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Reforms Within the Order
In the 14th and 15th centuries the Carmelites, like other monastic orders, declined, and reform became
imperative. Shortly before 1433 three monasteries in Valais, Tuscany, and Mantua were reformed by the
preaching of Thomas Conecte of Rennes and formed the congregation of Mantua, which, was declared independent
of the order by Pope Eugene IV. In 1431 or 1432 the same pope sanctioned certain modifications of the
Carmelite rule, and in 1459 Pope Pius II left the regulation of fasts to the discretion of the General.
John Soreth, who was then General, and had already established the order of Carmelite nuns in 1452, accordingly
sought to restore the primitive asceticism, but died of poison at Nantes in 1471.
In 1476 a bull of Pope Sixtus IV founded the Carmelites of the Third Order, who received a special rule in
1635, which was amended in 1678 The 16th century saw a number of short-lived reforms, but it was not until the
second half of the same century that a thorough reformation of the Carmelites was carried out by
St. Teresa of
Avila, who, together with St. John of the Cross, established the Discalced Carmelites.
Out of concern over the advent of Protestantism, the order was inspired with an asceticism and a devotion
hitherto unknown to it. In 1593 the Discalced Carmelites had their own General, and by 1600 they were so
numerous that it became necessary to divide them into the two congregations of Spain and of Italy, or St.
Elise, the latter including all provinces except Spain. Henceforth there were four Carmelite generals: the
General of the Observantines, of the independent congregation of Mantua, and of the two congregations of the
Discalced Carmelites. Other reforms within the Order include those of Tourainne and Mantova.
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