Papacy (Early Modern and Modern Church History)

Guillaume du Bellay, seigneur de Langey, was, alongside his brother cardinal Jean du Bellay, one of the key figures in the handling of Anglo-French relations in the 1520s and 1530s. He was charged in particular with the maintenance of the 'perpetual alliance' in a difficult period after the Peace of Cambrai and during the upheavals stemming from Henry VIII's determination to marry Anne Boleyn.

Dallo studio di tre grandi disegni acquerellati, raffiguranti scene mitologiche, viene ricostruita una vicenda artistica nella Firenze di primo Settecento: la decorazione, voluta dal marchese Antonio Corsi, di tra ambienti del palazzo gentilizio ad opera del pittore Giovan Domenico Ferretti. La porzione di edificio decorata dal Ferretti venne poi demolita intorno al 1864 per gli ampliamenti stradali effettuati in occasione di Firenze capitale d'Italia, i fogli in esame sono quindi delle preziose testimonianze di un ciclo decorativo irrimediabilmente perduto.

The story of the famous/infamous Cardinal Nicolò Coscia, a meteor-character of the first half of the eighteenth century, represents a typical case of meteoric social ascension in the ecclesiastical world. A pupil of Cardinal Vincenzo Maria Orsini, who was first Archbishop of Benevento (1686-1724) and later Pope with the name of Benedict XIII (1724-1730), Coscia pursued an extraordinary career, first in the diocese of Benevento and then at the Roman Curia. At the head of a power group defined as the “party of the Beneventani”, Coscia embodies the alter ego of Orsini, considered guilty of exercising a bad influence on the Pope.
He aims to build personal and family power creating a considerable patrimony and the social elevation of his family for which he plans the promotion from the rank of the urban patriciate, recently acquired, to entry into the prestigious feudal nobility of the Kingdom of Naples, achieved in 1727 thanks to the support of the government during the Austrian viceroyalty. The well-known judicial tragedy that overwhelms Cardinal Coscia upon the death of his protector Benedict XIII, beyond the committed crimes, represents the revenge of his adversaries both in the Papal Curia and in the city of Benevento. The historiography is articulated in an almost "dichotomous" manner between a production that highlights the negativity of Coscia's action and a local production, tending to diminish the guilt of the cardinal and of the infamous “party of the Beneventani”. The role of this Pope’s Favourite is set in the unstable age of the Wars of Succession, between the questions of international politics, the conflictual relations between the European courts and the difficult geopolitical settlement of the Italian peninsula. The parable of Coscia offers interesting reflections on the factions as instruments of ascension, but also of collapse, and on the precarious influence of patronage and protection. At the same time, it reveals the weakness of the parvenu status that largely determines the sudden oblivion of the Cardinal and the lack of aristocratic rooting for him and his lineage.

The third Sunday of Advent, the Gaudete-Sunday, developed the dimension of joy in several stages, as the article outlines: Under Pope Sergius I, the introit antiphon Gaudete was probably introduced for his election as pope in 687 (1). In the 12th century, a nocturnal double office for Gaudete Sunday has been handed down in Rome, in which the topic of joy was presented in a reading from Is 61, a responsory from Phil 4 and a patristic reading on Phil 4. In this context, the characteristic text from Philippians may have become the reading for the mass on the third Sunday of Advent (2). The reception of the Mass then began, particularly by the Franciscans, even beyond Rome (3). The liturgical color rose developed in the 16th century in the papal liturgy and was restricted to the pope and cardinals until it became widespread in the period of ultramontanism and the liturgical movement (4). The post-Vatican liturgical reform further strengthened the idea of joy on Gaudete Sunday (5). After a summary, some consequences for liturgical history research are drawn on the basis of Gaudete Sunday as an example (6).

When considering the most significant threat to the preservation of Orthodoxy in the 21st century, I contend that Pope Tawadros II represents one of these threats. The recent dismissal of Anba Abanoub, Bishop of Muqattam, without any explanation, raises concerns regarding Pope Tawadros's papacy and the circumstances of his election. Additionally, the upcoming World Council of Churches meeting in 2025, the questionable death of Anba Epiphanius, the appointment of Bishop Angaelos to the London diocese, and the financial issues facing the church in Australia contribute to the controversies surrounding Pope Tawadros. Furthermore, the emergence of sexual abuse allegations within certain churches, alongside the case of a defrocked priest receiving a priestly funeral, adds to the troubling narrative. Pope Tawadros has not only been perceived as an Antipope but also as someone who exhibits significant disorganization.

