Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 14.djvu/271

 SPIRITUALS

231

SPIRITUALS

be denied that Spiritualism appeared first in those places where the first zealous companions of St. Francis hved, such as central Italy. There is no doubt that Angelo Clareno, Ubertin of Cassale, and others who entered the order shortly after 1260 came in contact with some of those men or their disciples, for in their writings these authors con- stantly refer to the companions of St. Francis and especially to the works of Brother Leo. To under- stand and appreciate the movement of the Spirituals, we have above all to consider the Order of Friars Minor in its general aspect in the second half of the thirteenth century, and here we are for-ed to admit a certain development, perhaps not clearly foreseen by St. Francis when writing the Rule of 1223. Whilst the founder does not appear to have attached very much importance to the scientific studies of his order (see chap, x in the Rule of 1223), it was, however, impossible for such a large moral body as his order to keep aloof from the great speculative and scien- tific movements of the thirteenth century. Moreover, sovereign pontiffs had bestowed on the Mendicants many privileges to enable them to work with more fruit for the benefit of souls and the service of the Church. Thus, convents of larger dimensions, which in the time of St. Francis were mostly poor her- mitages, were being bmlt in the towns, and beside them sprang up churches.

Attendance at the universities and life in towns required certain modifications in the life of the friars, perhaps somewhat different from what it may have been in St. Francis's time. The doubts that arose amongst the friars about the observance of the rule were generally settled by the sovereign pontiffs with a view of meeting new conditions, and at the same time safeguarding the letter of the rule. Whilst the greater part of the order followed without reluc- tance this natural and logical evolution, some more zealous friars, to whom every development seemed a departure from the first ideal of St. Francis, were strongly opposed to it. A similiar movement had taken place in the Order of St. Dominic, at the same time and in the same region, i. e. that of the Roman Province, which comprised, besides Rome itself, the Marches, Umbria, and Tuscany. Here, towards the end of the thirteenth and in the beginning of the fourteenth centuries, a reform party had arisen who aimed at a return to the primitive simplicity. The point was disous.sed in several general and provincial chapters, at last in the provincial chajiter at Todi (1319). Here (1) the innocence of the zealous friars was jisscrted, and the discussion of controversial points forbidden; (2) the name Spirituals, as a name engendering discord, was not permitted. At the general chapter of the Order of Preachers at Florence (1321), the Master-General Herosus Nata- bis conflrme<l the decrees of Todi, and the whole question seems to have been definitively settled (see bibliography).

Before entering on the history of the different groups of the Franciscan Spirituals, we must determine the points which are characteristic of all of them: (1) Literal observance of the Rule and Testament of St. Francis. (2) An overrated apprecia- tion of the same rule, and especially of the Francis- can poverty. Basing their interpretation on the words of their rule (chap. I), "the rule and life of the Minor brothers is this, namely, to observe the holy Gospel", they considered their rule identical with the Gospel, and as the pope, they reasoned further, cannot dispense from the Gospel, so he can- not dispense from, or even explain, the rule in any other than a literal sense. Consequently they re- fused the authentic papal interpretations. (3) Joachim- ism. It was the great error of the Spirituals to combine their arguments in favour of reform with the ideas of Joachimism. Holzapfel (Handbuch,

p. 41) goes 80 far as to say that their poverty was only to cover Joachimism, which was the true aim of the Spirituals. This is certainly exaggerated, for Joachimism existed in the order before the spiritual movement was apparent. Perhaps it is more just to presume that the ideas of Joachimism, promising a better near future, were resorted to by the Spirituals more as a help and a consolation in their manifold hardships and persecutions. It is certain at any rate that, in the great intellectual contest between the Spirituals and the community at Avignon (1310-12), the object of the Spiritualist contention was not Joachimism, but the real observance of poverty, and of the rule in general. However Joachimism was widely spread amongst the Zelanli, and was most prejudicial to their cause. To their grievances with regard to the observance of the rule the community repUed by accu.sing them of heresy, taking the proof of their assertion from the writings of the great Spiritual, Olivi.

According to the time and place of origin we have to distinguish three distinct groups of Spirituals: (1) the oldest, those of the Marches of Ancona, about 1274; (2) the Spirituals in Provence, France, under Olivi (d. 1298); (3) the Tuscan group, about 1309.

(1) The Spirituals of the Marches are those as to whose fate we are best informed owing to the fact that Angelo Clareno, author of "Historia septem Tribulationum" and "Epistola excusatoria", be- longed to them, and after the death of Peter, alias Liberatus, of Macerata, 1307, became their leader. (On their history see Fraticelli.) They were ex- communicated by John XXII by the Bull "Sancta Romana et universaUs Ecclesia ", dated from Avignon, 30 Dec, 1317; they continued to exist, however, as the FraticeUi.

(2) The Province of SpiriliMls were led by Pierre- Jean Olivi. To this group is due the great process between the Spirituals and the Community at the Papal Court at Avignon (1310-12). There are sev- eral versions as to what constituted the exact cause. Clareno (Archiv, II, 129) tells us that Arnold of Vil- lanueva, the remarkable lay theologian, went to Charles II of Sicily, and induced the king to write to the minister-general of the order, Gundisalvus of VaUeboa, requesting him to desist from interference with the Spirituals of Provence. Meanwhile, Arnold saw Clement V personally, and, on the gener- al's advice, the pope summoned the heads of the Spirituals in Provence: Raymond Ganfredi, Guide of Mirepoix, Bartholomew Sicardi, and others, as also LTbertin of Casale from Italy, commanding them to report upon all observances which were not in ac- cordance with the rule. Another version is given by Raymond of Fronsac, procurator-general of the order (Archiv, III, 18), and by Bonagratia of Bergamo (Archiv, III, 36). They relate that the citizens of Narbonne (1309) apijealed publicly in favour of the Spirituals, and particularly the memory of Olivi. The two versions can very well be combined as they do not exclude each other, and are both in themselves very probable. Ehrle (.\rchiv, II, 360) and Balthasar (Armutatreit, 264), however, are inclined to believe that King Robert, who succeeded to his father, Charles II, in May, 1309, was the one to whom .\rnold applied for protection of the Spirituals. Be this as it may, Clement V on 14 April, 1310, promulgated the BuU "Dudum ad apostolatus" (Bull. Franc, V, 6.5) which was very favourable to the Spirituals convoked to the Papal Court. They obtained full immunity for the timeof the proce.ss between them .and the community, and through the same Bull was instituted a comnais- sion of cardinals and theologians to hear and examine both parties. It is unnecessary to go into the details of this discussion, which lasted three years, and in which bitter words were said on both sides; it will suffice to point out the result.