The Theatines

How the Theatines lived

The tiny community established itself in Via Leonina in the Campo Marzio area at the centre of Rome in the house offered by Bonifacio de Colli. There was only one condition, that after three years the property would be sold according to the principle that the new congregation could not possess anything at all.

The system of communal life put into practice by the Order was twofold: Contemplative, with study and prayer and Active in assisting the needy. In the case of Rome this meant the incurables at the San Giacomo hospital. Carafa, even though Bishop, humbly did nursing jobs like the rest. Adjacent to their house there was (and still is) a small church of San Nicola di Campo Marzio which was seldom used. Taking it in their care, the Theatines transformed it into a jewel of order and cleanliness. Sadly, three years later, during the sack of Rome, they had to abandon this church. It was Don Gaetano who, more than the other three, pushed the broom and used rags for cleaning, but they were always all available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation and attentive to the proper celebration of Liturgies. In this way they attracted many people not only from the area but from all around Rome. On top of all this they also found time to go to other churches preaching the Word and giving example to the pastors and curates who usually left sermons for monks because they thought it below their dignity to preach. But preaching to the masses was the merit of the Theatines especially when they started increasing in numbers. Don Gaetano did not deny the value of theological studies at the desk but insisted that they did not have any direct effect on the faith of the people. To bring 'light and fragrance' (his favourite expression) one had to descend to the level of the masses in the language they could understand and invite them to participate in the truths of their faith. So the Theatine order started to spread out on foot, horseback or otherwise to the countryside where other priests seldom went. They courageously brought 'light and fragrance' to more and more people through the Gospels. The main rule for Don Gaetano's congregation was that they should give up all care of earthly things, neither keeping any income, nor begging the needful things of life from the faithful, but living only on such alms as might be given them unasked. The clergy had become extremely rich and attached to wealth, so the ideal of poverty was being reinstated in the Church by our Saint mainly through the clergy as an example to the faithful.

It was not a surprise that they didn't find too many formerly greedy and licentious priests wanting to join their congregation and change their ways. But Gaetano and the others persevered even in the face of open opposition from laity and clergy who didn't want to reform. It was his holy example as well as his preaching that converted many. He preached care in the worship of God, exactness in the liturgy, and frequent reception of the Eucharist. It was also Don Gaetano who later would introduce the Forty Hours' Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, as an antidote to the heresy of Calvin. He would remain in tearful prayer for as long as eight hours at a time. He was often thrown into trances, and was celebrated for his gift of prophecy.

Regarding the necessities of life, they resolved the question in a simple way. They had given away all the real estate they had owned, but the small sums of money they had at the time of professing their vows, they shared for the first basic expenses. Loyal to the principle, they never asked for anything, but alms started coming in spontaneously, enough being kept for the necessities of life while all the rest was given to the poor. Since Rome in those days was the size of a small town, it is not surprising that this system of life chosen by our friends became common knowledge throughout the city. It is obvious that not all the Roman Clergy admired them. There were too many Priests and Bishops still clinging to a comfortable and easy life, but many of them even high up in the hierarchy regarded them respectfully and started to imitate them. Not everything, therefore was wrong - there were righteous individuals waiting for the call to the right and straight path. The number of new recruits coming to join the Theatines were of this kind and were also a sign of the good reputation the Theatines had. It is true that many who asked to be admitted, found the way of life too hard and had to leave, but it is also true that many stayed and some were not just common folk. A prime example just for the record was Bernardo Scotti a priest from Rieti coming from a rich family, concistorial lawyer versed in Latin, Greek and Hebrew, gave up all his riches and started the life of exemplary poverty in the Theatine cassock - later he would become the first Cardinal from the Theatine congregation. After a while they became twelve, all coming from the 'Divino Amore' experience, and so the problem of residence presented itself since the house where they were living became too small to accommodate them all. The solution came from Cardinal Gilberti, bishop of Verona, who appreciated the work done by Don Gaetano and had met him before. This Cardinal was leaning on entering the new order himself, but with the indispensable work he was doing at the Vatican, the Pope did not grant him leave to do so. Knowing about the plight of the Theatines in the restricted space of their residence, he bought a house with ample property out of his own pocket, and it was there where the group went to live. Now the San Giacomo hospital with its incurables was not far off and it soon became the centre of their charitable work especially with the huge activity brought by an outbreak of plague in 1525. Now pilgrims were hit hardest because they traveled on foot and carried the pestilence from one city to another. But these poor sick people were dearest to Don Gaetano and his companions. After a few years of communal life there came the time for the Theatines to draw up a proper definite constitution. It was written by Bishop Carafa but the spark within it came from Don Gaetano who spoke little but was always fair with everyone.

