Day
1 was actually a Lenten Retreat with St. Catherine, but since Lent is over
and today is St. Catherine’s Feast Day (April 29th), I am going to
call these future posts as Retreats with St. Catherine.
What is self-knowledge?From Marriam-Webster’s Dictionary:
“knowledge or understanding of
one's own capabilities, character, feelings, or motivations :
self-understanding”
To reach self-knowledge, one needs a fair amount of
introspection.
What exactly are you striving for spiritually when you are
seeking self-knowledge?Knowing one’s
capability in shooting basketball foul shots will not exactly lead you to
understand your relationship with God.
Also, related to self-knowledge, but in an inverse way, is
self-absorption.When does meditating on
one’s self-understanding cross over into self-absorption?
St. Catherine of Siena has a lot to say on these questions.From Elizabeth A. Dreyer’s, Living the
Truth in Love: A Retreat with Catherine of Siena.
From the Introduction:
[Catherine] was certainly no
stranger to the lure of selfishness.She
cautions her readers over and over again that the great enemy of the spiritual
life is self-preoccupation.She writes,
“Every scandal, hatred, cruelty, and everything unbecoming springs from the
root of selfish love” (The Dialogue, Trans. Suzzane Noffke, New York:
Paulist Press, p.35).Terms like
“selfish self-centeredness,” “selfish sensuality,” “self-complacency” and
“self-opinionatedness” pepper her texts.(p. 34)
On this second day of retreat, we
reflect on the human condition as the great contrast with the reality of
God.We delve into a most basic truth
about ourselves—that we are creatures, not the Creator; sinners, not the
sinless One.(p. 34)
Opening Prayer:
Ineffable Creator
…
You are proclaimed
The true font of light and wisdom
And the primal origin
Raised beyond all things.
Pour forth a ray of Your brightness
into the darkened places of my
mind;
disperse from my soul
the twofold darkness
into which i was born:
sin and ignorance.
[The Prayers of Catherine of Siena, Ed.
Suzanne Noffke, New York: Pualist Press, 1983, p.82]
Spiritual Talk:
Three quotes out of the retreat talk.
Catherine’s works are full of
references to self-knowledge and knowledge of God.Often she places both phrases in the same
sentence, since she sees them intimately related to each other.Perhaps because she spent three years in
solitary prayer in her room in her parent’s home, she often refers to the
“cell” or the “house” of self-knowledge.She may also have felt compelled to emphasize the “cell within” to
counter her critics, who would have preferred to have her in her cell than
traveling about Europe, conversing with popes and princes.In a letter to her first spiritual director,
Tommaso della Fonte, she describes the “cell of the soul” as a well in which
there is both earth [our poverty] and living water [the very core of the
knowledge of God’s will that we be made holy] (The Letters of St. Catherine
of Siena.Vol 1, Trans. Suzzane Noffke,
p. 44).One comes to know oneself by
turning inward in quiet reflection.She
encourages us to enter into the depths of this well, into loving
transformation.(p. 36)
In order to force us to confront
our sinfulness with honesty and courage, [Catherine] employs a rather dramatic
metaphor.She compares sin to leprosy (Dialogue,
p.180).Adam’s sin, she says, oozed
with deadly pus, until the incarnation effected a cure, draining the pus out of
Adam’s sin, leaving only its scar (Dialogue, p.52).No doubt this imagery was impressed on
Catherine’s mind as she went about nursing those who suffered from plague and
other diseases.(p.37)
Catherine’s insistence on
self-knowledge bears the mark of her intense personality.Nowhere is this more visible than in her
awareness of her own sinfulness.In her Prayers,
she is constantly juxtaposing her sinfulness and the sinfulness of the world with
God’s loving mercy.The phrase, “I have
sinned against the Lord; have mercy on me!” runs like a leitmotif
throughout.In a letter to two of her
friends, Catherine writes, “I, Caterina, a useless servant, am in agony with
desire as I searched the depths of my soul; I grieve and weep when I see and
really understand our foolish apathy, our failure to give our love to God after
God has given us such great graces with so much love” (The Letters of St.
Catherine of Siena.Vol 1, Trans.
Suzzane Noffke, p. 80).(p.40-1)
Catherine’s self-knowledge—her sinfulness, her smallness in
the face of the Creator, and her sinfulness with respect to God’s purity—leads her
to write from the mouth of God the eternal Father spoken to Catherine: "Do
you know, daughter, who you are and who I am? If you know these two things you
will have beatitude within your grasp. You are she who is not, and I AM
HE WHO IS." (Raymond of Capua, Life of Catherine of Siena, 92).Knowledge of self for Catherine requires the
awareness that one is not God and that God is many things she is not.
For Reflection:
Throughout her Prayers,
Catherine repeats over and over again: “I have sinned against the Lord.Have mercy on me!Do not look at our sins, all-powerful,
compassionate, merciful God.”
Catherine
continuous her furious letter writing, this time to everyone and for all
occasions, some to her personal friends and some for the cause of Pope Urban
VI.In one letter to Raimondo she
chastises him for being afraid of being killed on the road of a mission he
backed out, and then in another letter she forgives him for his weakness.Her mother Lapa also joins Catherine in Rome.
Chapter
25
Undset
narrates how the schism caused deep factions in Europe, where leaders and
religious took sides.Eventually the
schism turned violent as the King of France sent a military expedition to
Italy, attacking some of the Italian cities and finally Rome.But the Pope’s army with its paid mercenaries
overturned the French force, many thanking Catherine for the victory.Her letter writing continued strongly, even
writing to Queen Joanna again, and this time it may have appeared Joanna
changed her side to Urban, though she probably did it for Machiavellian reasons
rather than what was right.
Chapter
26
As
the year turned 1380, Catherine began to weaken as the Romans began to rebel
against Pope Urban.By now she had
become emaciated.Devils began to attack
her both physically and spiritually.At
times she could not walk; other times she struggled to walk to Mass and the
Vatican.Sensing her life was waning,
she wrote a letter to the Holy Father advising him how to comport himself in
this struggle of the schism.She wrote a
last letter to Raimondo telling him of her final spiritual struggles, and to
take charge of her writings, and finally offering her life for the Church and
glory of God.
Chapter
27
By
the middle of Lent in 1380, Catherine was unable to leave her bed.By the Holy week her old confessor, Fra
Bartolommeo Dominici, came to Rome and spent time with her.She made her confession and he celebrated
Mass in her room.By April, Catherine
had made her spiritual last will and testament, gathered all her sons and
daughters, including her mother, and individually blessed them and gave them
each final advice.She made a final open
confession to them all, received absolution again, and on April 29th
passed away while in prayer.
