Catholic Dictionary
Find accurate definitions of over 5,000 Catholic terms and phrases (including abbreviations). Based on Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.
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HOLY NAME SOCIETY
Confraternity of men, originating at the ecumenical Council of Lyons in 1274, and promoted by the Dominicans, to whom Pope Gregory X intrusted its direction. The Spanish Friar Didacus (d. 1450) founded a confraternity of the Holy Name and drew up a rule. In time the confraternity merged with the Society of the Holy Name. World membership is several million. The purpose of the organization is twofold: to promote love and reverence for the name of God and Jesus, and to discourage profanity, blasphemy, perjury, and all improper language.