The Theatines - (Clerics Regular)

We have already indicated how Gaetano's order was formed, who the other co-founders were and how they started to be commonly called Theatines from Theati the old name of Chieti whose Bishop Carafa was. This name distinguished it from other congregations (Jesuits, Barnabites, Somaschi, Caracciolini, etc.)

The aim of the order was to recall the clergy to a spiritual life and the laity to the practice of virtue. Gaetano and his companions did their best to combat the errors of Protestantism, which had already spread in Switzerland, Germany, England, and France, and were threatening Italy. They founded oratories and hospitals, devoted themselves to preaching the Gospel, and reforming lax morals. Through their good example clergy and laity were invited to living a better and holier life. The Motto chosen by Don Gaetano for his order was: "Querite primum regnum Dei" meaning:"Seek ye first the Kingdom of God" and this was taken from Matthew’s Gospel.

Even though their rule of life was severe, the congregation rapidly developed, and soon had in its fold, important names of Italian aristocracy. They founded many beautiful churches, among them that of San Andrea della Valle in Rome, a gift of Costanza Piccolomini D'Aragona, Duchess of Amalfi. The Theatines were invited to Torino, Genova, Venice, Milan, Padova, Piacenza, Parma, Modena, Firenze, Naples, Palermo, Messina, Lecce, and other Italian provinces and cities by the local authorities. They also started developing in foreign countries. In France, through the efforts of Cardinal Mazarin, they built the Church of St.Anne la Royale opposite the Louvre in 1644. In Spain, under Philip II, the Theatine Cardinal Paolo Burali d'Arezzo, afterwards Beatified, filled various embassies at the command of the viceroy of Naples. In Portugal John IV, in 1648, gave the Theatines a splendid house and college for the education of noble youth. From Henry VIII's England, Thomas Goldwell, Bishop of St.Asaph, entered the order.

The Theatines were pioneers in the foundation of papal missions in foreign lands, as in: Golconda, Ava, Peru, Mingrelia, the Islands of Sunda, Borneo, Sumatra, the history of which was written by the Theatine Bartolomeo Ferro; Georgia, Arabia, Armenia, in which latter country Father Galano, author of the history of the Armenian Church, negotiated and concluded the reconciliation and union of that Church with the Roman Catholic; Persia and in many other places, as is shown by Theatine manuscripts dating from 1530 till the end of the eighteenth century. In the nineteenth century the order began to decline, and in 1860, through the suppression of religious orders, it was reduced to a shadow of its former greatness.

Father Francesco di Paola Ragonesi, general of the order and the last surviving representative of its ancient traditions, restored the Church of San Andrea della Valle to its former splendour, by his care and zeal aided by the munificence of Comm. Filippo Giove Romano. Pius X, in a Motu Proprio of 15 December, 1909, decreed the union of the ancient Congregation of the Regular Theatine Clergy with the youthful Spanish Congregation of the Holy Family in Barcelona, but this union was dissolved in 1916. Besides the two saints, Gaetano, invoked for the interposition of Providence, and Andrea Avellino, against sudden death, the order furnished one Pope, Paul IV (Giovanni Pietro Carafa one of the original founders), 250 bishops, archbishops, and papal legates, and the cardinals: Blessed Giovanni Marinoni, Blessed Paolo Burali d'Arezzo, Blessed Giuseppe Maria Tomasi, Giovanni Bernardino Scotti, Francesco and Domenico Pignatelli, Giuseppe Capece-Zurlo, Francesco Maria Banditi, and Ferdinando Pignatelli, the last named created cardinal by Gregory XVI. Father Anton Francesco Vezzosi treats of the illustrious men of the order in his work 'I scrittori de' chierici regolari detti Teatini', Rome, 1780. The last famous Theatine was the philosopher, litterateur, and great sacred orator, Father Gioacchino Ventura dei baroni di Raulica, a Sicilian. He preached and wrote in both Italian and French and his most celebrated work is his funeral oration on the death of Daniel O'Connell. He was the friend of the most illustrious men of his day, among them the Abbe’ de Lamennais whom he sought to save for the Catholic Church. He died at Versailles in 1860.