Chapter
28
At
the hour of Catherine’s death, Raimondo recalls how he, leagues away in Genoa
and not knowing she had passed, hearing her voice assuring his protection from
heaven.Undset also delineates how a
Roman woman, Semia on the day of Catherine’s death had a dream of Catherine
being led into heaven by angels, and how Semia found out about Catherine’s body
lying in protection at the basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva and paid her
respects.Catherine was initially buried
at the Basilica.
Chapter
29
Undset
narrates how Catherine’s body was initially buried at the churchyard at Santa
Maria sopra Minerva, then brought into the church itself where her head was
cutoff and sent to Siena in a reliquary with her body entombed in the church
and ultimately moved under the high altar.Undset briefly describes the fates of her closest sons and daughters.We learn of Catherine’s beatification and
then canonization in 1461 by Pope Pius II.
###
My
Reply to Gerri:
Gerri wrote: "The
fasting and staying up all night? Checkmark for a manic state. The sense of
being tormented by demons/the devil - which Catherine regularly said she
suffered? Checkmark for the 13th century, when bipolar disorder was unknown and
a suffering person was believed to be possessed by the devil. And Catherine's
recurring illnesses that sent her to her bed - checkmark for the depressive
side of the illness.."
Very interesting Gerri. I could see some sort of compulsive disorder. Actually
it's likely, but she was never really depressed to be bi-polar. If you remember
she was always a happy upbeat person. But I do see some sort of high compulsive
inner drive that just won't stop. The exhaustion was because she just pushed
her self beyond her breaking point. Plus, she didn't eat. I would imagine there
was no fuel in the tank.
My
Reply to Gerri:
Gerri wrote: "Three
more things. You can tell I've become a Caterinati!"
Welcome to the club! Now you see how this book really alterted me. Because of
having read this book and falling in love with Catherine I ultimately became a
Lay Dominican, And if you're interested, my chosen religious name is Br. John
Catherine of Siena.
###
There
is an interesting passage in chapter 26 of St. Catherine and the ship that is
the church.
In the entrance to the
old basilica of St. Petyer’s, there was a mosaic of Giotto’s called
“Navicella”—St. Peter’s ship.Catherine
must have seen it hundreds of times, sometimes with deep thoughts, sometimes
without noticing it.But when she
received the vision which assured her that her heavenly Bridegroom had accepted
her prayer to sacrifice her life, the impression of this mosaic may have helped
to decide the pictorial form of her vision.
Sexagesima Sunday fell on
January 29.Catherine was on her knees
in St. Peter’s, where she had remained motionless for hours.But suddenly at vespers her friends saw that
she collapsed, as though an overwhelming burden had been laid on her shoulders
and crushed her body with its weight.When they tried to help her to her feet she was so weak that she could
not stand.Supported by two of her sons
she was more carried than led home.When
they lifted her onto her bed it looked as though she were dying.
Tommaso Caffarini’s
description is repeated by William Flete:As Catherine knelt at the tomb of St. Peter that Sunday at vespers,
while the winter evening began to creep in over the city, she felt how Jesus
Christ laid the whole weight of His Church, la
Navicella, on the thin shoulders of His faithful bride.
And the crushing pain was
sweet too—indescribably sweet.It meant
that He had accepted the sacrifice she had offered Him in love and desire.It meant too that He would soon come and lead
her from “this dark world” to the land of her desire and eternal union with
Him.(304-5)
I’m
struck with how many contemporaneous writings about her took place and have
survived.Raimondo, Fra Dominici,
Cafferini come to mind.It helps that
she was associated with Dominicans since they were the most educated
order.I also want to point out that
image of Giotto’s “Navicella.”It is an
exquisite work of art.You can read about it here and if you click the picture you will get it in full screen and
fully appreciate it.
More
importantly, Catherine takes the image and interprets it as her burden.The crushing weight of the ship—which stands
for the church herself—becomes the means of her martyrdom.Undset goes on to describe Catherine’ last
letter to Pope Urban, written just after this incident, even quoting
extensively from it. I went and looked
up that actual letter and found that Undset did not quote this particular
sentence: “Comfort you, and do not fear on account of any bad reply which this
rebel against your Holiness may have made or may make, for God will care for
this and for everything else, as Ruler and Helper of the ship of Holy Church,
and of your Holiness.”[Saint of Siena
Catherine. Letters of Catherine Benincasa (Kindle Locations 3921-3923).]Notice she calls him “Ruler and Helper of the
ship of Holy Church.”The ship is
clearly on her mind.I also want to
point out that sometimes you may see an image or icon of St. Catherine holding
a ship.This is what the image is
referring to, Catherine holding up the bark of Peter.Here is an example.
###
Some
of Catherine’s last words are interesting.For instance, toward the end when her children are gathered round her
bed in sorrow, she says:
“And I promise you that I
shall be with you always, and be of much more use to you on the other side than
I ever could be here on earth, for then I shall have left the darkness behind
me and move in the eternal light.”(p.
317)
The
first part of that—“I shall be with you always”—is a quote right out of the
Gospel of Matthew, the very last lines in fact.Jesus’ parting words are “And behold, I am with you always, until the
end of the age” (Mat 28:20).So there
she is quoting Jesus.
The
next part is also a famous quote, that is, famous to the Order of
Preachers.Catherine says “[I will] be
of much more use to you on the other side than I ever could be here on earth.”Those words are very similar to that of St.
Dominic himself, the founder of the order.On his death bed, he too had his close friars beside him in
morning.The situation is exactly
parallel to that of Catherine in this scene.St. Dominic’s words are, “Do not weep, my children; I shall be more useful
to you where I am now going, than I have ever been in this life” (p. 225 from The Life of Saint Dominic, Augusta
Theodosia Drane, 1988 by TAN Books, Charlotte, North Carolina, first published
in 1857, London).Every Dominican knows
those words of St. Dominic. It must have
been on Catherine’s mind.
And
the last part, “for then I shall have left the darkness behind me and move in
the eternal light,” that movement from darkness to light is all over the Bible,
but Catherine’s words seem to echo Jesus as He quotes Isaiah, “Land of Zebulun
and land of Naphtali, the
way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit
in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed
by death light has arisen” (Mat 4:15-6).When you live in the words of God, you repeat the words of God,
consciously or unconsciously.
