The Cincture, or White Cord, is a sign of chastity, and has been since the Church's beginning -- and before. Old Testament priests wore cinctures, Consecrated Virgins and religious wear cinctures, and the wearing of cinctures in honor of a particular saint is ancient, first spoken of in the life of St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, and carried on by St. Dominic, who wore the cincture in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. Certain Confraternities and Archconfraternities (groups of faithful to a religious cause) also wear cinctures as signs of their affiliation and chastity. Franciscans wear a White Cincture called a 'Cintura Bianca' (pronounced Chin-Torah-Bee-Anka) which translated means 'White Rope.' The three knots on the Franciscan Cincture represent Poverty, Chatity and Obedience, the three Conerstones of the Franciscan Order.
To order your own
White Cord of St. Francis
The Portiuncula Hermitage
simply go to
Penannce Cilice
http://www.cilice.co.uk/hairshirts.php
St. Dominic once asked St. Francis of Assisi for his White Cord he wore over his tunic. Dominic, the Founder of the Dominican Order, wore this White Cord under his habit for the remainder of his life in honor of St. Francis, whom he so greatly admired and respected. This White Cord can be worn inside trousers or under a dress without anyone having knowledge that you are doing so.
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After his conversion St. Francis girded himself with a rough cord in memory of the cords with which Christ had been bound during His Passion, and a white girdle with three knots came subsequently to form part of the Franciscan habit. Accord...ing to Wadding, St. Dominic received the cord from St. Francis and always wore it under his habit out of devotion to the saint, his example being followed by many of the faithful. In his Bull "Ex supernae dispositionis" (19 November, 1585), Sixtus V erected the Archconfraternity of the Cord of St. Francis in the basilica of the Sacro Convento at Assisi, enriching it with many Indulgences, and conferred upon the minister general of the Conventuals the power of erecting confraternities of the Cord of St. Francis in the churches of his own order and of aggregating them to the archconfraternity at Assisi. The same pope, in his Bull "Divinae caritatis" (29 August, 1587), granted new Indulgences to the archconfraternity and empowered the minister general of the Friars Minor to erect confraternities of the Cord of St. Francis in the churches of his own order in those places where they are no Conventuals. Paul V, in his Bull "Cum certas" (2 March, 1607), and "Nuper archiconfraternitati" (11 March, 1607) revoked all spiritual favours hitherto conceded to the archconfraternity and enriched it with new and more ample Indulgences. Both these Bulls were confirmed by the Brief of Clement X, "Dudum felicis" (13 July, 1673). Finally, Benedict XIII in his Constitution "Sacrosancti apostolatus" (30 September, 1724), conceded to the minister general of the Conventuals authority to erect confraternities of the Cord of St. Francis in churches not belonging to his own order in those places where there are no Franciscans. New privileges and Indulgences were conceded to the archconfraternity by two decrees of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences dated 22 March, 1879, and 26 May, 1883. Besides the ordinary requirements necessary for the gaining of all plenary and partial Indulgences, the wearing of the cord and enrollment in the records of the archconfraternity are the only conditions imposed on the members.
ReplyDeleteThe White Cord of St. Francis is a wonderful way to help you 'center' your prayers on Poverty, Chastity and Obedience this Lenten Season.
ReplyDeletePace e bene!
Dear Fra Chris,
ReplyDeleteI am a Catholic Deacon in the UK and I am interested in enrollment in the White Cord of St. Francis. I read about this in an old publication and assumed it had now died out. I would so like to affiliate myself with the great Franciscan Order. There are no Lay-Franciscan fraternities near to me. Many thanks, I could send a cheque. Yours in Christ and St. Francis ---Brian
Dear Deacon Brian-
ReplyDeleteThe White Cord of St. Francis can be purchased through "Penance Celice" above.
Information regarding the Archconfraternity of the White Cord is free. All that's necessary is to have a priest lead in the prayers over those entering into the Confraternity. A deacon is most likely qualified to lead the ceremony, but it is always good to have the support of the local pastor.
Here is where you can find those words: http://portiunculathelittleportion.blogspot.com/2010/03/archconfraternity-of-cintura-bianca.html
It would be magnificent if you were to be instrumental in starting up the Archconfraternity there in your local community.