and drama. At first, members called for works that they could perform themselves in private or in public. Later, the groups began hiring professional actors and musicians to perform for them. Confraternities also sponsored works of art and architecture.

Confraternities and Reform. The Protestant Reformation* dealt a serious blow to confraternities in northern Europe and England. The groups' goal of helping Catholics achieve salvation though good works and religious rituals was at odds with the Protestant belief in salvation through faith alone. In many German cities, the government suppressed confraternities and took their assets. In England, however, many confraternities survived in a changed form. Some became parish councils, while others became the new local government in towns that had once been controlled by Catholic monasteries.

The Counter-Reformation, the Catholic Church's response to the Protestant challenge, also struck at the strength and independence of confraternities. The church sought to give bishops greater control over the actions of these groups. It also developed new confraternities to promote specific rituals. In addition, the church extended special privileges to certain confraternities in Rome, which came to be known as arch-confraternities. These groups offered other confraternities the chance to share in their privileges by agreeing to follow their rules. In this way, the church gained greater control over many confraternities.

In many places, Catholic rulers took over confraternities. In other areas, wealthy citizens joined the groups and effectively gained control of many of their functions. Sponsoring religious activities and public works gave these individuals prestige and power in the community. It also provided them with an edge in dealing with religious and political leaders. By 1600 political and religious figures had stripped confraternities of much of their independence, making the groups tools to achieve their own goals.

* laypeople: those who are not members of the clergy

* penance: act performed to show sorrow or repentance for sin
* artisan: skilled worker or craftsperson

* patronage: support or financial sponsorship
* mystery play: early form of drama based on biblical stories

* Protestant Reformation: religious movement that began in the 1500s as a protest against certain practices of the Roman Catholic Church and eventually led to the establishment of a variety of Protestant churches

Renaissance: An Encyclopedia for Students