Theatines
religious order
Also known as: Congregation of Clerics Regular
Quick Summary
The Theatines are a religious order of clerks regular founded in Italy in 1524 by St. Cajetan of Thiene and Gian Pietro Caraffa. Their primary goals were to reform Catholic morality and combat the spread of Lutheranism. The order was established to promote clerical reform through asceticism and apostolic work, becoming an important force in the Catholic Counter-Reformation. The Theatines focused on correcting abuses within the church and were dedicated to reconstructing church life.123
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