Reuelacio hec fuit domine Birgitte data diuinitus in Neapoli ad requisicionem domini Bernardi, archiepiscopi Neapolitani, qui eam rogauit, vt super certis dubiis consciencie sue ipsa oraret Deum. Et cum ipsa staret in oracione, Christus apparuit ei respondens ad omnia dubia archiepiscopi, dans eciam doctrinam et modos, quos ipse tenere debeat tam in regimine sue domus quam in regimine subditorum suorum in dyocesi sua.
A Call to Apostolic Reform
Christ calls the archbishop to reject the worldly ways of corrupt prelates and return to the example of His own life.
Christ speaks to his bride, saying: "Tell him that if he wants to be called a bishop in the justice of divine judgment, he must not imitate the ways and customs of most of those who are currently the leaders of the Church." I truly took on a human body from the Virgin so that I might fulfill in word and deed the law ordained in the Godhead from eternity, opening the gate of heaven with the blood of my heart and illuminating the way through my words and deeds so that everyone might use my example to earn eternal life. But in truth, the words I spoke and the works I performed in the world have now been almost entirely forgotten and neglected. No one has done more to cause this than the Church's prelates, who are full of pride, greed, and the rot of bodily pleasure. All of these things are contrary to my commands and to the honorable statutes of the Holy Church that my friends established with great devotion after my ascension, having fully carried out my will in the world. For those wicked church prelates, filled with the malice of an evil spirit, have left behind for people deeply harmful examples of how to live; and so, I must demand full justice from them, passing judgment upon them, blotting them out from the Book of Life in heaven, and placing them in hell alongside my enemy, Lucifer, to be tormented forever in the seats of the damned. You should know, however, that I am ready to show my mercy to anyone who wants to change their life before they die, by loving me with their whole heart and turning away from sin. Tell him, then, as if it were coming from you, these words that follow:
The Mirror of Pastoral Duty
Practical instructions are given for the examination of candidates for holy orders and the moral reform of the clergy.
My Lord, it sometimes happens that a beautiful flame comes from a black furnace, useful and very necessary for crafting beautiful works. And yet, you shouldn't praise the furnace for its blackness; instead, all praise, honor, and thanksgiving belong to the One who is the craftsman and master of those works. In the same way, if you find anything useful in my advice, don't look to me, but to God himself—who has made and continues to make all things, and who possesses the perfect will to do good—to whom you must continually offer infinite thanks and devoted service. My lord, I'll begin by speaking of matters that concern the salvation of many souls, advising you that if you wish to have the friendship of God, you must not promote anyone to holy orders, neither through yourself nor through any other bishop. They must first be carefully examined by good clergy and found to be so fit in their life and character that they are confirmed as worthy to receive such an office by the testimony of wise and truthful men; and you must take care that all other bishops who are your subjects and suffragans to your archdiocese do the same.1 For no one could believe how great God's indignation is against those bishops who don't care to know and diligently examine what kind of people they are promoting to such worthy orders in their dioceses. Whether they do this out of negligence, or because of the requests of others, or out of negligence and laziness, or even out of fear, they will have to give a most strict account of it in the judgment of God.2 I also advise you to look into how many people in your diocese hold benefices and have the care of souls, and to summon them into your presence at least once a year, so that you may then discuss with them the salvation of both their own souls and the souls of the people under their care. If they can't all meet on the same day, set specific times and days for them so they come to you individually each year, ensuring no one has an excuse to avoid meeting with you for counsel for an entire year. You should also preach to them about the kind of life that those who hold such a worthy office ought to lead. You should also know that priests who keep concubines and celebrate Mass are as pleasing and acceptable to God as the inhabitants of Sodom, whom God cast down into hell. And although the Mass is always the same in itself, and possesses the same virtue and efficacy, the kiss of peace that such fornicating priests give during Mass is just as pleasing to God as the kiss of Judas, with which he betrayed the Savior of all. So, do your best—through your words and actions, by encouraging, correcting, and warning them—to work constantly so they strive to live a chaste life, especially since they must handle such a most holy Sacrament and administer it with their own hands to other faithful Christians. Furthermore, you should provide sound counsel to everyone under your authority—both those in higher positions, like prelates and canons, and the lesser clergy who hold church revenues—so that they may reform themselves completely. No one should believe that fornication is permissible in any way to avoid sodomy, nor should they be allowed to defile themselves with women for this reason; for any Christian with understanding who has not cared about eternal life while they lived will, without a doubt, suffer the most severe punishments of hell eternally after death.
Simplicity and Detachment
The archbishop is exhorted to live with moderation, avoiding the vanity of excessive wealth and prideful displays.