Let’s
closely look at her moment of death as Undset depicts it.
Catherine continued to
pray till the last moment, for the Church, forPope Urban, for her children. She prayed with such intense love that her
disciples thought that not only their hearts, but the very stones must
break.“Beloved, You call me, I come.Not through any service of mine, but through
Your mercy and the power of Your blood…”She made the sign of the cross and cried, “Blood, blood…”Then she bowed her head.“Father, into Your hands I commit my
spirit.”And as she said it, she gave up
the spirit.Her face had become as
beautiful as an angel’s, radiant with tenderness and happiness.
It was about the hour of
terce on April 29, 1380. (320)
Terce,
the Third Hour, is about 9 AM.Her last
words of “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit” is a little too
neat.I personally don’t believe it.I’ve been reading I Am Going: Reflections on the Last Words of Saints by Mary
Katherine Glavich, SND, and she lists “Blood, blood…” as Catherine’s last
words.Her lifelong obsession with
Christ’s blood makes that perfectly reasonable and fitting to be her last
words.Those are the last words I consider
she said.
###
I
was moved by Undset’s final words on Catherine.
It is certain that
Catherine voluntarily—and few women have ever had such an inflexible will—chose
to suffer ceaselessly for all she believed in, loved and desired: unity with
God, the glory and honor of His name, His kingdom on earth, the eternal
happiness of all mankind, and the re-birth of Christ’s Church to the beauty
which it possesses when the radiance of its soul shines freely through its
outward form—that form which was then stained and spoilt by its own
degenerative servants and rebellious children.As Catherine expressed it: the strength and beauty of its mystical body
can never diminish, for it is God; but the jewels with which its mystical body
are adorned are the good accomplished by its sincere and faithful
children.
Wow,
what beautifully constructed sentences.And the imagery is wonderful too: the good works we do in our love of
God are jewels that adorn His mystical body.Is the imagery Undset’s or is she paraphrasing it from Catherine?It sounds like one of those visual images St.
Catherine would come up with.
###
My Goodreads Review:
This is probably the best biography of a saint I have
ever read, and no wonder.It’s written
by Sigrid Undset, Nobel Prize winning author.Undset was a convert to Catholicism, and even became a Lay Dominican.Many of Undset’s novels are set in the Middle
Ages, so it’s no surprise then she would write a biography of the most
important Lay Dominican to have ever lived and one of the most influential
women of the fourteenth century, St. Catherine of Siena.What is amazing about this biography is that
though it has elements of a hagiography, it is detailed and reads like a work
of realism.I’m even more impressed on
my second read than after the first.
Why is the life of St. Catherine so engaging?St. Catherine of Siena incorporates into her
being every element of sainthood possible.She lived a life of uncompromising holiness.You may be surprised to learn she was not a
consecrated religious, but a Third Order Dominican.Prayer was the foundation of her life, which
then led to an active ministry of taking care of the sick and the poor.She was a mystic who had who supernatural
experiences on an almost daily basis but was involved in the issues and
politics of her day.Though uneducated,
she learned Catholic theology so well she was correcting theologians, and she
went on to write—at some point she learned to read and write either mystically
or through perseverance—one of the great Catholic theological classics, her Dialogue.I marvel at her writings—mostly her
letters—for her intense prose and wonderful imagery.She was a natural poet.She was a little woman from a
non-aristocratic family who became so influential she was offering advice to
kings and queens, and her greatest accomplishment was in persuading Pope
Gregory XI to return the papacy to Rome after almost a century in Avignon.Her greatest disappointment was in not being
able to resolve the Papal Schism of 1378, and here too she offered her life up
in ascetic martyrdom in the hopes of a resolution.Because of her brilliance in articulating the
faith, in 1970, along with St. Teresa of Avila, she was recognized as a Doctor
of the Church, the first women.And
though her asceticism was severe, she was never dour.On the contrary she one of the most affable
and gregarious women of her time.She
attracted a large following known as the Caterinati.Read this bio and perhaps you will be a Caterinati too!
Summaries
for chapters 19 through 23 were written by Gerri Bauer for our Goodreads,
Catholic Thought book club.(I didn’t
have the time to keep up and Gerri did me a favor.Thank you Gerri.)
Chapter
19
Catherine
is called mediate a feud between two branches of the Salimbeni family. While at
their fortress, a possessed women is brought to Catherine for healing - causing
Catherine to cry out because she suffers so much from attacks by demons. But
she is the victor in the struggle for the woman. Also, while at the fortress, Catherine
discovers she can write. She says this occurred while she was in ecstasy. She
also survives an attack by a monk who was in despair and tries to kill her.
Chapter
20
Catherine
heads to Florence as the Pope's ambassador, without any priests accompanying
her because the town is under an interdict. Catherine's friends and enemies
agree that she is well versed in everything concerning the Church, is very
learned, and has a brilliant intuitive understanding of things. A peace
conference starts at the beginning of 1378 but Pope Gregory XI dies on March 27
before peace is secured. A fierce civil war breaks out in Florence. Catherine
faces down a mob that comes to murder her in Soderini's garden. She offers her
life but begs them to spare her companions. The mob leaves but the war
continues. At one point, Catherine flees to nearby woods but soon returns to
town. While in Florence, she writes her first letter to Pope Urban VI, urging
mercy as well as reform of the Church. She also again calls for a crusade after
peace is established in Florence. Peace finally comes in July and Catherine
returns to Siena.
Chapter
21
When
Pope Gregory XI died, Rome was in chaos. Romans formed mobs and stormed the
Vatican, screaming that a Roman must be elected or the cardinals would be
murdered. Terrified cardinals rushed through the election and chose the
Archbishop of Bari, Bartolommeo Prignano, who became Urban VI. As soon as the
crowds were told there was a new Pope, the mob broke down the doors and forced
their way in, again repeating the threat. (A Roman noble, Cardinal Tebaldeschi,
was presented to the mob as the new Pope.) The cardinals in Avignon, supported
by Provencal colleagues, refused to accept any declarations sent out in Urban's
name. On Sept. 20, a schismatic Pope was elected. Catherine, meanwhile, is back
in Siena and dictates so many letters she keeps three secretaries busy. She
writes numerous letters supporting Urban as the lawful Pope. Undset says she
had foreseen the schism.
