Nexus - 1403 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

Great Reformation of the 16th Century, J. H. Merle d'Aubigné, 1840, London ed. trans. Prof. S. L. MacGuire, 1942, vol. 2, p. 168) "Here ... the love of money was the chief root of the evil; indulgences were employed by mercenary ecclesiastics as a means of pecuniary gain ... money was extracted from the simple-minded among the faithful by promising them perpetual happiness in this world and eternal glory in the next." (Catholic Encyclopedia, vii, p. 787) among the faithful by promising them perpetual happiness in this Tetzel and the priests associated with him falsely represented world and eternal glory in the next." their task and exaggerated the value of indulgences so as to lead (Catholic Encyclopedia, vii, p.787) people to believe that "as soon as they gave their money, they were certain of salvation and the deliverance of souls from purgatory" And that was some 500 years before the Vatican received its (Diderot's Encyclopédie). first banking licence. Lord Bryce (1838-1922), British jurist, So strong was the Protestant movement's opposition to the sale author and statesman, summarised the mental and moral qualities of indulgences that Pope Leo X issued a bull called Exsurge of the priesthood that indulgences reflected. He said that its Domine, its purpose being to condemn Martin Luther's damaging concept was "a blatant fraud against the naive ... a portentous assertions that "indulgences are frauds against the faithful and falsehood and the most unimpeachable evidence of the true criminal offences against God" (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 3rd thoughts and beliefs of the priesthood which framed it" (The Holy ed., op. cit., vol. ix, p. 788; also, James Moore's Dublin Edition, Roman Empire, Lord Bryce, 1864, ch. 1790-97, "Medici" entry). Around vi, p. 107; Latin text, extracts, p. 76). 45 years later, the 18-year-long To replenish the coffers and Council of Trent pronounced maintain his "luxuriant abundance", "anathema against those who either Leo expanded the sale of declare indulgences to be useless or indulgences into a major source of deny that the Church has the power Church revenue and developed a to grant them" (Catholic large body of priests to collect the Encyclopedia, vii, pp. 783-4). payments. In forming his plans, he To further finance his lifestyle, Leo was assisted mainly by his relative borrowed prodigious amounts of Laurentius Pucci, whom he made money from bankers at 40 per cent Cardinal of Santi-quattro, and interest. The booming brothels Johann Tetzel, a former military simply did not bring in enough tax officer of the Teutonic Knights in money, even though there were 6,800 Prussia. They appointed a series of registered prostitutes servicing a male retailers to keep pace with the citizenry of fifty thousand. His gifts disposal of goods given to pay for to relatives, friends, artists, writers indulgences, and he and his team and musicians, his lavish then set off on a mission through maintenance of an unprecedented Italy to entice more sales. This court, the demands of the new St picturesque overview is drawn from Peter's, the expense of the Urbino Diderot's Encyclopédie, and provides war and payments to Tetzel for one reason why Pope Clement XIII preparation for the next crusade were (1758-69) ordered all volumes all leading him to bankruptcy. destroyed immediately after its Leo's army was defeated when the publication in 1759 (The Censoring French king Francis I (1494-1547) of Diderot's 'Encyclopédie' and the 7 7 7 7 successfully invaded Italy in 1515, Receabtished Text, D. H. Gordon This sketch of Pope Leo X is attributed to Sebastiano ang the Vatican was forced to and N. L. Torrey, Columbia del Piombo (1485-1547), a renowned illustrator and concede the loss of the control—and University Press, New York, 1947): portraitist of the time. Leo was the son of Lorenzo de the revenue—of the entire French "The indulgence-seekers passed Medici, the Magnificent, a notable patron of the arts Church. In Rome, however, the through the country in gay carriages and a great Collector of Etruscan antiquities. Pope bankers despoiled themselves. The escorted by thirty horsemen, in great Leo S expansion of the doctrine of indulgences was the Bini firm had lent Leo 200,000 state and spending freely. The immediate cause of Martin Luther's uprising. The ducats, the Gaddi 32,000, the pontiff's Bull of Grace was borne in modern Church said of Leo X: "He was a weak and Ricasoli 10,000; moreover, as front on a purple velvet cushion, or extravagant man who squandered the wealth of the Cardinal Pucci had lent him 150,000 sometimes on a cloth of gold. The Church" (The Papacy, George Weidenfeld and ayq Cardinal Salviati 80,000, the chief vendor of indulgences followed N icolson Ltd, London, J 964, p. 1 19). (© The cardinals would have first claim on with his team, supporting a large red Collection of the Masters, Film Library, Milan, Italy) anything salvaged. Leo died worse wooden cross; and the whole procession moved in this manner than bankrupt (Crises in the History of the Papacy, op. cit., ch. vi). amidst singing and the smoke of incense. As soon as the cross was _As security for his loans, he'd pledged the freehold of churches, elevated, and the Pope's arms suspended upon it, Tetzel ascended monasteries, nunneries, the Villa Medici, Vatican silverware, the pulpit, and with a bold tone began, in the presence of the tapestries, valuable manuscript collections, jewellery and the crowd, to exalt the efficacy of indulgences. The pope was the last —_ infamous Chair of Peter, built by King Charles the Bald in 875 and speaker and cried out, 'Bring money, bring money, bring money’. falsely displayed in the Vatican foyer until 1656 as a true relic He uttered this cry with such a dreadful bellowing that one might —_ upon which St Peter once sat. have thought that some wild bull was rushing among the people To replenish his treasury, Leo had created 1,353 new and and goring them with his horns." saleable offices, for which appointees paid a total of 889,000 (Diderot's Encyclopédie, 1759; expanded upon in History of the — ducats (US$11,112,500 in 1955 values). He nominated 60 APRIL — MAY 2007 NEXUS = 51 www.nexusmagazine.com