Barnabites

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BARNABITES

The Clerics Regular of St. Paul (abbreviated: CRSP, Official Catholic Directory #0160), or Barnabites, founded in 1530 in Milan, Italy, by St. Anthony zaccaria, Ven. James Morigia, and Ven. Bartholomew ferrari;

the order was approved in 1533 by Clement VII. The founder's enthusiasm for St. Paul inspired the official name of the society and its Pauline spirit and tradition of studies; the popular name derives from the motherhouse built near the church of St. Barnabas in Milan.

At its founding, the Barnabites' primary objective was to reform the corrupt morals of the time by the example of their own penitent life and by missions among the people. Their apostolate began in Lombardy and Venetia, amid hardships and persecutions; later they found in St. Charles Borromeo a staunch protector and second father. He promulgated the constitutions in the general chapter of 1579. In 1608 the order was divided into provinces. Suppressed by Napoleon in 1810, the order was later reestablished and regained its vitality. By the end of the 20th century, it had established a presence in 17 countries—Afghanistan, Albania, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Italy, Philippines, Poland, Rwanda, Spain, Switzerland, Tanzania, United States, and Zaire.

Since the 17th century, the Barnabites have been principally engaged in education, chaplaincies, parishes, pastoral work and missionary outreach. The Barnabites' missionary activity was extended in the 18th century to Burma, where the order distinguished itself for its scientific study of the flora and fauna and the native languages. In the 19th century Barnabites went to Scandinavia and also worked for the healing of the schism between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.

Three canonized saints were members of the order: St. Anthony Zaccaria, the founder (d. 1539); St. Alexander sauli, bishop of Aleria and Pavia (d. 1592); and St. francis xavier bianchi (d. 1815). The order has had seven cardinals, including the philosopher Hyacinthe S. Gerdil; Francesco L. Fontana, the companion of Pius VII during his French exile; and Luigi Lambruschini, the secretary of state of Gregory XVI; 67 bishops; and numerous scholars, particularly in historical, liturgical, literary, and physical-mathematical studies.

Bibliography: g. boffito, Scrittori Barnabiti, 4 v. (Florence 1933–37). g. chastel, Saint Antoine-Marie Zaccaria barnabite (Paris 1930). a. m. gentili, s., Antonio M. Zaccaria: appunti per una lettura spirituale degli scritti, 2 v. (Rome 1980, 1983). v. michelini, I Barnabiti: chierici regolari di S. Paolo alle radici della congregazione, 1533–1983 (Milan 1983). r. l. demolen, ed., Religious Orders of the Catholic Reformation: In Honor of John C. Olin on His Seventy-Fifth Birthday (New York 1994). e. bonora, I conflitti della Controriforma: santità e obbedienza nell'esperienza religiosa dei primi barnabiti (Florence 1998).