perjury, and the terrible profanation of the Divine Name, urged the Dominicans to establish everywhere the Confraternity of the Holy Name of God. The greatest preacher and leader was Father Didacus, of Metoria. Pius IV wrote 13 April, 1564: "We have learned that our beloved son Didacus of Victoria, a religious of the Order of Preachers, a man eminent in the word of God and in zeal, has instituted a most useful Confraternity called the Society of the Holy Name of God, in order to prevent improper language and blasphemy. . . , This Confraternity has been canonically erected and received in different cities and villages of Spain. The faithful have joined it in great numbers, and have used all their endeavors to prevent blasphemy, perjury, and other unlawful swearing. . . . And we command all and every one of our venerable brethren, patriarchs, archbishops, ordinaries of places, vicars general, and their officers, to favor with all their power the aforesaid Confraternity; to assist and sustain it when and where it is necessary and as often as may be required by the Confraternity." The Society established by Bishop Diaz and the loosely organized sodalities to promote devotion to the Holy Name first founded and existing in Dominican churches now came under the approbation of Pius IV. From a work written by Ponce de Leon, dated 27 May, 1500, we learn that he considered the Holy Name Society in his day among the sodalities and confraternities that fiourished in the Church, deguissima maximeque necessaria . . . et utillisima."
The Society was known, under different names, such as Confraternity of the Holy Name of God, Society of the Holy Name of Jesus, Confraternity against Oaths. Benedict XIII, 26 May, 1727, mentions this in his constitution Pretiosus. The official title is now "The Society of the
