Confraternities of the Cord

The first mention of it is in the life of Saint Monica who in a vision received a belt from the Virgin Mary, who assured her that she would take under her special protection all those who wore it in her honour.

Pope Sixtus, in his bull Divinae caritatis, also granted new indulgences to the archconfraternity and empowered the Minister General of the Friars Minor to erect confraternities of the cord of Saint Francis in the churches of his own order, in those places where there were no conventuals.

Pope Paul V, in his bulls Cum certas and Nuper archiconfraternitati revoked all spiritual favours hitherto conceded to the archconfraternity and enriched it with new and more ample indulgences.

[1] Pope Benedict XIII in his constitution Sacrosancti apostolatus of 1724, conceded to the minister general of the conventuals authority to erect confraternities of the cord of Saint Francis in churches not belonging to his own order in those places where there were no Franciscans.

[7] Confraternities of the Cord of Saint Joseph must be aggregated to the archconfraternity in the Church of St. Roch at Rome in order to enjoy its spiritual favours and indulgences.

[9] An indulgence is gained by members who wear the Cord of Saint Philomena on these days, granted that the usual conditions have been fulfilled, including receiving the sacraments of Confession and Eucharist, as well as praying for the Pope's intentions.

[10] Members of the Universal who wear the Cord of Saint Philomena will be "preserve[d], chaste and pure, safe from temptation" as it has "the virtue of healing sickness of body and spirit".

[9] It is related in the life of Saint Thomas Aquinas that as a reward for his overcoming a temptation against purity, he was girded with a cord by angels and that in consequence, he was never again tempted against this virtue.

The members are required to have their names enrolled, to wear a cord with fifteen knots or the medal of the confraternity, and to practice some particular devotion to Saint Thomas and Our Lady.