Jacopone da Todi
Jacopone of Todi O.F.M. | |
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Born | ca. 1230 Todi, Umbria, Papal States |
Died | 25 December 1306 Collazzone, Umbria, Papal States |
Venerated in | Order of Friars Minor & Todi, Perugia, Italy |
Major shrine | Church of San Fortunato, Todi, Perugia, Italy |
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Life
Born Jacopo dei Benedetti, he was a member of a minor noble family. He studied law in Bologna and became a successful lawyer. At some point in his late 20s, he married a young noblewoman, Vanna di Bernardino di Guidone, who according to some accounts, was a pious and generous woman. Due to his reputation as a worldly and greedy man, she took it upon herself to mortify her flesh in atonement for his behavior.[1]
Not long after their wedding, Benedetti urged his wife to attend a public tournament. In the course of the spectacle, she was killed when part of the stand in which she was sitting gave way. Rushing to her side, he discovered that she had been wearing a hairshirt. The shock of his wife's death and the evidence of her secret penance made such an impression on him that he abandoned his profession and became a Franciscan tertiary.
Benedetti gave up his legal practice, gave away all his possessions and from about 1268 lived as a wandering
After about ten years of this life, Benedetti sought admission to the Friars Minor, but they were reluctant to accept him due to his reputation. He soon composed a beautiful poem on the vanities of the world, which led to his admission into the Order in 1278. He chose to live as a lay brother.[2]
By this time, two broad factions had arisen in the Franciscan Order, one with a more lenient, less
During the struggle that followed, Benedetti publicized the Spirituals' cause by writing verses highly critical of their opponents, the pope included. When two brother-cardinals, the Colonnas, sided with the Spirituals and with the king of France against Pope Boniface, and Benedetti gave his support to the Colonnas, politics and even war entered upon the scene. The pope
Broken and in poor health, Benedetti retired to Collazzone, a small town situated on a hill between Perugia and Todi, where he was cared for by a community of Poor Clares. His condition deteriorated toward the end of 1306, and he sent word requesting that his old friend, John of La Verna, come to give him the last rites. John arrived on Christmas Eve and comforted him, as he died about midnight.[1]
Benedetti's body was originally buried in the monastery church. In 1433 his grave was discovered and his remains transferred to a crypt in the Franciscan Church of San Fortunato in Todi.[1]
Poetry
Benedetti's satirical and denunciatory Laude witness to the troubled times of the warring
Some of his laude were especially in use among the so-called Laudesi and the
The Latin poem
Veneration
From the time of his death, Benedetti was considered to have been a saint by his followers, both within and outside of the Franciscan Order. He is honored as Blessed within the Order.
Several attempts were made over the centuries to have the Catholic Church recognize his sanctity. In the 17th century, both the City Council and the cathedral chapter of Todi petitioned the Holy See to do so. In the 19th century, the Postulator for the causes of saints of the Order of Friars Minor collected documents for this step.
To date, however, the church has never formally approved this devotion. One possible reason for this may be the conflict between Benedetti and Pope Boniface VIII.[1]
Legacy
Benedetti was steadfast in condemning corruption, especially through his satirical Italian poems. Benedetti would not recant his position on the requirement of ascetic poverty, believing that the mainstream church had become corrupt and that its ministers were not interested in the welfare of the poor. It was a time of
Benedetti's preaching attracted many enthusiasts and
See also
- Christian mystics
- Christian poetry
- Saint Francis of Assisi
References
- ^ a b c d e "Jacopone da Todi". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
- ^ Katainen, V. Louise. "Jacopone Da Todi, Poet and Mystic: A Review of the History of the Criticism", Mystics Quarterly, vol. 22, no. 2, 1996, pp. 46–57. JSTOR
- ^ Cusato, Michael F., The Franciscan Order in the Medieval English Province and Beyond, Chapter 11, Amsterdam University Press 2018]
- ^ Morena, Antonio. "Politically-committed writing and mystical lyricism in Jacopone da Todi: Plange la Eclesia", Italica, Vol. 89, Issue 4
Sources
- Giudice, A. e Bruni, G. Problemi e scrittori della letteratura italiana. Torino, Paravia, 1981.
- Sapegno, N. Santo Jacopone. Torino, Edizioni del Baretti, 1926, p. 30.
- Novatti, F. Freschi e minii del Dugento. Milano, Cogliatti, 1925, pp. 202–204.
Bibliography
- Venuti, Lawrence. Translation Changes Everything. Routledge, 2012. Chapter 4: Translating Jacopone da Todi: archaic poetries and modern audiences.