I also advise you regarding your household: don't let it be too large out of pride, but keep it well-moderated according to the needs of your office and the requirements of your position. So, wherever you go, keep those clerics with you who are called your companions for the sake of a good testimony—not for vanity or show—and let them be few in number rather than many. As for the clerics you support simply to sing the Divine Office, or to study, or to teach, or to write, you may have as many of them as you like; still, it’s to your advantage to take diligent care of their correction and the salvation of their souls, as best you can. As for your other servants, see to it that each of them has a specific duty; and if any are superfluous, do not keep them just for the sake of empty glory, so that your heart isn't puffed up by having a larger household than your peers. As for those you keep with you who are truly necessary, it's important that you always keep them in mind, carefully examining their lives like a true head of a household; you should correct their actions, lives, and habits, and nurture and advise them paternally with good instruction, so that they may learn to flee from sin and vice and to love God above all things. It's actually more acceptable to God and more useful to you if you don't keep anyone in your household who refuses to listen to sound advice or to humbly amend their own transgressions. As for your clothing, I advise you never to keep more than three sets at a time, and to give whatever is left over to God immediately. As for bed linens, towels, and tablecloths, keep only as much as is necessary and useful for you, and give the rest to God. As for silver vessels, keep only what you need for yourself and for the guests eating at your table. Whatever is left over, give it to God with a cheerful heart, because the rest of your household and your guests, sitting at other tables, can eat and drink from pewter, earthenware, wood, or glass vessels without any shame at all. The custom now found in the houses of lords and bishops—where an excessive amount of gold and silver abounds—is deeply abominable to God himself, who for our sake submitted to every poverty, and it is highly damaging to souls. Also, be careful not to have too many dishes or food that is overly delicate. Furthermore, don't keep horses that are too large or expensive; instead, choose ones that are moderate in both size and price. For those people need such horses who expose themselves to the dangers of war for the defense of justice and the protection of life, not for the sake of pride. I tell you, whenever prelates mount great horses out of pride and empty glory, the devil just as often mounts their necks. I know a person who saw demons like Ethiopians; when prelates and cardinals lifted their feet out of pride to ride on the backs of their great horses, those Ethiopians would then lift their own feet onto the necks of the prelates, climbing up and sitting there in mockery. And as often as those prelates spurred their horses out of vanity, the demons, lifting their heads in their own dark joy, would just as often kick the chests of those riders with their own heels.
Justice, Mercy, and Prudence
Final guidance is provided on managing vicars, interceding for the departed, and exercising prudent correction of sinners.
I also advise that you have your vicars swear an oath that, in the exercise of their office, they won't presume to do anything contrary to justice. But if they act against this later, you must have them corrected according to justice. And if you do as I have said, you can be confident that your conscience is healthy and sound. I also offer counsel for the comfort of those souls of your departed ones—about whom you asked me whether they were in purgatory or not—and regarding the alms to be given for them, and so on. I answer that you should have two Masses celebrated for them every day for a year, feed two poor people daily, and make sure to distribute one florin to the poor every week. Tell the parish priests to correct their parishioners and to rebuke them for manifest sins in cases that fall under their authority, so that they may live better lives. If they refuse to be corrected, then you should correct them yourself. If, however, you know of anyone openly sinning against God and justice, and if they are such great tyrants that you can't enforce justice upon them, then speak to them with gentle and kind words, urging them to correct themselves. But if they refuse to obey, leave them to the judgment of God, who will look upon your good intentions. For it isn't right to throw a gentle lamb among fierce wolves, because the wolf will only become more ravenous from it. Still, it's fitting that they guard against the danger to their own souls with love, just as a father sometimes does for children who are acting against him. You aren't required to abandon corrections out of fear for your own body, unless, perhaps, the danger to souls might in some way arise from them.
Read the original Latin
Christus loquitur sponse sue dicens: "Dic illi, quod si vocari voluerit episcopus in illa iusticia diuini iudicii, non debet imitari mores et consuetudines plerumque eorum, qui nunc sunt rectores Ecclesie.
Ego quidem assumpsi corpus humanum de virgine, vt legem illam verbis et operibus adimplerem, que in deitate ordinata erat ab eterno, aperiendo portam celi sanguine cordis mei viamque per verba et opera ita illuminando, quod omnes vterentur meo exemplo ad promerendum vitam eternam.
Sed vere illa verba, que dixi, et opera, que feci in mundo, iam quasi prorsus oblita et neglecta sunt.
Ad quod nullus tantum operatus est sicut ecclesiarum prelati, qui pleni sunt superbia, cupiditate et putredine corporalis delectacionis, que omnia mandatis meis contraria sunt et honestis statutis Sancte Ecclesie, que statuerunt amici mei ex magna deuocione post ascensionem meam completa voluntate mea in mundo.