Der Beitrag stellt das Spannungsverhältnis zwischen dem Freiburger Stadtpfarrer Sebastian Werro und der städtischen Obrigkeit im Zusammenhang mit der Verwaltung des Kapitels von St. Nikolaus dar. Auf der Grundlage der in Freiburger Archiven und Bibliotheken zu findenden Quellen wird Sebastian Werros kirchliche Laufbahn untersucht. Welche Konflikte ergaben sich zwischen Werro und der städtischen Obrigkeit im Kontext der katholischen Reform? Inwiefern war Werro an der Abfassung eines ersten Zeremonialbuchs für das Nikolausstift beteiligt? Entlang dieser Fragen werden neue Perspektiven auf das religiöse Leben in der Stadt und im Kanton Freiburg des späten 16. Jahrhunderts geöffnet.

In this study, the author examines the historical development of the contemporary papacy with a focus on the role of the Pope in the interior of the Catholic Church. In the first part, he analyses the ministry of Pope Benedict XVI in the context of his previous theological and curial career. The focus of the study is an assessment of how he has handled key roles at the head of the Catholic Church. The second part then offers an analysis of possible reasons why Pope Benedict XVI is so popular in the Czech Catholic and more generally Central European context, which contrasts with a more critical reflection on his legacy in his native Germany. It concludes by offering impulses for further reflection, including the question of whether it is appropriate to continue the problematic practice of rapid canonization of popes of the last century.

[Lat] Circulus Latinus Novariensis dicatus Cassandrae Fideli, doctissimae claraeque mulieri, ut loci latini legerentur et latine enodarentur una conditus est anno MMXXIII. Proximis conventiculis nonnullos locos recitabimus ex illo libro qui inscribitur "Apokolokyntosis" excerptos et ex Erasmi Roterodami "Julio".
[Fr] Circulus Latinus Novariensis, dédié à l'érudite et très célèbre intellectuelle Cassandre Fidelis, a été fondé en 2023 pour lire et commenter ensemble des textes latins en latin. Lors des prochaines réunions, nous lirons quelques passages tirés de "Apokolokyntosis" (Sénèque) et de "Julius" (Erasme).

The essay reconstructs, from a canonical and ecclesiological perspective, the institutions and ecclesiastical offices that determined the governance of dioceses in Italy from the Council of Trent to the threshold of the Second Vatican Council. This analysis takes into account both the interaction between the Roman Curia and the local Churches and the complex problems of the application of the Tridentine decrees. Special attention is given to the development of the concept of the Parish.

Giornata di studi nel 9° centenario dell’elezione pontificia di Lamberto da Fiagnano (Bologna, 19 dicembre 2024).
Intervento introduttivo (Lorenzo Paolini – Istituto per la storia della Chiesa di Bologna); Gli anni della formazione e dell’arcidaconato bolognese (Riccardo Parmeggiani – Univ. di Bologna); Lamberto cardinale vescovo di Ostia (Berardo Pio – Università di Bologna); Il concordato di Worms (Nicolangelo D’Acunto – Università Cattolica di Milano); Il governo della Chiesa (Enrico Veneziani – Università di Roma “La Sapienza”); 1124-1126: Scandalo a Cluny (Glauco Maria Cantarella – Università di Bologna); Conclusioni (Umberto Longo – Istituto storico italiano per il Medioevo).

This text examines the recent controversy between the papacy and the Belgian government over the canonization of King Baudouin (d. 1993). This example highlights how, even though papal canonizations are no longer the political tools they once were, they remain incredibly powerful media tools in the 21st century. In this case, the process was used by Pope Francis I to send a clear political message—one that opposes women's right to choose.

In: Bank, Barbara; Kovács, Bálint; Medgyesy S., Norbert; Millei, Mónika. (szerk.) A Kaukázustól a Lajtáig : Apokaliptika, identitás, történelem és művelődés Közép- és Kelet-Európában. Budapest, Magyarország : L'Harmattan Kiadó (2023) pp. 393-399.