Among important Theatines we find:

San Gaetano Thiene

San Andrea Avellino.

San Giuseppe Maria Tomasi - Cardinal

Blessed Giovanni Marinoni

Blessed Paolo Burali d’Arezzo - Cardinal Archbishop of Naples

A number of Venerables

Giovanni Morandi - Theologian

Antonio Diana - Moralist

Giuseppe Silos & Antonio Vezzosi - Historians

Giuseppe Piazzi - Astronomer

Francesco Grimaldi & Guerino Guerini - Architects

Gioacchino Ventura de Raulica - Philosopher

Philip Galletti - Painter.

The Theatines are presently working in:

ARGENTINA, BRAZIL, COLOMBIA, HOLLAND, ITALY, MEXICO, SPAIN and USA.

Argentina:

Buenos Aires: House.

Brazil:

Minas Gerais: Nova Era: House & Parish Sao Jose de Lagoa.

Rio Piracicaba: Parish Sao Miguel Arcanjo.

Contagem: House, Juniorate St Joseph Avellino.

Sao Paolo: San Paolo: Parish of Our Lady of Sorrows; Parish of St.Gerald

Bernardino de Campos: Parish of Our Lady of Peace

Fartura: House and Minor Seminary

Guarulhos: House.

Itai: Parish of St Anthony

Ourinhos: Parish Cathedral of Our Lord Jesus; Parish of St.Pius X Pinheirinho: Theatine Seminary St.Pius X

Ponte Grande: Junior & Senior Seminary Sao Caetano

Taguai: Parish of Sta. Rita of Cascia

Taquarituba: House and Parish of St.Roque.

Parana: Londrina: New parish.

Colombia:

Santiago de Cali: Parish of St Albert the great; Churches of St Augustin, St Alfons, St Andrew.

Holland:

Blerick: Parish church of St. Hubert built in 1954; Parish church of St. Anthony built in 1897, demolished by bombing in W.W.II. Modern one built in 1962; Parish church of St. Maximilian Kolbe built in 1978.

ITALY:

Rome: General Curia; Provincial Curia

Poggio Martino House & Parish

Morlupo House, Parish, Junior Novitiate.

Vicenza: House

Ferrara: House

Napoli: S.Paolo Maggiore: Parish, House, Novitiate; St Joseph the Worker Parish;

Mary Queen of the World Parish.

Lucania: San Andrea Avellino House.

Palermo: S.Giuseppe ai 4 Canti' House.

Mexico:

Archdioceses of Puebla: Seminary; Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Spain:

Palma de Mallorca: Sanctuary of Our Lady of Castanar; San Cayetano House/College;

St Alphonse House/College; Assumption of Our Lady Parish.

Felanitx: St Alphonse House.

Barcelona: Sant Gaieta House.

Madrid: Parish, House of Our Lady of Providence & San Cayetano.

Abarzuza: Sta. Maria de Iranzu House.

Bejar: Sta. Maria de Castanar House.

USA:

Colorado: St Louis: Provincial Curia; Sangre de Cristo Parish.

Denver: St Andrew Avellino Parish; St Cajetan Parish; Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish.

Fort Collin: The Holy Family Parish.

Antonito: Our Lady of Guadalupe & San Agustin Parish.

Durango: The Sacred Heart Mission.

Pagosa Springs: Immaculate heart of Mary Parish.

New York: Platterkill: Our Lady of Fatima Parish.