How to be a Counter-Reformation Saint/Heretic Period general – early modern Lecture 8 Simon Ditchfield
Who used the word, when (and why)? Problem of labels 1 Who used the word, when (and why)? Protestant – one of those princes and cities who at the Diet of Speyer in 1529 protested in favour of innovations in religion (i.e.Lutheranism) Calvinist – coined in 1553 by enemies to describe the followers of Calvin who were prepared to put to death another non-Catholic (Michael Servetus) Anglican – first used by James VI & I in 1598 when he was trying to persuade the Church of Scotland how unenthusiastic he was about the Church of England
Problem of labels 2 A saint…. (eventually) Heretic/Hero (Giordano Bruno, 1548-1600) A saint…. (eventually) Camillo de Lellis (1550-1614)
Definitions Saint Heretic Dead person Public reputation for sanctity Performer of miracles Subject to legal trial Officially recognised by papally constituted authorities Enjoys universal veneration Heretic Living (or dead) Public reputation for irreligion Performer/subscriber/sayer of beliefs that conflict with orthodoxy Subject to legal trial If unrepentant or lapsed, given over to the ‘secular arm’ to be killed If an author, his works placed on Index of Prohibited books
Enforcing orthodoxy Inquisitions Confession Box (Sp. 1478; Port. 1536; Roman 1542) Confession Box (introduced from 1570s)
Saint-making
Tomb of St Philip Neri (d.1595)
Missionary (Francis Xavier) Roads to sanctity 1 Founder (Ignatius Loyola) Missionary (Francis Xavier)
Pastor (Charles Borromeo) Roads to sanctity 2 Pastor (Charles Borromeo) Charitable activity (Vincent de Paul)
Roads to sanctity 3 - mystics Rose of Lima Joseph of Cupertino
Legal procedure Congregation of Rites (1588) Congregation of the Index (1571)
Canonization procedure reformed Urban VIII (pope, 1623-44)
Hierarchy of sanctity Beatification Canonization
Older cults (San Gennaro) Counting the saints A saint factory? Older cults (San Gennaro)
Heretic-making
Witholding of absolution Ways of making you talk Witholding of absolution In the Confessional Threat of torture
Iberian inquisitions Burning of heretics Auto-da-fe
An Inquisitorial manual Roman Inquisition Trial of Giordano Bruno (1592-99) An Inquisitorial manual
Case study: Domenico Scandella (1532-99) The Book The author (b.1939)