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AeneAs Sylvius Piccolomini says that Cardinal Giuliano Cesarini went directly to heaven as a martyr after being slain in the Crusade of Varna.
Tom Izbicki
Hi Maddy,
I would think it might be a specific example of the more general belief that if engaged in any particularly devout activity - on a pilgrimage, prayer (Charles the Good, I believe, was considered a martyr for being slain at prayer) one would go straight to heaven. I doubt it would be necessary as an explanation of an effigy holding a chalice, I would think most people would just realize that that individual had been a priest.
Meg
Has anyone else come across a tradition that a particularly holy priest might be called to Heaven while celebrating Mass? I've come across the idea that if you died while at Mass you could go straight to heaven (in the Lay Folk's Mass Book and its Welsh
equivalent) but this was a new one on me. I wonder if it was a story to explain priestly effigies with chalices, but I'd be interested to know how far back it goes. (Graham Jones will know where I am coming from on this one!)
Maddy