The Historical Teresian Institute

A brief presentation

The Institutum historicum Teresianum (IHT) was established with a decree from the General Definitory of the Discalced Carmelite Order on April 4, 1973.  It was created with its own juridical personality and its base at the Teresianum of Rome.  In this way the express desire and proposal of the same 1967 Definitory was fulfilled in the context of the Special General Chapter which began the same year with the goal of guiding and promoting a proper renewal of the Order, according to the demands of Vatican II, and the guidelines and criteria established by the Decree “Prefectae Caritatis” (28.11.1965) and in the “Motu Proprio” “Ecclesiae Sanctae” (6.8.1966).
 

In the exercise of its specific work the IHT remains immediately subject to the Order’s General Definitory, except for the discipline and authority of the Superiors in the Teresianum over the members of the Institute living in the same. The said work has embraced from the beginning not only the foundational period of the Teresian Carmel but also its entire four hundred year old history, in both its positive and negative aspects. By this the field of research of the IHT will be expanded continuously, as the time goes on.