medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
concerning confession to a lay persons:
The question 'of what kind and who must the confessor be' is addressed
in the XIV century 'Specchio della vera Penitenza' by the Dominican
Jacopo Passavanti. He says that in case of necessity, if there is no
priest available, it is possible to confess to a lay person.
In so far as the confession to a horse is concerned:
Passavanti gives us a good story (also in Cesarius), where an
adulterous priest, who is about to be taken to confront a demoniac by
the husband of his lover, worried that he would be caught goes into a
stable and, on his knees, he confesses to a stabler on a horse.
the confession was valid because the demoniac did not speak out his
sins but said in latin (which the husband did not understand) "He was
justified in the stable".
Here may the be story of the horse.
i say confession rather than absolution - the difference is important
if the sacramental understanding places greater importance on the
penitent's contrition.
eliana
Quoting "Long, Thomas" <[log in to unmask]>:
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
> culture
>
> Wouldn't that depend on the moment in the historical development of
> the > sacrament? The Council of Florence (1439) legislated the
Thomistic
> view > of penance as a sacrament requiring repentance, auricular
confession,
> > penance and presbyteral absolution.
>
> I also recall dimly from my days in theology (late-1970s) that
> auricular > confession constituted the matter of the sacrament, so
that one
> could, > in an emergency, confess to one's horse in the absence of a
priest.
> Is > this only apocryphal?
>
> //TL
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture on
> behalf > of Pat McIntosh-Spinnler
> Sent: Sat 12/4/2004 5:47 AM
> To: Long, Thomas
> Subject: absolution by lay persons
>
>
>
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and >
culture
>
> I have a feeling I have read something somewhere along these lines:
>
> It was possible, in extremis, for a lay person (ie one not ordained
> > priest)
> to hear a deathbed confession and to pronounce absolution of some
> sort. > This
> would be particularly the case on a battlefield or at some similar >
moment
> when a priest was unobtainable. I associate the idea particularly
> with > the
> miltant Orders (Knights Hospitallers, in this case.)
>
> Can anyone offer any comment?
>
> Pat McIntosh-Spinnler
>
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---------------------------
Eliana Corbari,Theology & Religious Studies
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