Chapter
22
Catherine
removes herself to a solitary dwelling outside the gates of Siena and dictates
the book that becomes known as the "Dialogue." She asks her
secretaries to listen when she is in ecstasy and write down all she says.
Catherine calls the manuscript "the book" or "my book."
Undset says a belief in God's mercy is the undercurrent of the conversations
between the Eternal Father and His dear daughter, a much loved child. In the
Dialogue, the Lord repeats for Catherine all he has taught her. The contents
are revealed to Catherine during a series of visions that take place over four
or five days. This Chapter goes into depth about the Dialogue.
Channel
23
Catherine
starts on a journey to Rome and arrives Nov. 28 to find the town under arms.
The Pope can't move into the Vatican and is staying at Santa Maria in
Trastevere. He asks Catherine to make a speech to the cardinals about the
schism. She urges them to show courage. Pope Urban also asks Catherine and
another virgin named Katherine to go as his ambassadors to Queen Joanna of Naples,
who supports the schismatics. Katherine refuses for personal reasons, so
neither woman goes. But Catherine had already written to Joanna from Siena,
with a plea for the lawful Pope. She writes again, but Joanna ignores the
pleas. Catherine and her companions settle in a house near Santa Maria sopra
Minerva. Christmas is approaching, and it will be the first Catherine
celebrates in Rome.
###
My
Comment to Gerri:
Gerri! Thank you so much
for summarizing these chapters. I am behind. Besides what seems a busier than
usual week, the election and the results has had me distracted.
"Distracted from
distraction by distraction," one of my favorite quotes from TS Eliot.
Now let me get to reading
these chapters and I will comment. Bless you.
My
Comment:
Gerri, I just finished
chapter 22 which was on the Dialogue. Undset only gives us a smattering from
the book. I too want to read it, but I'm told is a little chaotic. Remember it
was dictated while Catherine was in ecstasy and so I'm told it can be hard to absorb.
I've read that Catherine intended to edit it but she couldn't bring herself to
do it because she felt it came from the mouth of God. The Dialogue is a
conversation between her and God.
There is a condensed version that cuts the repetitions and makes things flow
logically. Little Talks With God. Perhaps that's a better choice for the book club to
start if we can get it voted in as a read.
My Comment:
On page 285 I was struck
with Undset saying that Catherine "was such a good cook." I've never
seen that anywhere else. She made the candied oranges for the pope. If she
cooked then she had to to taste, no? And if she tasted, she had to have had
some nutrition.
But I'm startled to see
she was a good cook. That is surprising to me.
My
Comment:
On page 282 she chastises
two hermits for not getting personally involved in healing the schism, one of
the two being William Fleete. She says about him, "I sigh from the bottom
of my heart over his stupidity, for he does not seek the glory of God and the
good of his neighbor with noticeable zeal." Apparently she didn't think
his being a hermit was an excuse. She being a Dominican I can see why she would
have a hard time with it. She tells him later, "The glow of your faith
cannot be very ardent if you risk losing it by changing your dwelling. It seems
as though God cares about places, and is only to be found in solitude and no
other place in the day of need."
Now think back when she
was in her cell of self-knowledge and did not want to come out. She only came
out on Christ's insistence. I think she was eighteen at the time. Now, here,
she is around thirty or thirty-one. She has grown much over that time.
Gerri
Replied:
She called things as she
saw them. It's one reason why, after reading this book, I consider her
fearless. She was disappointed when she perceived Raimondo to be shying away
from potential martyrdom, and she told him so. I marvel at her boldness in
expressing strong opinions and in getting away with doing so.
I agree with you about
the Dialogue. Your suggested book is a good one to put up for a future read
vote.
My
Reply to Gerri:
Oh she was so courageous.
And just think about her travels. A woman just didn't do that back then.
###
I
was taken a little by surprised in chapter 23 by how much Catherine was
involved in solving the great schism.We
frequently hear of Catherine’s having convinced Pope Gregory XI to return the papacy
back to Rome, and perhaps rightly so since that was a great achievement, but
her efforts to heal the schism is also a great effort, even though she was not
successful.I didn’t realize (actually I
must have forgotten since I have read this before) how much Pope Urban VI relied
on her to help support the legitimacy of his papacy.I thought she just came to Rome and prayed to
end the schism, but we see a lot more than that in chapter 23, but it hardly
gets mentioned in the Catholic world of today.I guess an achievement is always more historically lasting in people’s
memory than a failed effort, but this effort should be documented.Allow me to pull some short excerpts from the
chapter to highlight and in my small little way hopefully disseminate knowledge
of Catherine’s great participation to end the schism.
Let
me start with Catherine being received by Pope Urban VI in Rome.
Catherine was immediately
received by the Pope, who was overwhelmed with joy at meeting her again.He asked her to make a speech to the
assembled cardinals, first and foremost about the schism, which had now become
a fact.She did so in such a way that
everyone was greatly moved.She
encouraged them to show courage and determination, and brought forward many reasons
for this.She explained how God’s
providence watched over each individual in such a way in these times which
brought great suffering on Holy Church.Therefore, she said finally, they should not let themselves be
frightened by the schism, but persevere and work for God without fear of me.When she finished her talk the Pope seemed
extremely happy.He summed up what she
had said and added to the cardinals: “See, brothers, how guilty we must appear
to God because we are without courage.This little woman puts us to shame.And when I call her a little woman [piccola
donzella] I do not do so out of scorn, but because her sex is by nature
fearful; but see how we tremble while she is strong and calm, and see how
consoles us with her words.(p. 274)
There
is that courage of hers highlighted again; everyone sees it.Can you imagine in the 14th
century a woman being asked to speak in front of an assembly of cardinals, and
then delivering a motivating speech, probably off the cuff?She is amazing.
Pope
Urban had plans to use her across Italy.
A day or two later Urban
suggested that Catherine and another virgin, also called Katherine, should go
as his ambassadors to Queen Joanna of Naples, who now openly supported the
schismatics.This other Katherine was
the daughter of St. Birgitta and had come to Rome to arrange several matters
connected with the convent in Vadstena which her mother had founded.But St. Karin of Vadstena, as the Swedes
called her, blankly refused to visit Queen Joanna…Karin Ulfsdotter was now a
woman of about forty, but she was obviously convinced that there was no misdeed
so terrible that Queen Joanna would not commit it.If she and Catherine of Siena went to Naples
they risked being taken in ambushed on the way and killed.Raimondo agreed with Karin; he considered
Queen Joanna an utterly depraved woman, and was stubbornly set against his
“mamma” meeting her.Only Catherine
scorned her friends’ lack of courage….But Urban thought over what Karin said
and let the idea drop.(275-6)
Still
to be considered for such a diplomatic mission is extraordinary and speaks of
her reputation.It also shows how
dangerous it was for Catherine to do all the travels across Italy and France
that she did.Catherine had already
implored Queen Joanna concerning the schism prior to this and would do so
again.
