Visio sponse sub figura Ecclesie; et de eius exposicione, in qua continentur modus et status, quos Papa debet tenere respectu sui et respectu cardinalium et aliorum prelatorum sancte matris Ecclesie, et quam maxime in statu humilitatis.
The Vision of the Corrupted Temple
A visionary scene reveals a decaying temple, symbolizing the spiritual desolation of the Church.
It seemed to one person as if they were in a great choir, and a great, shining sun appeared; there were two seats in the choir, as if for preachers, one to the right and the other to the left, standing at a long distance and interval from the sun, and two rays proceeded from the sun to the seats. Then a single voice was heard from the seat on the left, saying, "Hail, eternal King, Creator, Redeemer, and just Judge!" Look, your vicar, who sits in your seat in the world, has now brought his seat back to the ancient and original place where the first pope, Peter, the prince of the apostles, once sat." A voice from the seat on the right responded, saying: "How," it asked, "can anyone enter into the holy Church, when the hinge-holes are clogged with rust and dirt?" That’s why the doorposts are leaning toward the ground; there’s no room in the holes for the hooks that should be holding them up. The hooks themselves are stretched out perfectly straight and aren't bent at all to hold the posts. The floor, however, is entirely dug up and turned into deep pits, like the deepest wells, which have no bottom at all. The roof, however, is coated in pitch and burns with a sulfurous fire, dripping down like a heavy rain. Because of the blackness and the thickness of the smoke that rises from the abyss of the pits and from the dripping of the roof, all the walls are stained and look so deformed in color, like blood mixed with putrid pus. Therefore, it isn't fitting for a friend of God to dwell in such a temple.
The Call to Humility and Reform
The vision is interpreted as a mandate for the Pope to restore humility and discipline among the clergy.
A voice from the throne answered toward the left side: "Explain," it said, "in a spiritual sense what you have spoken of in a physical one." Then the voice said: "The Pope is likened to and represented by the doorposts; but the hinge-holes signify humility—which must be so empty of all pride that nothing appears in it except what belongs to the humble office of the pontiff, just as a hinge-hole must be completely free of rust." But now those openings—that is, the signs of humility—are so filled with excesses, riches, and worldly power, which are kept for nothing other than pride, that nothing humble appears at all, because all humility has been turned toward worldly pomp. It’s no wonder, then, that the Pope—who is likened to the doorposts—is inclined toward worldly things, which are represented by rust and earth. Therefore, the Pope should begin with true humility in himself—first in his personal style, his clothing, his gold and silver, his silver vessels, his horses, and other household goods—setting aside only what is necessary for himself, and giving away the rest to the poor, especially to those he knows to be friends of God. Next, he should manage his household with moderation and keep only the necessary servants to look after his life. For although it's in God's hand when He chooses to call someone to judgment, it's still right that he should have servants to strengthen justice and to be able to humble those who set themselves against God and the holy custom of the Church. The hinges, however, which are attached to the doorposts, represent the cardinals, who are stretched out and poured forth—as much as they are able—into every form of pride, greed, and the pleasures of the flesh. Therefore, the Pope should take up the hammer and the tongs in his hand and bend the cardinals to his will, not allowing them to have more in the way of clothing, household, and utensils than what necessity and the requirements of life demand. He should bend them with the tongs—that is, with gentle words, divine counsel, and fatherly love; but if they refuse to obey, he should take up the hammer, showing them his severity and doing whatever he can, provided it isn't against justice, until they are bent to his will. The floor represents the bishops and secular clergy, whose greed has no bottom; from their pride and luxurious life rises a smoke that causes all the angels in heaven and the friends of God on earth to loathe them. The Pope can correct these things in many ways if he allows everyone to have what is necessary but not what is superfluous, and if he commands every bishop to pay attention to the lives of his clergy. Anyone who refuses to amend their life and remain in continence should be stripped of their prebend entirely, because it is dearer to God that Mass not be said in that place than that hands stained by a harlot should touch the Body of God.
Read the original Latin
Vni persone videbatur, quasi quod esset in magno choro, et apparuit sol magnus et lucens, dueque sedes quasi predicatorum in choro erant, una a dextris aliaque a sinistris distantes a sole longo spacio et interuallo, duoque radii de sole ad sedes procedebant.
