HUMILIATI, the name of an Italian monastic order created in the 12th century. Its origin is obscure. A group of Lombards came to Rome with the intention of obtaining the pope's approval of the rule of life which they had spontaneously chosen; while continuing to live in their houses in the midst of their families, they wished to lead a more pious existence than of old, to abandon oaths and litigation, to content themselves with a modest dress, and all in a spirit of Catholic piety. The pope approved their resolve to live in humility and purity, but forbade them to hold assemblies and to preach in public ; the chronicler adding that they infringed the pope's wish and thus drew upon themselves his excommunication. Their name Humiliati ("Humiles" would have been more appropriate) arose from the fact that the clothes they wore were very simple and of one colour. This lay fraternity spread rapidly and soon put forth two new branches, a second order composed of women, and a third composed of priests, to which Innocent III. granted a rule. His object was to reconcile the order with the Waldenses (q.v.), and, indeed, the rule repro duces several of the Waldensian propositions, ingeniously modi fied in the orthodox sense, but still very easily recognizable. It forbade useless oaths and the taking of God's name in vain; allowed voluntary poverty and marriage ; regulated pious exer cises ; and approved the solidarity which already existed among the members of the association. Finally, by a singular concession, it authorized them to meet on Sunday to listen to the words of a brother "of proved faith and prudent piety," on condition that the hearers should not discuss among themselves either the arti cles of faith or the sacraments of the church. The bishops were forbidden to oppose any of the utterances of the Humiliati breth ren, "for the spirit must not be stifled." So broad a discipline must of necessity have led back some waverers into the pale of the church, but the tradition of the independent Humiliati is con fused with the history of the Waldenses throughout the later 12th century. The celebrated decretal promulgated in 1184 by Pope Lucius III. at the council of Verona against all heretics condemns at the same time as the "Poor Men of Lyons" "those who attribute to themselves falsely the name of Humiliati," at the very time when this name denoted an order recognized by the papacy. This order, though orthodox, was always held in tacit and ever-increasing suspicion, and, in consequence of grave dis orders, Pius V. suppressed the entire congregation in February 1570-71.
See Tiraboschi, Vetera humiliatorum monumenta (Milan, 1766) ; K. Muller, Die Waldenser (Gotha, i886) ; W. Preger, Beitrage zur Geschichte der Waldensier (Munich, 1875) ; also art. "Humiliati" in the Catholic Encyclopaedia. (P. AL.)