While she was still in
Siena Catherine had written to Queen Joanna—a passionate plea for the lawful
Pope, Urban, to whom all Christian princes owed their loyalty.From Rome she sent the Queen a letter which
was even more outspoken.She addresses
the letter to her “dear mother in Christ.”(Joanna was by then a woman of fifty-one and married for the fourth
time.)Catherine now writes to this
woman on her favorite theme, self-love opposed to the love for God as He has
revealed Himself in Christ Crucified.“Oh, dear mother, you must love the Truth, you must submit yourself to
the Holy Church—for otherwise I will never again call you mother or turn
towards you with respect.From being a
queen you have been made a servant and the slave of something which is
nothing…”(277)
I
would have loved to have been privy to Queen Joanna’s thoughts as she read from
some commoner woman asking to consider herself a servant and slave.I have not read much other writing from the
time but I can’t imagine anyone else writing such as this.Undset continues on Catherine’s letter.
Catherine begs Joanna at
least to remain neutral until she has discovered the truth.“Oh, I say to you in the deepest sorrow, for
I wish with my whole soul that you may be saved, that if you do not change, and
turn from this error and all others, the Highest Judge will punish you in such
a way that it will fill all who think of rebelling against the Church with
terror, do not wait for Him to strike, for it is hard to withstand God’s
justice.You must die, and you do not
know when.”…Joanna paid no attention to Catherine’s warnings, not to those of
the Pope.(277-8)
Joanna
would ultimately be killed about four years later by the relations of her first
husband, who it was said she had killed.One could read about her in the Wikipedia entry.She probably deserves a little more sympathy
than suggested here when one takes the totality of her life in
perspective.She was living in a world
of dangerous Italian politics and she was a woman, perhaps vulnerable to some
degree.
I
can’t say I have fully grasped the subtleties of the schism.Supporting Pope Urban we have the Dominican
St. Catherine of Siena, and yet across Europe we have another Dominican who
would become a saint, St. Vincent Ferrerwho supported the antipope (that is actually the title) Clement VII.It shows you that elections are very
dangerous if people don’t trust the process.That should be a lesson to us today and the need to show the public that
irregularities are addressed.
Catherine
also wrote a letter to three cardinals who apparently betrayed Urban and join
the antipope.
It is possible that a
letter from Catherine to the three Italian [cardinals] caused them to
hesitate.She begins by telling them
that if they come out of the darkness in which they live she will call them her
fathers, but not if they do not change their opinions.The Sister of Penitence speaks sharply and to
the point to the cardinals, as one who has authority.Even her favorite theme of two kinds of love,
the one life-giving, the other bringing death, is turned into a violent attack
against these men who have been invested with the greatest responsibility and
the highest dignities in the Church, but have become traitors through love of
temporal things.(280)
One
should be respectful of our bishops and even our Pope, but one should also take
Catherine’s example and speak truth to power.She is amazing.She even offers
the pontiff advice.
Catherine had advised
Pope Urban most urgently to collect around himself a lifeguard of the most
worthy, righteous and pure of God’s servants—the same advice she had given his
predecessor.The Pope listened to her
advice, or perhaps he had himself the same idea.Now he wrote to the prior of the Carthusians
at Gorgona and asked him to arrange for Masses to be said and prayers offered
in all the monasteries in Tuscany for the Pope’s cause.He commanded the prior moreover to appear in
Rome before the end of the month, for the Pope wished to consult with him and
other holy and pious monks regarding the problems of the times.Catherine sent her own letters with the
Pope’s bull’s: she wrote to most of her old friends in the various monasteries,
and also to the prior of Gorgona.(282)
This
is not mere tangential praying for the Pope’s cause.It seems like she is working hand in hand
with the Holy Father.Undset in this
narrative clearly delineates the relationship in this way.She continues.
Urban was always loyal to
Catherine.He always thought seriously
over what she suggested and advised, and he did not turn against her or become
sulky, as Gregory XI had dine at times when it seemed as though he had got
himself into a difficult position through following her advice.The obstinate and headstrong old man never
seems to have been offended at anything she wrote to him; he obviously felt
real fatherly love for “this little woman” whom he allowed to lead him, and
honored her as the chosen spokesman of his Lord and Master…Catherine and Urban
looked exactly the same way at the most important questions of their time—the
cleansing of the Church and the re-awakening of faith among all Christian
peoples.(283)
This
is beyond any imagining of Catherine’s involvement in solving the schism.She wasn’t exactly the Pope’s “chief of
staff” but perhaps we can think of her as even more elevated than that.She was almost an equal political figure,
Urban at the head of the earthly faction, Catherine at the head of the
spiritual faction.Unfortunately
Catherine died in 1380, and one wonders that had she lived a normal life span,
she may have helped resolve this crises.Urban the VI would live another ten years after Catherine’s death, and
the schism still fully entrenched.The
schism would last until 1417 and include three more legitimate popes and four
antipopes, and at one time three men claiming to be pope at the same time.In all it was thirty-nine years of
turmoil.Clearly Catherine’s two or
three years involvement were not superficial, and history really should reflect
more of her efforts.
Another
transition in her life now occurs, going from corporal works of mercy to
spiritual works of mercy.This chapter
outlines Catherine’s conversions of men who go from lives of sin and lack of
faith, to repentance, conversion, and a death that is in a state of grace.Her extended spiritual family—her devoted
followers—continued to grow as she becomes an important part of Sienese life.
Chapter
10
Undset
provides the historical background as to why the Popes had moved to Avignon,
and the attempts to persuade the Pope to return to Rome by St. Catherine’s
predecessor, St. Bridget of Sweden.
Chapter
11
As
Catherine’s growing influence makes her more sought after, her band of
followers, the “Caterinati” also grows, attracting educated and nobility,
religious and secular, and most especially sinners, those who want to be
converted and those who convert against their initial wishes.Her charismatic personality and her powerful
spiritual insight convert many a sinner.