A Nyolcker a rendszerváltás után-egy városnegyed identitásának meghatározása. Dok tori disszertáció, 2013. ELTE BTK Atelier Interdiszciplináris Történeti Tanszék. 2 Az MTK stadionja a VIII. kerületben található, de ennek ellenére figyelmen kívül hagyhatjuk, ugyanis a csapatnak, amely valaha a zsidó polgárság emblematikus klubja volt, nincsen a kerülethez kötődő iden titása, egyúttal a-mára inkább csak vélelmezett-zsidó kötődés miatt pont a legkevésbé "cigányozott" csapatok közé is tartozik.

From the ANGELIC POPE to the ANGEL-POPE, in opposition to the pope who has MORE POWER than the ANGELS: «papa maior est angelis»  ...
In the Summa de ecclesiastica potestate (1322-1326 ca.), Augustine of Ancona dedicates a quaestio to the superiority of the pope over the angels (papa maior est angelis) in order to support the universality of his authority, on earth as it is in heaven. A few years earlier, within the 'myth' of the angelic pope, the identification of the pope with the angel of the Apocalypse, as in the Expositio super Apocalypsi (1306), served instead to confer on the pontiff an authority to reform the Church and establish peace in the (political) society of his time.

Presentazione dei volumi
Agostino Paravicini Bagliani, La Papessa Giovanna. I testi della leggenda (1250-1500), Firenze, SISMEL Edizioni del Galluzzo, 2021.
Maria Antonietta Visceglia, Le donne dei papi. Un altro sguardo sul nepotismo (1492- 1655), Roma, Viella, 2023.

From 13 March 2013 to 31 December 2022, Pope Francis served as Bishop of Rome while his predecessor was still alive and living in the Vatican. Both Bergoglio and Ratzinger were clear about their respective roles from the outset, but Pope Francis wanted the former pope not to withdraw into silence and even encouraged him to continue offering advice. While the pastoral direction of the new pontificate was unfolding, in part diverging from that of previous decades, Bergoglio's opponents tried on several occasions to involve Ratzinger in opposition to the new pope, as if Benedict XVI were the authentic guardian of a Tradition that Bergoglio was undermining. Ratzinger rejected these attempts-partly facilitated by his own private secretary-and eventually chose to withdraw into silence to avoid further instrumentalisation. Despite the difficulties that arose during this papal cohabitation, this experience nonetheless set a precedent, the value and limits of which can only be fully appreciated with the passage of time.

From the ending of the pontificate of John XXIII until the death of Benedict XVI a different modality has been defined with respect to the past in the treatment of the papal documents. While previously these documents were fully deposited in the Vatican archives, more recently a distinction has been introduced between office and private documents, whose final destination has been taken over by the executors. This new practice has anticipated access for historians to material that would normally be available later, but has also led to complications that will have to be taken into account.

Covering a very long period, this volume brings together medievalists and modernists with a variety of approaches to the history of sleep in its theoretical dimensions, its representations and its practices. From Aristotle to the English Puritan theologians of the seventeenth century, via the monks ‘who do not sleep’ and John Calvin, whose valorisation of sleep served to affirm the ideals of the Reformation, this work explores the way in which sleep and its causes, its benefits and its risks, have been perceived. Following Avicenna, medieval physicians such as Pietro d'Abano, Bernard de Gordon, Gentile da Foligno and Jacques Despars developed a veritable science of sleep, distinguishing finely between different types of sleep and wakefulness. As for the authors of the health regimes, they demonstrated the virtues of sleep for maintaining health and advised not only on the duration and timing of sleep, but also on the positions to adopt during it. The daily sleeping habits of a young man - the future King Louis XIII - are studied thanks to the exceptional source of the Diary kept by Jean Héroard, his physician. Finally, particular attention is paid to the places where people slept, whether it be the evolution towards the use of individual cells in the Cluniac world, the growing habit among canons regular of sleeping outside the convent, or the pope's bedroom, from the very early Middle Ages to the modern era.

