medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
I don't know much about Berlusconi's situation.But the writer of the Guardian's piece errs when he claims that divorced persons may not receive communion (are excommunicated). Only those divorced and then remarried are in that condition. If that is B's situation, then he is excommunicated. Unless like so many rich and powerful politicians, he bought an annulment - and I say that in sorrow as a Catholic myself. This venue was also available to certain favored kings in the M.A. Plus ça change...
That said, the notion that sin - and repentance - is in the will is a key tenet of Abelard's Ethics, involved in his then-controversial argument that Judas might not have been as bad a bloke as was thought because he did exactly what God did: hand Jesus over for execution. And if Judas thought he was doing the right thing, what Jesus wanted him to do, then he was righteous in his actions.
George, your wonderings echo mine. I used to wonder about these characters who delayed Baptism till their deathbed throes in order to cheat the devil (and, in my mind, beat God's accounting system). I'm glad I'm not God. All those decisions!
MG
Marjorie Greene
http://medrelart.shutterfly.com/
--- On Thu, 8/27/09, George FERZOCO <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
From: George FERZOCO <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: [M-R] when medieval religion makes the news
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Thursday, August 27, 2009, 11:29 AM
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Dear medieval-religion colleagues,
Some of you will have noticed that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will be in L'Aquila tomorrow afternoon and evening. He will be participating in festivities surrounding the Celestinian Pardon, instituted by Pope Celestine V in celebration of his coronation as pope in 1294 in the church of Santa Maria di Collemaggio.
One of many news and opinion pieces on this is by The Guardian's John Hooper, at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2009/aug/26/silvio-burlusconi-indulgence-perdonanza
The Pardon is a result of Pope Celestine's bull 'Inter sanctorum solemnia'; the text (with an Italian translation) can be found at:
http://www.perdonanza-celestiniana.it/la-perdonanza-celestiniana/testo-bolla.php
The Pardon states:
'a baptismo absolvimus a culpa et pena quam pro suis merentur commissis omnibus et delictis'.
The Pardon is obtained accordingly:
'omnes vere penitentes et confessos qui a vesperis eiusdem festivitatis vigilie usque ad vesperas festivitatem ipsam immediate sequentes ad premissam ecclesiam accesserint annuatim'.
(The feast that is mentioned is the Beheading of John the Baptist; the church is Santa Maria di Collemaggio in L'Aquila.)
John Hooper is one of many who wonders whether Mr Berlusconi can in fact obtain the Pardon; in fact, Mr Hooper states (on unnamed authority) that one can only obtain the Pardon if he receives communion -- and that as a divorced man he will not be able to receive it.
Leaving aside the matter of communion in relation to those who are divorced, I wonder if in fact Mr Berlusconi can receive the Pardon. To do so, it seems to me that he would have to be truly contrite and he would have to confess his sins.
My question to you has to do with the late thirteenth-century notion of confession. Can Celestine's bull be understood to present the concept of confession as one which necessarily demands a priest's absolution, or could the act of confession be conceived as something separate from absolution? Could confession have been understood as requiring the presence of, and dialogue with, a priest, or could the notion have been open to the possibility that a confession could be made, e.g., to a group of ordinary people?
For example, what if a priest were to hear a confession at the church of Santa Maria di Collemaggio from the evening of 28 August to the evening of 29 August but refuse to absolve the person -- in the 1294 context of the Pardon, would the act of confessing one's sins, if one is truly contrite, suffice for attaining the Pardon?
And who says medieval religion has nothing to do with what's going on today!
Thanks for any advice, and best wishes,
George
P.S.: Disclaimer: I am not in the business of trying to find a loophole for Mr Berlusconi or anyone else.
--
George FERZOCO
[log in to unmask]
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