Chapter
12
By
1372, Catherine’s influence had grown across Italy.Her letters now went to Cardinals and princes
of city-states concerning major political issues of the day, including wars
between states.And these heads of
states sought her advice, not just through letters but by sending ambassadors
to Siena to reach her in person.The
Seraphic Virgin of Siena even endorsed global policies such as a crusade
against Islam, though it was never taken up.
Chapter
13
In
1374 Catherine and her followers went to Florence on one of her missions to
bring peace between warring families, and there met her future biographer and
most important confessor, Blessed Raimondo of Capua.That year the Bubonic Plague would return
with a vengeance and strike down a third of Siena.Catherine worked tirelessly to care for the
ill and bury the dead, including performing several miracles.After the plague had subsided, Catherine and
her band made a pilgrimage to Montepulciano to venerate the body and relics of
St. Agnes of Montepulciano.There a
miracle occurred where when Catherine went to kiss the foot of the dead woman,
Agnes lifted her foot for Catherine.
###
My
Comment:
This morning in my email
feed I got an inspirational quote that happened to be from St. Catherine. Let
me share it:
"We've had enough of
exhortations to be silent! Cry out with a hundred thousand tongues. I see that
the world is rotten because of silence."
-St. Catherine of Siena
With all the craziness
that is going on in the world, St. Catherine is so on the mark.
My
Reply to Irene:
Irene wrote: "This
section made me curious about St. Birgita. I find it fascinating how often the
lives of saints overlap."
I was thinking similar on Blessed Raimondo of Capua the other night. He’s not a
full saint (canonized) but still a blessed. Other than his relationship to St.
Catherine, I realized I know nothing about him.
My
Reply to Gerri:
Gerri wrote: "I also
like how Undset says the Caterinati were eager to give witness to not only
Catherine's power and piety, but also to her "holy gaiety." I love
that - holy gaiety.
Yes holy gaiety! This was my mission with this book, to get that across.
Because what people remember about Catherine's personality is her severe
asceticism, people assume she was stern and dour. She was stern but definitely
not dour. What people need to realize about her was her bubbly personality. She
was gay (in the old sense of the word) and joyful and playful. She attracted
the huge Caterinati because of her personality. There are lots of devout people
around, but there are few people where you want to be around them all the time.
She made being devout fun!
###
What
really puzzles me in these sections is how she went from an obscure little
religious woman who did good works about town to being sought after by the
highest nobility in Italy. Think about it. She comes out of her cell as a
complete unknown, starts doing good works of mercy about town, starts leading
people to repentance through spiritual acts of mercy, starts engaging in what
I’ll call conflict resolutions about Siena, is then sought after to resolve
more conflicts by powerful, and then ultimately goes to Siena’s rival city of
Florence to resolve a dispute between the heads of Florence, Siena, Milan,
Pisa, and I think the Papacy. That is quite a jump for an unknown woman who is
not part of the aristocracy. Here’s how I piece together the timeline for those
years.
1347
Birth, age 0
1363-66
Lives in her cell, age 16-19
1366
Becomes Third Order Dominican, age 19
1367
Exits her cell and starts good works, age 20
1368
Her father dies, age 21
1370
Starts Engaging in Conflict Resolution, age 23
1372
Is Sought By the Powerful for Resolutions, age 25
1374
Travels to Florence for a Peace Mission, age 27
How
does a young woman go from what we today might classify as a nurse’s aide (not
even a nurse) to resolving conflicts between Dukes and Cardinals in four to six
years? Undset does her best to show the leap, but details would be fascinating.
What were these Dukes and Cardinals thinking? Why her? What specifically did
she do to gain that trust? I guess that is lost to the silence of history. But
I find that astonishing.
My
Reply to Irene, who did not find it astonishing that
Catherine got so popular:
I can understand that
Irene. Yes, her miracles may have opened people's eyes, but I guess the main
part of my point was the connection between the dots, so to speak, has been
lost to the silence. Why did this particular ruler decide to trust in her over
this particular miracle. The connection between miracle or whatever it was that
was persuasive and powerful figure has been lost.
I did imply a certain
minimizing of her person in my comment. My exact words were "an obscure
little religious woman." I hope you didn't think me sexist for that. I was
merely placing her in the context of medieval society. She was not aristocratic
and she was not educated. She didn't even have a powerful husband. There would
be nothing about her for the powerful of her day to take note.
I'm also skeptical that
the miracles could have persuaded many. I'm afraid miracles don't persuade many
people. Look at it in our era. Take Padre Pio, a man who was known to
bi-locate, read people's souls, and have the visible stigmata. You would think
the whole world would be rushing to become Catholic. But even our own Church
doubted him for a long time. Blessed Solanus Casey (is he a saint now?) was
long associated with miracles, and has the United States rushed to become
Catholic? Who was it that said (Dostoyevsky? or is it in the New Testament?)
that despite the miracle of parting the Red Sea, the Israelites lost faith in
Moses? Anyway it's also in Psalm 106. People will have miracles performed right
in front of their eyes and they will not attribute to the divine. Actually look
at Fatima and the miracle of the sun. How many hundreds of people witnessed it?
You would think because of that the world would be rushing to become Catholic.
You would think Catholics would be rushing to be Catholic. No, I'm afraid
miracles don't necessarily lead to conversion and discipleship.
My
Reply to Irene who said people like Catherine were the
superstars of the Middle Ages:
Well argued Irene. Yes,
it's possible. It's still over a very short time, only four years. Her fame
really exploded for her to be sought outside of Siena. And there was no mass
communication for word to get around. Perhaps it was through her letters. I'm
not sure Undset makes enough of her letters. They span all levels of society.
If I remember correctly 380-ish letters survive, which I think she wrote over
ten years. They are really remarkable and lend real insight into her person and
thought. You can find free editions on the internet, though they were
translated over 100 years ago. Perhaps if I can identify the ten or so most
interesting we can do them as a short read at some point.
Gerri
Reply to those previous comments:
One more thing that may
have contributed to Catherine's reputation: the political activity of her
brothers. They were highly active and right in the thick of the region's
political feuds. Word of Catherine may have spread via both their supporters
and detractors.
I, too, was surprised at
first when I read that highly placed figures were seeking her out. On page 158:
".. when Bernabo
Visconti sent ambassadors to Siena to see if he could win the goodwill of the
Republic in his dispute with the Pope, he gave them orders to make contact with
the dyer's daughter, and if possible to get her support."