Parcourant une très longue durée, le présent volume réunit des
médiévistes et des modernistes aux approches variées autour de
l’histoire du sommeil dans ses dimensions théoriques, ses représentations
et ses pratiques. D’Aristote aux théologiens puritains
anglais du XVIIe siècle, en passant par les moines «qui ne dorment
pas» et Jean Calvin dont la valorisation du sommeil sert à
affirmer les idéaux de la Réforme, cet ouvrage explore la manière
dont le sommeil et ses causes, ses bienfaits et ses risques, ont été
perçus. À la suite d’Avicenne, des médecins médiévaux tels que
Pietro d’Abano, Bernard de Gordon, Gentile da Foligno et
Jacques Despars élaborent une véritable science du sommeil,
distinguant finement différents types de sommeil et de veille. Quant
aux auteurs des régimes de santé, ils démontrent les vertus du
sommeil pour la conservation de la santé et conseillent non seulement
la durée du sommeil et ses horaires, mais également les
positions à adopter lors de celui-ci. La pratique quotidienne du
sommeil d’un jeune individu – le futur roi Louis XIII – est étudiée
grâce à la source exceptionnelle que constitue le Journal
tenu par Jean Héroard, son médecin. Une attention particulière est
enfin réservée aux lieux du sommeil, qu’il s’agisse de l’évolution
vers l’usage de cellules individuelles dans le monde clunisien, de
l’habitude croissante chez les chanoines réguliers de dormir en
dehors du couvent, ou encore de la chambre du pape, depuis le
très haut Moyen Âge jusqu’à l’époque moderne.

Contributions de:
Caleb Abraham; Tommaso Alpina; Sidonie Bochaton; Joël Chandelier;
Karine Crousaz; Anne-Lydie Dubois; Claire Gantet; Violaine Giacomotto-
Charra; Danielle Jacquart; Virginie Leroux; Marilyn Nicoud; Ian Novotny;
Agostino Paravicini Bagliani; Laurent Ripart; Gabriella Zuccolin

Agostino Casaroli defended his doctoral thesis in 1939 on Canon Law at the Pontifical Lateran University. The topic was the appointment of bishops according to the New Law (i. e. to the Codex Iuris Canonici of 1917). 1 His intention was to complete the analogue work of Klaus Mörsdorf of 1933, 2 extending the interest to the whole Catholic World. Recently was Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See who referred to it and accentuated that Casaroli’s thesis could have some influence on him during his diplomacal activity known as main actor of the so called “ostpolitik”, because the appointment of bishops was the most sophisiticated argument during the negotiations with the communist leaders. 3 This is confirmed by Casaroli’s later interest: in his papers one finds the same argument, i. e. the registration of the juridical situation of the Religion and of the (Catholic) Church in the different States of the 5 Continents. 4

In this contribution one finds a short description on the appointment of bishops in Hungary during centuries and as to the year 1939 so it is offered here the reproduction of the respective part of the text of Casaroli’s dissertation in both: Hungarian translation and Latin original with notes (original pages: 77–82). It is remarkable, that the young Casaroli was well informed, but based only on literature in German, so is listed here the specific literature used by Casaroli. On the and one finds the Index Analyticus of the doctoral thesis in Latin.

Although the 1527 Sack of Rome by the German, Spanish, and Italian troops of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V shocked Europe, a violent invasion of the Eternal City had long been anticipated in prophetic, historical, and literary texts alike. These works envisioned a dramatic contest at the city’s gates and subsequent carnage within its walls. While the brutality of the historical event matched—or even surpassed—these expectations, contemporaries were dismayed by the weakness of the city’s defense and by the speed with which Rome was taken. This article traces the relationship between earlier compositions, which cast the Sack as catastrophic but inevitable, and the production of historical and poetical texts in the Sack’s aftermath detailing the progression of Charles’s armies across the Italian peninsula and into the streets of Rome. The invasion opened the floodgates to murder, kidnapping, torture, sexual assault (of men and women alike), theft, sacrilege, and destruction for much of the populace during months of occupation, while the curial elite instead largely fled to safety. Comparisons of Rome’s fate to those of biblical sites like Babylon and Jerusalem as well as to “epically” destroyed cities like Troy and Carthage circulated widely, once again making Rome’s fall literary in nature. Figures such as Francesco Guicciardini, Luigi Guicciardini, Pietro Aretino, and Benvenuto Cellini, among others, developed a common language to interpret the imperial march toward Rome and its dire consequences as the product of both providence and poor leadership. Notably, their works also presented the event as a tragic visual spectacle from which their readers could varyingly draw important historical-military lessons, experience awe, and even be pleasurably entertained. This essay explores the tensions in their works representing the gravest threat in centuries to the very eternality of Rome.

Intervento tenuto al Colloque international "Gentillesse, grâce et charme: civilités italienne et française en miroir (XVI e-XVII e siècle) / Gentilezza, grazia e incanto: buone maniere italiane e francesi a confronto (XVI-XVII secolo)" 26-27 septembre 2024, Bordeaux, Bibliothèque municipale de Mériadeck