almsgiving

charity
Also known as: alms

Learn about this topic in these articles:

17th- and 18th-century Europe

  • Encyclopædia Britannica: first edition, map of Europe
    In history of Europe: Poverty

    Alms for the poor figured largely in wills and were a duty of most religious orders. Corporate charity had a larger place in Counter-Reformation Catholicism than in the thinking of Protestants, who stressed private virtues and endowments. The secularization of church property that accompanied the…

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distribution by almoner

  • In almoner

    …an officer responsible for distributing alms to the poor, usually connected with a religious house or other institution but also a position with some governments. In the 13th century, almoners were attached to the French court to distribute the royal alms, and in 1486 the office of grand almoner of…

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occurrence during Lent

  • Ash Wednesday
    In Lent

    …emphasis on penitential practice and almsgiving remains, and many Catholics also observe a meatless fast on Fridays during Lent. In addition, Catholics and other Christians often choose to give up specific pleasures, such as sweets, alcohol, or social media, during Lent as a way to foster simplicity and self-control; many…

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occurrence on Maundy Thursday

  • The Last Supper
    In Maundy Thursday

    In England alms are distributed to the poor by the British sovereign in a ceremony held at a different church each year. This developed from a former practice in which the sovereign washed the feet of the poor on this day.

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views of Clement of Alexandria