Could a saintly and
beloved Sienese's support influence the local power brokers and her own
immediate family? Something to think about. I think her reputation grew from a
combination of what you both said, Manny and Irene, with perhaps some help from
Italian family culture.
Side note: I'd love to
read some of Catherine's letters. I never know where to start, though. Manny,
I'd welcome your input but no rush. I've still got half of our book to read.
My
Reply to Gerri:
That is a very good point
Gerri. It's quite possible and as I was saying again lost to history I'm
afraid.
I will pick a couple of
Catherine's letters Gerri and link them here.
Also if you get
Magnificat magazine, almost every month they include an excerpt from one of her
letters as a meditation on a Gospel reading.
###
Oh!
I as just looking ahead to EWTN's upcoming programing, and as part of their All
Saints Day lineup, they will have an hour long show on St. Catherine of Siena.
Here's the brief show description:
"Take
a tour through 14th century Italy to experience the life and writings of St.
Catherine of Siena in this EWTN original docudrama, filled with incredible
interviews and dramatic reenactments."
It's
at 2 PM and for 60 minutes. Check your local time. It doesn't mention time
zone. So Sunday, November 1st
###
Chapter
14
Catherine
is now engaged in diplomatic efforts of a number of Italian City-States,
advocating peace among themselves and the papacy and joining together for
another crusade against Islam.While in
the city of Pisa, where she stayed for quite a while, Catherine experiences the
full stigmata.It is at this time in
1374 that Catherine’s letter writing dramatically increases, and while returning
home from Pisa she writes her first letter to Pope Gregory XI.As she returned home, Catherine found out
that most of the Tuscan City-States aligned together against the papacy.
Chapter
15
Much
to Catherine’s dismay, Pope Gregory in his obstinacy entrenches himself further
against the Tuscan City-States.Catherine writes several letters to the Holy Father imploring mercy
toward the towns, but in his petulancy the Pope sent an army to capture Bologna
and Casena, where men were massacred and women raped.In the meanwhile, Catherine resolved a local
Sienese conflict where a young man, Stefano Maconi, would become her most
devoted “son.”The Florentines, now
under a humiliating interdict from the Pope, agreed to Catherine’s offer to act
as a mediator in this dispute.
Chapter
16
Catherine
arrives in Avignon in mid-June and will spend the entire summer there, leaving
in mid-September.While there, the Holy
Father she has several conversations with the Holy Father, meets the vast papal
court and entourage, and wins over most, including the Holy Father
himself.The Pope agrees to a peace with
Florence, but the Florentines actually reject the offer.By the end of the summer, Pope Gregory XI, so
smitten with her holiness, decides to follow Catherine’s advice and return the
papacy back to Rome.He takes up the
court and moves leaves for Rome two days after Catherine departed.
Chapter
17
On
the journey back home, Catherine was bombarded with admirers.It took longer than expected because of the
plague encountered, both to her entourage and in the various cities they
stopped.Catherine’s letter writing,
however, continued on a remarkable pace.During her stay in Genoa, the Pope, masquerading as an ordinary priest
surprised her by stopping at her dwelling.On his way to Rome, Gregory XI was weakening from his decision and
needed Catherine’s support.Catherine
once again inspired the Pope to make the courageous and historic decision.
Chapter
18
As
the Pope in 1377 arrives in Rome, Catherine finally arrives home to Siena.She continues her letter writing especially
one imploring prisoners to come to the faith.She meets a particular young man, Niccolò di Toldo who was bitter and
unforgiving over his sentence of death.Catherine through her personality go him to repent, take communion, and
bravely walk to his execution with her by his side.She knelt by him and caught his head when it
was severed.
###
One
of those incredible passages is the moment she receives the stigmata.It’s worth transcribing.
But the most overwhelming
event in Catherine’s life while she was in Pisa was that she was marked with
Christ’s stigmata.Raimondo describes
the event as he saw it.
On Laetare
Sunday—mid-Lent Sunday—he celebrated Mass in the church of St. Christina and
had given Catherine Holy Communion.She
lay on her face for a long while afterwards without moving.Raimondo and her friends waited
patiently—they hoped that when she awoke from her ecstasy she would have a
message for them from the lips of her Bridegroom.Suddenly it was as though the outstretched
figure was lifted up; she knelt with closed eyes and her face shining with
supernatural bliss.She stretched out
her arms, with the palms of her hands outward, stiff and still: then she fell
suddenly to the ground as though mortally wounded.A little while after, she recovered
consciousness.
Some time later she
called Raimondo to her and whispered: “Father, know that by the grace of our
lord Jesus I now bear His stigmata in my body.”Raimondo had guessed by her movements what had happened, but he asked
her to describe the manner in which the gift of grace had been given her.“I saw Our Savior on the cross lean down
toward me in a bright light.And when my
soul tried to hasten to meet its creator, it forced my body to rise.Then I saw how five jets of blood came from
the five wounds and streamed toward my miserable body.I cried out, ‘O my Lord and Savior.I beg You, do not let the wounds on my body be
visible outwardly’—and while I spoke the jets of blood changed to shining
light, and as the rays of light they struck my hands, feet, and heart.” (p.
180)
It
is amazing there was a witness at the time and recorded what happened and her
understanding of it.
###
My
Reply to Joseph:
Joseph wrote: "It's
also pretty amazing just how active her contemplative life became. We had a
retreat master a couple of years ago emphasize that our work is not our prayer,
our prayer is our work. There's a pretty strong emphasis among our faculty that
we need to be rooted in prayer before we can effectively carry out the active
ministries of priesthood and I think in these chapters St. Catherine models
that relationship brilliantly."
Well, she's Dominican you know.
My Reply to Gerri:
Gerri wrote: "Manny,
I remember you mentioned in an earlier comment about Catherine's support of a
Crusade. Her strong belief in that cause came through clearly to me in these
chapters and surprised me a little. Then I realized how she saw a crusade as a
means to unify the warring Christian factions against a common foe."
Yes, that was the immediate need for the crusade but she also said it would
convert the Muslims for God. I think that was rather naïve on her part.
My
Reply to Gerri:
Gerri wrote: "To
everyone interested in Catherine of Siena: Learn25.com is having a sale on
certain items, including a course on Catherine of Siena. I just ordered the
Audio CD for $6.95. Of course, they got me ..."
Gerri, I have that course. It's presented by Sr. Suzanne Noffke who is probably
the world's leading scholar on St. Catherine of Siena. She has written and
edited many books on St. Catherine. Here is her Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
When I first listened to the course, I didn't at first particularly fall in
love with it. It took several listens over a span of time to warm up to them.
