Theatines, an order of regular clergy in the Church of Home, which was foinided in the beginning of the IGth century lor the purpose of defeating the efforts towards a reformation outside the Church bj' reorganizing the clergy, enforcing disci|)rme in the convents, restoring an apostolical simplicity of life, and infusing a religious spirit into the Church by means of the public worship ami the sermon. The order was founded by Cajetan of Thieno (thence called Order of the Cujetans), bishop John Peter Caraffa of Theate, subsequently pojje Paul IV, who was usually called Chieti (lience Chietines and Pmdinex) and Boniface of Colle. It was confirmed by Clement VII in 1524 (June 24). Caraffa was its first superior, and his bishopric gave the order its name. The members renounced all worldly possessions, and re- fuseil either to labor or beg. dejjcnding, instead, on gifts which Providence should ciintcr on them. Their ninii- ber was never very considerable; but as they were chief- ly of noble raidi, the reputation of the order was great, and they ac(piired houses in many cities of Italy, Spain, Poland, atul Bavaria. IMazarin conferred on it. in 1G44, the onh- estaiilishment it has been able to secure in France. It attempted missions in Tartary, Georgia, and Circassia, which have; been unproductive ofresidts. The garb of the order is the usual lilack robe of the reg- ular clergy, with the additioti of white stockings. See
Caraccioli, De Vita Pmdi IV; id. Cajctdin Thieiiifi, Bunifacii a Colle . . . cum Paulo IV . . . Ord. Cleri- coriim Refjul. Fundaverunt Vita; (Col. Ubiorum, 10 1 2); Mira?i Reguke et Constitutiones Clericorum in Cong. Vi- ventium (Antverp. 1038).
Two congregations of Si.iteis are attached to the Or- der of Theatines, both of which were foimded by the hermit-virgin Ursula Benincasa. She was aided by the Spanish priest Gregory of Navarre, and recommended by Philip Neri, founder of the Oratorians (q. v.). The rule given to the congregation founded by her in 1583 bound the nuns by the three simple vows (to a common life of poverty, affection, and humility), permitted secu- lar employments, etc., and enforced mortifications of the body. Their number was fixed at sixty-six, be- cause the Virgin Mary was said to have attained the age of so many years. Ursula prophesied a world-wide extension of her order, but it was able to obtain oidy a single house in Palermo. It was attached to the Thea- tines by pope Gregory W.
The second congregation was founded in 1010 at Na- ples. Its members were to be thirty-six in ninnber in each convent, and they were governed by a more rigid rule than the former class. Complete separation from the world and its affairs was enforced, severe penances and mortilications im|iosed, and stringent vows exacted. A novitiate of two years was required before entering the order. This congregation secured but one addi- tional house, also in Palermo. Clement IX united the sisterhood with the Theatines. Its garb consists of a white robe, black girdle, blue scapulary and mantle, and black veil for the head and neck (see Helyot, .4ns- J'iihrl. Gesch. oiler f/eistl. v. weltl. Kloster- u. Ritter- Ordcn [Leips. 1753-60], iv, 103 sij.). — Herzog, Real-Fn- cyklop. s. \-.
Theatre (j^^rpoj'). The Greek term, like the cor- rcspondinu English one, denotes the place where dra- matic )ierl'ormances are exhibited, and also the scene it- self, or spectacle, which is witnessed there. 1. It occurs in the tirst or local sense in Acts xix, 29, where it is said that the multitude at Ephesus rushed to the theatre, on the occasion of the excitement stirred up against Paul and his associates bv Demetrius, in order to consider-
THEATRE
303 THEATRE AND THE CHURCH
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beats for spectators , 6 Passn
PI in of a Greek Theatie
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Ornamental door ; m. Entrance for the playe
what should be done in reference to the charges against them. It may be remarked also (although the word does not occur in the original text or in our English version) that it was in the theatre at Cassarea that Herod Agrippa I gave audience to the Tyrian deputies, and was himself struck with death, because he heard so gladly the impious acclamalions of the people (Acts xii, 21-23). See the remarkable confirmatory account of this event in Josephus {Ant. xix, 8, 2). Such a use of tiie theatre for public assemblies and the transaction of public business, though it was hardly known among the Iiomaiis, was a common practice amotig the (ireeks. Thus Yaler. Max. ii, 2, '• Legati in theatrum, ut est con- suetudo Ciniicia;, introducti ;" Justin, xxii,2, " Veluti rei- piiblica; statum formaturus in theatrum ad eontionem vocari jussit;" Corn. Nep. Timol. 4, § 2, "Veniebat in theatrum, cum ibi concilium plebis haberetur." 2. The other sense of the term "theatre" occurs in 1 Cor. iv, 9, where the Common Version renders, '"(iod hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death ; for we are made (rather, were made, Sriarpov tyeviiSrijfiev)
a spectacle inito the world, and to
angels, and to men." Instead of " spectacle" (so also Wycliffe and t he 3^
Khemish translators after the Vul- gate), some might prefer the more energetic Saxon "gaziiig-stock," as in Tyndale, Cranmer, and the Gene- va version. But the latter woidd be now inappropriate, if it includes ^ the idea of scorn or exultation, since py^ - the angels look down upon the suf- — feriiigs of the martyrs with a very different interest. Whether "the- atre" denotes more here than to be an object of earnest attention {^'ta- ^ /ui), or refers at the same time to -_ the theatre as the place where crim- g5^ iiials were sometimes brought for- ward for punishment, is not agreed among interiireters. In Heb. xii, 1, wliere the writer speaks of our hav- ing around us "so great a cloud of witnesses" {togo^'tov i';^(ii'rf<; Trepi- Kiifitvov i)nTv vi<poi; /.lapTvpwp), he