Page:Lifeofsaintcatha.djvu/217

 him: " Holy Father, there is no better means for reestablishing peace among Christians, than the undertaking of a Crusade. All the turbulent soldiers who now entertain division among the faithful, will go cheerfully and combat in the holy cause; very few will refuse to serve God in the profession which pleases them, and it will be a means for expiating their offences: the fire will be thus extinguished for want of fuel. You will thereby, Holy Father, accomplish several excellent things at once; you will bestow peace on such of the Christians as require it, and you will save great culprits by removing them. Should they gain important victories, you could act, in consequence, with Christian Princes; if they yield, you will have procured salvation to their perishing souls; and besides, many Saracens might be converted." These words show with what zeal the Blessed Catherine labored to organize this crusade.

Now, I declare to these calumniators that I never heard Catherine indicate in any manner whatsoever that a Crusade would certainly take place; I always found her on the contrary very reserved concerning it, never determining an epoch, but resigning the whole to divine Providence; she expressed a hope that God would cast a look of mercy on his people and thus save many believers and unbelievers; but none can truthfully advance that she ever fixed the period of that Crusade, and declared that she would follow it with her disciples: should any one appear to have thus understood her, they have conceived an incorrect interpretation of her words.

The person who was the subject of the following prophecy, relates it daily to any one desirous of hearing it. There lived in Sienna, at the period of my acquaintance with Catherine, a youth of noble birth, but at that