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From the Order's beginning, while the Founder, St. of Matha, was still alive, there have been lay persons of both sexes who shared in the spirit of the Order and lived out their spirituality both in and with it. They collaborated in its mission, sharing in various ways and in different degrees, in its charism.
The Rule of 1198 indicates the presence of laity, to whom the Minister of the House is to give an instruction every Sunday.
Pope Innocent III, with his Bull of February 3, 1198, granted to the Order the faculty of accepting volunteers and lay confreres. A contract, made in 1203 between St. John of Matha and the Bishop of Arles (South France), makes reference to lay persons affiliated to the monastery. Special mention should be made of the letter, dated February 3, 1208, which Bishop Gonzalvo of Segovia (Spain), addressed to the people and clergy of his diocese, encouraging them to join the "Confraternity of the Most Holy Trinity,." which he characterizes as “glorious.”
In a Bull of June 18, 1209, Pope Innocent III approves the Houses already founded and the Trinitarian Confraternities. This is repeated by Pope Honorius III in his bull of April 25, 1219, in which he grants the faculty to receive new members. On February 20, 1248, Innocent IV confirms the concessions already granted and exhorts the faithful to be generous to the Trinitarians and to join such a holy Confraternity and Fraternity. To whoever does so, he grants indulgences and privileges, and places them under his protection.
There are many other documents from Popes, Bishops and Kings which speak of the Confraternities of the Trinity and of Redemption; later they would mention those of the Virgin of Remedy and of other confraternities aggregated to the Order with a large membership committed to works of charity on behalf of captives, the oppressed and the poor.
We have mentioned only some of the more significant groups in order to show that the Trinitarian Associations are as old as the Order itself, and that from the very beginning affiliated lay persons appear who have been committed to the glorification of the Trinity and to lending help on behalf of captives, the oppressed and the poor.
There is no way of finding – from the beginning – a perfect and clear profile and organization of the Associations. What is certain, however, is that – at the beginning – the different Fraternities and Confraternities mentioned in the documents formed part of the great Trinitarian Fraternity.
Historically, the name of Third Order was first attached to the Order of the Humiliati which was approved by Innocent III and was composed of lay persons who lived in the world according to a Rule of Life.
Among the Trinitarians we find a draft of statutes attributed to William the Scotsman, the third Minister General of the Order (1217-1222), and certainly very ancient. In them, we get some idea of the primitive organization of the Trinitarian Fraternity.
The first known Statutes of the Trinitarian Third Order were published in 1584, and were approved by the General of the Order, Father Bernard Dominici. They gather together norms for life, lived out and collected from tradition; but the existence of tertiaries, although certainly not known by this name, goes back to the very beginning of the Order.
In the 1657 Constitutions of the Calced Trinitarians, mention is made of the three vows in the formula of profession for members of the Third Order. Formerly, profession was reduced to a promise to observe the commandments of the law of God and the rule of life of the Third Order. The first Rule of Life for the Third Order attached to the Discalced Trinitarians was approved by Pope Leo XII on June 6, 1828. It speaks of making three vows.
This Rule, with some modifications, was approved and confirmed in 1925, revised and later approved by the Holy See on December 28, 1940, and has been in vigor up to the present time.
Finally, with the approval of the “Proyecto de Vida del Laicado Trinitario (The Trinitarian Way), we have guidelines that are precise and valid as a reference source for all Trinitarian Associations.
We can conclude these very brief notes with the words of the Minister General and of the Superior Generals of all the Trinitarian in 1987:
“We are very aware of the need to have lay persons be an integral part of the Trinitarian Family. They have been so since the Order's beginnings and throughout its tradition. It is also the will of the Church that we move in this direction.”.
The Rule of 1198 indicates the presence of laity, to whom the Minister of the House is to give an instruction every Sunday.
Pope Innocent III, with his Bull of February 3, 1198, granted to the Order the faculty of accepting volunteers and lay confreres. A contract, made in 1203 between St. John of Matha and the Bishop of Arles (South France), makes reference to lay persons affiliated to the monastery. Special mention should be made of the letter, dated February 3, 1208, which Bishop Gonzalvo of Segovia (Spain), addressed to the people and clergy of his diocese, encouraging them to join the "Confraternity of the Most Holy Trinity,." which he characterizes as “glorious.”
In a Bull of June 18, 1209, Pope Innocent III approves the Houses already founded and the Trinitarian Confraternities. This is repeated by Pope Honorius III in his bull of April 25, 1219, in which he grants the faculty to receive new members. On February 20, 1248, Innocent IV confirms the concessions already granted and exhorts the faithful to be generous to the Trinitarians and to join such a holy Confraternity and Fraternity. To whoever does so, he grants indulgences and privileges, and places them under his protection.
There are many other documents from Popes, Bishops and Kings which speak of the Confraternities of the Trinity and of Redemption; later they would mention those of the Virgin of Remedy and of other confraternities aggregated to the Order with a large membership committed to works of charity on behalf of captives, the oppressed and the poor.
We have mentioned only some of the more significant groups in order to show that the Trinitarian Associations are as old as the Order itself, and that from the very beginning affiliated lay persons appear who have been committed to the glorification of the Trinity and to lending help on behalf of captives, the oppressed and the poor.
There is no way of finding – from the beginning – a perfect and clear profile and organization of the Associations. What is certain, however, is that – at the beginning – the different Fraternities and Confraternities mentioned in the documents formed part of the great Trinitarian Fraternity.
Historically, the name of Third Order was first attached to the Order of the Humiliati which was approved by Innocent III and was composed of lay persons who lived in the world according to a Rule of Life.
Among the Trinitarians we find a draft of statutes attributed to William the Scotsman, the third Minister General of the Order (1217-1222), and certainly very ancient. In them, we get some idea of the primitive organization of the Trinitarian Fraternity.
The first known Statutes of the Trinitarian Third Order were published in 1584, and were approved by the General of the Order, Father Bernard Dominici. They gather together norms for life, lived out and collected from tradition; but the existence of tertiaries, although certainly not known by this name, goes back to the very beginning of the Order.
In the 1657 Constitutions of the Calced Trinitarians, mention is made of the three vows in the formula of profession for members of the Third Order. Formerly, profession was reduced to a promise to observe the commandments of the law of God and the rule of life of the Third Order. The first Rule of Life for the Third Order attached to the Discalced Trinitarians was approved by Pope Leo XII on June 6, 1828. It speaks of making three vows.
This Rule, with some modifications, was approved and confirmed in 1925, revised and later approved by the Holy See on December 28, 1940, and has been in vigor up to the present time.
Finally, with the approval of the “Proyecto de Vida del Laicado Trinitario (The Trinitarian Way), we have guidelines that are precise and valid as a reference source for all Trinitarian Associations.
We can conclude these very brief notes with the words of the Minister General and of the Superior Generals of all the Trinitarian in 1987:
“We are very aware of the need to have lay persons be an integral part of the Trinitarian Family. They have been so since the Order's beginnings and throughout its tradition. It is also the will of the Church that we move in this direction.”.