Nam illi mali prelati ecclesiarum repleti malignitate spiritus mali reliquerunt hominibus nimis nociua exempla animarum, et ideo oportet me ab eis plenariam exigere iusticiam, super eos iudicia faciendo eosque de libro vite abolendo in celis et iuxta inimicum meum Luciferum collocando eos in infernum in sedibus infernalibus perpetuo cruciandos.
Tu tamen scire debes, quod qui se ante mortem emendare voluerit, diligendo me toto corde, et a peccatis abstinuerit, illi ego promptus ero ad exhibendum misericordiam meam. Dic ergo ei quasi ex parte tua ista verba, que sequuntur:
Domine mi, aliquando contingit, quod de nigro camino exit pulchra flamma, vtilis et valde necessaria ad pulchra opera fabricanda.
Et tamen tunc non oportet laudari caminum pro sua nigredine, sed illi debetur laus et honor et graciarum accio, qui illorum operum est artifex et magister.
Simili modo de me indigna est, si in consiliis meis aliquid inueneritis vtile, quia tunc non michi sed ipsi Deo, qui omnia fecit et facit et bona faciendi perfectam voluntatem habet, infinitas gracias et beniuolum seruicium continue exhibere debetis.
Domine mi, in primis incipio loqui illa, que multarum tangunt salutem animarum, consulens vobis, si Dei amiciciam habere volueritis, quod neque per vos neque per aliquem alium episcopum ad sacros ordines promouere velitis aliquos,
nisi prius per bonos clericos examinati fuerint diligenter et ita apti in vita et moribus reperti fuerint, quod digni ad tale officium recipiendum existere asserantur testimonio sapientum et veridicorum virorum, attendentes diligenter, quod similiter faciant omnes alii epsicopi subditi vestri et archiepiscopatui vestro suffraganei.
Nam nullus posset credere, quanta indignacio Dei est contra illos episcopos, qui non curant scire et diligenter examinare, quales illi sunt, quos ad tam dignos ordines promouent in suis episcopatibus.
Quod siue hoc fecerint propter /negligenciam siue propter/ aliorum supplicacionem siue propter negligenciam et desidiam seu propter timorem, omnino in iudicio Dei reddent de hoc districtissimam racionem.
Consulo eciam vobis inquirere, quot sunt et qui sunt in vestra dyocesi beneficiati animarum curam habentes, et ad minus semel in quolibet anno ad presenciam vestram eos conuocate, vt tunc tractetis cum eis tam de ipsorum quam de animarum suorum subditorum salute.
Et si forte in vno die omnes non possent conuenire, prefigantur eis termini et dies, in quibus quolibet anno ad vos conueniant particulariter, ita quod nullus eorem de consilio vobiscum habendo per integrum annum se quomodolibet valeat excusare.
Vos quoque eis predicetis, qualem vitam ducere debeant illi, qui tam dignissimum officium habent.
Sciatis eciam, quod presbiteri, qui concubinas habent et missam celebrant, ita grati et placentes Deo sunt sicut habitatores Sodome, quos demersit Deus in infernum,
et quamuis missa in se semper eadem est et eiusdem virtutis et efficacie, tamen osculum pacis, quod tales presbiteri fornicatores dant in missa, ita est placitum Deo sicut osculum Iude, quo tradidit omnium saluatorem.
Igitur, quantumcumque potestis, verbis et operibus, alliciendo, corripiendo, comminando cooperari continue conemini, quod ipsi studeant castam vitam ducere, presertim cum tam sanctissimum sacramentum debeant pertractare et aliis fidelibus christianis suis manibus ministrare.
Preterea omnibus, tam maioribus, scilicet prelatis et canonicis, quam eciam minoribus clericis vestro regimini subiectis ecclesiarum redditus habentibus, salubriter consulatis, vt se omnino corrigant.
Nec credat aliquis, quod propter sodomie euitacionem licebit eis aliquo modo fornicacio, nec eciam sustineatur eis propter hoc cum mulieribus coinquinari, quia quicumque christianus habens intellectum, qui de vita eterna non curauerit, dum vixerit, sine dubio grauissimas inferni penas post mortem eternaliter sustinebit.
Consulo eciam de familia vestra, vt non sit nimis magna propter superbiam sed sit bene moderata secundum necessitatem regiminis vestri officii et iuxta exigenciam vestri status.
Igitur illos clericos, qui socii vestri vocantur, vbicumque fueritis, pocius pro bono testimonio vestro, non pro vana gloria siue pompa vobiscum habeatis, qui et sint magis pauci numero quam multi.
Illos vero clericos, quos ad nichil aliud sustentatis nisi ad cantandum diuinum officium aut ad aliquid addiscendum aut ad docendum alios aut ad scribendum, tot habeatis, quot vobis placuerit, et tamen expedit vobis, quod, quam melius potestis, de eorum correccione curam habeatis diligentem et de ipsorum salute animarum.
