LAZAR

lazar, one afflicted with the disease of leprosy (q.v.). the term is an adaptation in medieval latin of the name of lazarus (q.v.), in luke xvi. 20, who was supposed to be a leper. the word was not confined to persons suffering from leprosy; thus caxton (_the life of charles the great_, 37), "there atte laste were guarysshed and heled viij lazars of the palesey." lazaretto or lazar-house is a hospital for the reception of poor persons suffering from the plague, leprosy or other infectious or contagious diseases. a peculiar use of "lazaretto" is found in the application of the term, now obsolete, to a place in the after-part of a merchant vessel for the storage of provisions, &c. _lazzarone_, a name now often applied generally to beggars, is an italian term, particularly used of the poorest class of neapolitans, who, without any fixed abode, live by odd jobs and fishing, but chiefly by begging. lazarites (lazarists or lazarians), the popular names of the "congregation of priests of the mission" in the roman catholic church. it had its origin in the successful mission to the common people conducted by st vincent de paul (q.v.) and five other priests on the estates of the gondi family. more immediately it dates from 1624, when the little community acquired a permanent settlement in the college des bons enfans in paris. archiepiscopal recognition was obtained in 1626; by a papal bull of the 12th of january 1632, the society was constituted a congregation, with st vincent de paul at its head. about the same time the canons regular of st victor handed over to the congregation the priory of st lazarus (formerly a lazar-house) in paris, whence the name of lazarites or lazarists. within a few years they had acquired another house in paris and set up other establishments throughout france; missions were also sent to italy (1638), tunis (1643), algiers and ireland (1646), madagascar (1648) and poland (1651). a fresh bull of alexander vii. in april 1655 further confirmed the society; this was followed by a brief in september of the same year, regulating its constitution. the rules then adopted, which were framed on the model of those of the jesuits, were published at paris in 1668 under the title _regulae seu constitutiones communes congregationis missionis_. the special objects contemplated were the religious instruction of the lower classes, the training of the clergy and foreign missions. during the french revolution the congregation was suppressed and st lazare plundered by the mob; it was restored by napoleon in 1804 at the desire of pius vii., abolished by him in 1809 in consequence of a quarrel with the pope, and again restored in 1816. the lazarites were expelled from italy in 1871 and from germany in 1873. the lazarite province of poland was singularly prosperous; at the date of its suppression in 1796 it possessed thirty-five establishments. the order was permitted to return in 1816, but is now extinct there. in madagascar it had a mission from 1648 till 1674. in 1783 lazarites were appointed to take the place of the jesuits in the levantine and chinese missions; they still have some footing in china, and in 1874 their establishments throughout the turkish empire numbered sixteen. in addition, they established branches in persia, abyssinia, mexico, the south american republics, portugal, spain and russia, some of which have been suppressed. in the same year they had fourteen establishments in the united states of america. the total number of lazarites throughout the world is computed at about 3000. amongst distinguished members of the congregation may be mentioned: p. collet (1693-1770), writer on theology and ethics; j. de la grive (1689-1757), geographer; e. bore (d. 1878), orientalist; p. bertholon (1689-1757), physician; and armand david, chinese missionary and traveller. see _regulae seu constitutiones communes congregationis missionis_ (paris, 1668); _memoires de la congregation de la mission_ (1863); _congregation de la mission. repertoire historique_ (1900); _notices bibliographiques sur les ecrivains de la congregation de la mission_ (angouleme, 1878); p. helyot, _dict. des ordres religieux_, viii. 64-77; m. heimbrecher, _die orden und kongregationen der katholischen kirche_, ii. (1897); c. stork in wetzer and welte's _kirchenlexikon_ (catholic), vii.; e. bougaud, _history of st vincent de paul_ (1908). lazarus (a contracted form of the heb. name eleazar, "god has helped," gr. [greek: lazaros]), a name which occurs in the new testament in two connexions. 1. lazarus of bethany, brother of martha and mary. the story that he died and after four days was raised from the dead is told by john (xi., xii.) only, and is not mentioned by the synoptists. by many this is regarded as the greatest of christ's miracles. it produced a great effect upon many jews; the _acta pilati_ says that pilate trembled when he heard of it, and, according to bayle's _dictionary_, spinoza declared that if he were persuaded of its truth he would become a christian. the story has been attacked more vigorously than any other portion of the fourth gospel, mainly on two grounds, (i.) the fact that, in spite of its striking character, it is omitted by the synoptists, and (ii.) its unique significance. the personality of lazarus in john's account, his relation to martha and mary, and the possibility that john reconstructed the story by the aid of inferences from the story of the supper in luke x. 40, and that of the anointing of christ in bethany given by mark and matthew, are among the chief problems. the controversy has given rise to a great mass of literature, discussions of which will be found in the lives of christ, the biblical encyclopaedias and the commentaries on st john. 2. lazarus is also the name given by luke (xvi. 20) to the beggar in the parable known as that of "lazarus and dives,"[1] illustrating the misuse of wealth. there is little doubt that the name is introduced simply as part of the parable, and not with any idea of identifying the beggar with lazarus of bethany. it is curious, not only that luke's story does not appear in the other gospels, but also that in no other of christ's parables is a name given to the central character. hence it was in early times thought that the story was historical, not allegorical (see lazar). footnote: [1] the english bible does not use lat. _dives_ (rich) as a proper name, saying merely "a certain rich man." the idea that dives was a proper name arose from the vulgate _quidam dives_, whence it became a conventional name for a rich man.