It seemed like Noffke brought in too much of her own life to the lectures for
my taste and it didn't seem like she got to the heart of Catherine's ideas.
This would not be a starter course on St. Catherine, but now that you will have
read this biography I think you might not feel lost.
My
Reply to Gerri:
Gerri wrote: "Oh,
boy, thanks for that insight, Manny. I'm not a big fan of authors bringing
their own life into lectures/biographies. I'm there to learn about the subject,
not the author. Especially with a pers..."
Yes, I know what you mean. Some of those Lear25 courses are disappointing. I
don't want to give the impression that the St. Catherine of Siena course is one
of those disappointing ones. It's not. It's just organized in a manner I did
not expect, and so was a little disconcerting. And Sr. Suzanne is not a dynamic
speaker. But in time I grew to understand her and appreciate her course. I
recommend it. Let me know what you think.
My Comment:
Also, the EWTN
documentary of St. Catherine today was excellent! I enjoyed it and they got to
the heart of her life and thought. The visual images of the locale was great. I
think for those that are mid way through the book, you know enough about her
for the documentary to resonate, I think the book enriched the documentary and the
documentary enriched the book.
###
One
of the often cited instances of Catherine’s life is her giving comfort to
Niccolò di Toldo as he went to his execution.I had forgotten some of the details.I had forgotten that Catherine actually narrated this event to Raimondo,
so we have Catherine’s actual take on the whole incident.First I was shocked he was condemned to death
because he had spoken derisively of Siena.He came from a rival town and was of the nobility of that rival
town.I guess that must have all added
up to a death penalty in those days.And
he was bitter, and refused to reconcile himself with God: “He was wild with
rage and despair over the crazy justice of this wretched government who want to
take his life over such a trifle” (p. 224).She describes the meeting:
You know I went to visit
him, and he gained such great strength and power that he made his confession in
the right state of mind.He made me
promise for the sake of God’s love I would be with him when the day of execution
came, and I promised.The next day
before the bells rang for the first time, I went to him, and that consoled him
greatly.I went with him to Mass, and he
received Holy Communion, which he had always avoided.His will was one with God’s holy will and submitted
to it.He was only afraid of one
thing—that his courage would fail in the crucial moment.But God’s immeasurable goodness fired such
love and longing in him that he could not have enough of God’s presence.He said, Say with me, do not go from me and I
will be good, I will die happy.And he
leaned his head against my breast.I was
filled with joy, for it seemed to me that the perfume of his blood mixed itself
with mine which I long to be able to pour out for my beloved Bridegroom
Jesus.(p. 225-6)
Three
things I would like to highlight in that passage.Catherine’s power to charm is noticeable in
all her encounters with people, be they religious people, regular people,
Popes, or a young man who is facing execution.We don’t get the details of what she said that caused him to go from a
wild and bitter man to one who was willing to “die happy.”This is one of the things that is so
memorable about Catherine, her charisma, her charm.
Second,
her amazing poetic descriptions: “it seemed to methat
the perfume of his blood mixed itself with mine which I long to be able to pour
out for my beloved Bridegroom Jesus.”Notice the compact series of images in that one sentence.Blood has a perfumed aroma?What a leap that is.And she envisions the aroma (as a sort of
ether) of Niccolò’s blood somehow mixing with the ether of her blood, and the
two bloods mixed into one is poured out for Christ.I haven’t been able to highlight much of her
language, but this sort of intense imagery runs throughout her writing.She really was a natural poet.
Third,
the blood.Blood is one of her central
symbols: the blood of Christ that washes away sin, and the blood of our
humanity, which is somehow supernaturally connected with the divine.I can’t pin it down—it would take a
systematic study—but for Catherine it’s as if our human blood is our link to
God.And why not?Christ in His incarnation had blood in His
veins, blood that would be shed.That
image of mixing of blood looks ahead to Niccolò’s execution.
Niccolò came, peaceful as
a lamb, and he smiled when he saw that Catherine stood there waiting for
him.He asked her to make the sign of
the cross over him, and she whispered to him: “My dear brother, let us go to
the eternal marriage feast, to enjoy life which shall never end.”She bared his throat, and when he laid his
head on the block she knelt beside him.He said nothing but “Jesus, Catherine,” and then his head fell into her
hands.
Then I fastened my eyes
upon the Divine Goodness and said: I will.Immediately I saw, as clearly as one sees the sunshine, Him who is God
and Man.He was there, He received the
blood.In this blood was the fire of
holy desire which grace had put into his soul, and this fire was swallowed up
in the fire of God’s mercy.”She saw
that Niccolò was as though drawn into the treasure chamber of mercy, his
pierced heart into Christ’s breast, so the great truth was made clearly
apparent—that Christ receives a soul entirely because of His mercy, and not
because of any merits of the soul itself.But as the soul of Niccolò entered the mystery of the Holy Trinity it
turned and looked at her, as the bride does when she has come to the house of
her bridegroom and with bowed head acknowledges those who have accompanied her,
as a last sign of gratitude.(226-7)
Can
you imagine the amount of blood that must have splattered on her?And as she held on to the dripping head?What a mess, but that blood is so significant
to her.Blood and fire and holy desire
and treasure chamber of mercy—there’s a lot of theology there.Too much for here, and I’m not sure I can tie
it all up together.But this is why she
was made a Doctor of the Church.She
connects Catholic doctrine—she never creates or distorts doctrine as some
modern theologians—in a way that is original to her and is meaningful to
us.I would love to have listened to her
preach.
And
kudos to Sigrid Undset for a beautiful description and integration of
Catherine’s words.
###
My
Reply to Several on Gender Restrictions that St. Catherine
may have faced:
I'm sure there were many
gender restrictions but why would there be one on speaking with a prisoner? I
don't follow that. Plus she may have had one or more of her followers alongside,
so she wouldn't have been alone with him.
As I think of it, I'm surprised they let her stay beside him as the decapitated
him, and not because of her gender. I can't imagine that being common.
My
Reply to Kerstin:
Kerstin wrote: "I
tend to think that women in the Middle Ages had far more freedoms then we give
them credit for. According to history-Prof. Christopher Bellito, who did a few
lecture series on Learn 25/Now You Kn..."
I suspect that is true. The thought has crossed my mind, but I don't have any
expertise to know.