Attendatis de reliquis seruitoribus vestris, vt quilibet eorum habeat officium suum, et si aliqui fuerint superflui, propter vanam gloriam non teneantur, ne eleuetur cor vestrum habendo maiorem familiam quam alii pares vestri.
Illos quoque, quos vobiscum habetis familiares vere necessarios, expedit quod semper in mente habeatis, illorum vitam perscrutando sollicite vt verus paterfamilias, eorum quoque actus, vitam et mores corrigendo eosque paternaliter et bonis informacionibus fouendo et ammonendo, vt ipsi peccata et vicia fugere addiscant Deumque super omnia amare.
Deo quippe magis acceptum est vobisque magis vtile, vt nullo modo aliquem familiarem vobiscum habeatis, qui sanis consiliis noluerit acquiescere neque suas transgressiones humiliter emendare.
De indumentis vestris consulo, quod numquam plus insimul quam tria paria in possessione habeatis, et omnes, que superfuerint, statim ipsi Deo tribuatis.
De lectisterniis vero et manutergiis et mensalibus tantum pro vobis tenete, quantum vobis necessarium et vtile est, reliqua autem Deo date.
De vasellis argenteis tantum pro vobis reseruate, quantum persone vestre et hospitibus in propria mensa vestra comedentibus sufficiat,
et illa, que superfuerint, hylari mente donate Deo, quia alia familia vestra et hospites in aliis mensis sedentes bene possunt in vasis stanneis et terreis aut ligneis siue vitreis absque vlla erubescencia manducare et bibere.
Nam illa consuetudo, que nunc est in domibus dominorum et episcoporum, in quibus auri et argenti nimia habundat superfluitas, valde abhominabilis est ipsi Deo, qui pro nobis omni paupertati se subiecit, et animabus multum dampnosa.
Item cauete a pluralitate ferculorum et nimium delicatorum. Item ne nimis magnos equos et preciosos habeatis sed moderatos in magnitudine et precio.
Nam illi talibus equis indigent, qui pro defensione iusticie et tuicione vite, non pro superbia, guerrarum periculis se exponent.
Ego enim dico vobis, quod prelati, qui super magnos equos ascendunt propter superbiam et vanam gloriam, tociens super illorum colla dyabolus ascendit.
Nam scio personam, que vidit demones quasi Ethiopes, qui, quando prelati et cardinales pedes leuabant ex superbia ad equitandum super dorso magnorum equorum suorum, illi Ethiopes tunc super colla prelatorum pedes leuabant et ascendebant ac ibidem irrisorie sedebant,
et quociens illi prelati ex pompa calcaribus equos percuciebant, tociens Ethiopes in gaudio suo capita sua leuantes illorum equitancium pectora suis calcibus impellebant.
Item consulo, quatenus faciatis, quod vicarii vestri promittant sub iuramento, quod ex parte officii vestri nichil facere presumant contra iusticiam.
Quodsi postea contrarium fecerint, secundum iusticiam corripi faciatis eos. Que si vos ita, vt dictum est, feceritis, conscienciam vestram bene sanam existere confidatis.
Item consulo pro consolacione illarum animarum vestrorum defunctorum, de quibus me interrogastis, si erant in purgatorio an non, et de elemosinis pro eis faciendis etc.
Respondeo et dico, quod omni die vnius anni duas missas pro eis celebrari faciatis et duos pauperes omni die pascatis et omni septimana vnum florenum in moneta curate pauperibus erogare.
Dicatis eciam parrochialibus sacerdotibus, quod corrigant parrochianos suos et pro manifestis peccatis eos corripiant in casibus ad eos pertinentibus, vt melius possint viuere. Qui si corripi noluerint, tunc corripiantur per vos.
Si autem aliquos noueritis contra Deum et iusticiam manifeste delinquere et si tam magni tyranni fuerint, quod super ipsos iusticiam facere non possitis, tunc leuibus verbis et dulcibus dicatis eis, quod se corrigant.
Quodsi obedire noluerint, iudicio Dei eos relinquatis, qui vestram beniuolam respiciet voluntatem. Non enim oportet mansuetum agnum inter feroces lupi iactare dentes, quia lupus ex hoc rapacior fiet.
Tamen decet eos precauere de periculo animarum suarum cum caritate, sicut pater facit filiis quandoque sibi contrariis.
Neque eciam dimittere tenemini correpciones propter timorem corporis vestri, nisi forte animarum periculum ex hiis posset aliquatenus prouenire."
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin 'epsicopi' is a common medieval spelling variant for 'episcopi'.
- 2 ↩The Latin text contains a repetitive clause ('propter negligenciam siue propter') which appears to be a scribal duplication. The translation treats the sense as a comprehensive list of motives: negligence, external pressure, laziness, and fear.
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