Tunc vox una audiebatur de sede que ad sinistram partem erat dicens: "Aue, rex, in eternum, creator et redemptor iustusque iudex! Ecce vicarius tuus, qui sedet in sede tua in mundo, reduxit iam sedem suam in antiquum et priorem locum, ubi sedit primus papa Petrus, qui fuit princeps apostolorum."
Respondit vox de dextra sede dicens: "Quomodo," inquit, "poterit intrare in sanctam Ecclesiam, in qua foramina cardinum sunt plena rubigine et terra?
Ideo et postes inclinati sunt ad terram, quia in foraminibus non est locus, ubi uncini imprimantur, qui postes deberent sustentare. Vncini quoque sunt extensi ad plenum nichilque curuati ad postes tenendum.
Pauimentum vero totum effossum est et conuersum in foueas profundas ad modum puteorum profundissimorum, qui nullum omnino habent fundum.
Tectum autem est linitum pice et ardet de igne sulphureo stillans quasi pluuia densa.
De nigredine vero et spissitudine fumi, qui de abisso fossarum et de stillicidiis tecti ascendit, omnes parietes maculati sunt et ita deformes in colore ad intuendum, quasi sanguis commixtus putrida sanie.
Ideo amicum Dei non decet habere mansionem in tali templo."
Respondit vox de sede ad partem sinistram: "Expone," inquit, "spiritualiter, que dixisti corporaliter."
Tunc ait vox: "Papa similatur et designatur in postibus; in foraminibus vero cardinum significatur humilitas, que sic vacua debet esse ab omni superbia, ut nichil appareat in ea nisi quod pertinet ad officium humile pontificale, sicut foramen debet esse vacuum totaliter a rubigine.
Sed iam foramina, id est humilitatis insignia sunt ita repleta superfluitatibus et diuiciis et facultatibus, que ad nichil aliud custodiuntur nisi ad superbiam, quod nichil apparet humile, quia tota humilitas conuersa est ad mundanam pompam.
Ideo non mirum, quod Papa, qui similatur in postibus, inclinatus est ad mundialia, que significantur in rubigine et in terra.
Propterea Papa incipiat veram humilitatem in se ipso; primo in apparatu suo, in vestibus, in auro et argento et vasis argenteis, in equis et aliis utensilibus, segregando de eis omnibus sola necessaria sua, alia vero erogando pauperibus et specialiter hiis, quos nouerit amicos Dei.
Deinde moderate disponat familiam suam et necessarios habeat famulos, qui vitam suam custodiant;
quia licet in manu Dei est, quando eum velit vocare ad iudicium, iustum tamen est quod habeat famulos propter roborandam iusticiam et ut eos, qui se contra Deum et sanctam Ecclesie consuetudinem erigunt, valeat humiliare.
In uncinis vero, qui postibus coniunguntur, significantur cardinales, qui extenti et effusi sunt, in quantum valent, ad omnem superbiam, cupiditatem et carnis delectamentum.
Ideo recipiat Papa in manu malleum et forpicem et flectat cardines ad velle suum non permittendo eos habere plura de vestibus, de familia et de utensilibus, nisi quantum requirit necessitas et usus vite.
Flectatque eos forpice, id est verbis lenibus et consilio diuino paternaque caritate; qui si noluerint obedire, recipiat malleum ostendendo scilicet eis seueritatem suam faciendoque quidquid poterit, quod tamen non sit contra iusticiam, donec flectantur ad velle suum.
In pauimento autem significantur episcopi et clerici seculares, quorum cupiditas nullum habet fundum; de quorum superbia et vita luxuriosa procedit fumus, ob quem abhominantur eos omnes angeli in celis et amici Dei in terris.
Ista enim emendare potest Papa in multis, si unumquemque permittat habere necessaria non superflua precipiatque unicuique episcopo attendere ad cleri sui vitam.
Et omnis, quicumque noluerit emendare vitam suam et stare in continencia, priuetur omnino prebenda sua, quia carius est Deo, quod in illo loco non dicatur missa, quam quod manus meretrice tangant corpus Dei."
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