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About capdox
Primarily for English language Capuchin Friars, capdox may be useful for anyone interested in reform movements in Italy in the first half of the 16th Century - a special period in the history of the Church, of Italy and of Europe.
The site does not offer a course in Capuchin history. Most of the texts are English translations. Some documents appear in their original language, Italian ... with a little Latin occasionally.
The publication of these texts will always be a work in progress. The number of translations here is minimal. There is so much more to do.
All the files are in PDF format and are, so far, free for your use. Naturally they should not be republished elsewhere, either in part or in full, without permission and acknowledgment.
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Religionis Zelus |
Clement VII granted the Bull "Religionis zelus" at Viterbo, 3 July 1528. The translation here is based on the Italian translation in I Frati Cappuccini, Edizioni Frate Indovino, Perugia, 1988, vol. I, nn.1-9, edited by Br. Costanzo Cargnoni of the Capuchin Historical Institute. Another English translation, though faulty in parts, may be found in The Round Table of Franciscan Research, 1949 reprint of volume 7(1941-1942) 110-112. The legal character of the document, especially the specialized language in paragraphs 8 and 9, makes the text difficult to interpret. Another translation can be found in The Capuchin Reform: Essays in Commemoration of its 450th Anniversary 1528-1978 published in 1983, and also found on CAPDOX under the [HISTORY] tab on the menu. Or go download that translation of Religionis zelus here.
The Statutes of Albacina |
Recorded by Mattia da Salò as the Constitutions of the Friars Minor, called (the Friars Minor) of the Eremetical Life. The First Constitutions of the Capuchin Congregation. Translation by Isidore Mausolf in Round Table of Franciscan Research 7-8(1941-1942) 116-126. He prefaces the translation (p.116, note1): “This translation is made from the Latin as found in the Analecta OFMCap V (1889), pp.13-21, with constant consultation of the Italian version published by the General Curia at Rome in 1913 under title of Le Prime Constituzioni (read Costituzioni) dei Frati Minori Cappuccini di San Francesco. Even a cursory glance will reveal great discrepancies between the two. The translator chose the Latin version because it was published as the authentic version at the command of the Most Reverend Father Bernard of Andermatt, General of the Order. At the same time, the translator has made use of the Italian to clarify the meaning of the Latin text at times, but in no instance has he abandoned the Latin for the Italian version.”
The Constitutions of 1536 II | |
The Constitutions of 1536 (annotated)The Lexicon Capuccinum (1951) points out that the text of these Constitutiones composed in the second celebration of the first General Chapter in 1536 when Bernardino d'Asti was confirmed as Vicar General. The text was lost and already in the seventeenth century there was some doubt even about their existence. However a copy, published in Naples in 1537, was found in 1926 and published by Eduardo d'Alençon in the Liber Memorialis in 1928. (The extraordinary Liber Memorialis was published to commemorate the fourth centenary of Religionis zelus.) Another copy was found in Lugano in November 1983. Published in Naples by Giovanni Sultzbach it is an original edition.
A Restrospective on the Capuchin Reform | |
A Retorspective on the Capuchin Reform - 450 Anniversary 1528-1978"This little collection of essays, appearing first in a special 1978 issue of Analecta OFM Cap to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the founding of the Capuchin Franciscan Order, affords us the opportunity to re-read and perhaps relearn the central issues and values of the Capuchin Franciscan reform movement. The authors each use their expertise as historians and theologians to helps us understand how and why this branch of the Franciscans, at one time nearly 35,000 strong, has been such a significant factor in Church history, the history of spirituality, missionary development, and religious reform.” (From the Introduction to The Capuchin Reform: Essays in Commemoration of its 450th Anniversary 1528-1978 an English translation by
Melchiorre da Pobladura | |
The Capuchin Reform - A Franciscan RenaissanceBetween 1937 and 1955 Raffaele Turrado Riesco, or Br. Melchiorre da Pobladura OFM Cap., (1 February 1904-19 February 1983) published for the first time critical editions of some manuscript 'chronicles' of the Capuchin Reform written in the Sixteenth and early Seventeenth Centuries...
A Capuchin Hermitage Proposal | |
Hermitage in the Capuchin tradition - A Proposal for a Capuchin Contemplative CommunityThis proposal was composed in 1996 for the Capuchin Friars in Australia for discussion at their Provincial Chapter that same year. The proposal was distributed to the friars some months prior to the Chapter. The proposal contains an overview of eremitical dimension of the Capuchin tradition, beginning with the title the author of the Statutes of Albacina gave his fraternity: Friars of the Eremitical Life. The proposal does not impose concrete details about timetables, apostolate and so on. Such matters are treated in the Capuchin Constitutions, allowing for a certain pluriformity. The strength of this proposal is its attempt to situate the Capuchin contemplative community not only within the Capuchin Franciscan tradition but also within the mission of the Church today. This aspect is crucial.
Saint Felice da Cantalice | |
18 MaySummary
Saint Crispino da Viterbo | |
19 MaySummaryPietro Fioretti (Crispino) was born in Viterbo on 13 November 1668. Until the age of twenty-five he workedi n his uncle's cobbler shop. He was clothed in the Capuchin habit as a lay friar on 22 July 1693 in the friary of Palanzana in Viterbo. He made religious profession on 22 July 1694
Blessed José Tous y Soler | |
27 MaySummaryJosé Tous y Soler was born in Igualada, in the At the age of sixteen he entered the In 1843 he returned to
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Felice Porri was born in Cantalice (Rieti) around 1515. He was clothed in the Capuchin habit sometime between the end of 1543 and the beginning of 1544, in the friary of Anticoli di Campagna (called Fiuggi today). Then on 18 May 1545 he made his religious profession in the the friary of Monte S. Giovanni. From 1545 to 1547 he was assigned to the friarys of Anticoli, Monte S. Giovanni, Tivoli and Palanzana (Viterbo). From 1547 until his death he was questor in the friary of San Niccolò de Portiis in Rome. Up until 1572 he quests for bread. From then on he quests ofr wine and oil. Felcie fells ill on 30 April 1587 and died two weeks later on 18 May.
From 1694 until April 1697 he was in the friary of Tolfa. He went to Rome for a few months in 1697. From 1697 to April 1703 he lived in Albano, and from 1703 to October 1709 he was in the friary of Monterotondo. Then he was gardener in the friary at Orvieto from 1709 to January 1710. Apart from a few brief changes, he was questor in Orvieto from 1710 until a short time before his death. Towards the end of 1715 he stayed briefly at Bassano. From mid-May to the end of October in 1744 he was in Rome and 13 May 1748 he was admitted to the infirmary in Rome, where he died at 2.30pm, 19 May 1750, the Holy Year.
Capuchin Order on 18 February