420

THE GLORY OF CHRISTENDOM

SHADOWAND LIGHTNING 421
Disregarding St. Catherine's counsel to show mercy and a willingness to compromise with Florence, in
March 1376 Pope Gregory XI demanded that the city surrender to him the members of its governing council,
known as the "Eight of War." When his demand was refused, he excommunicated the Eight and placed the city
under interdict. As this terrible verdict was pronounced, the Florentine ambassador in Avignon raised his eyes to
the crucifix hanging over the Pope's throne and cried: "Look down on me, God of my salvation, and help me; do
not forsake me, for my father and my mother have forsaken me.""
St. Catherine wrote to the Eight offering to mediate between them and the Pope, and to the Pope urging
him more passionately than ever to return quickly to Rome, a veritable trumpet call:
Let not your holy desire fail on account of any scandal or rebellion of cities which you might see or
hear; nay, let the flame of holy desire be more kindled to wish to do swiftly. Do not delay, then, your
coming. Do not believe the Devil, who perceives his own loss, and so exerts himself to rob you of
your possessions in order that you may lose your love and charity and your coming be hindered. I tell
you, Father in Christ Jesus, come swiftly like a gentle lamb. Respond to the Holy Spirit Who calls
you. I tell you, Come; come; come; do not wait for time, since time does not wait for you. 109
By June 1376 a army of ten thousand bloody-minded mercenaries sent by the Pope and commanded by the
proud Cardinal Robert of Geneva-himself a future Antipope-was ravaging the papal state in a manner that
Cardinal Albornoz would never have permitted, filling up the wells of Italian wrath. But Pope Gregory XI still
would not come, had not even set a firm date for his departure from Avignon."' In England Edward the Black
Prince died after a long illness and his old father Edward III was slipping into senility; the heir to the throne was
now Prince Richard, a boy of nine, and Charles V of France was pressing his advantage, refusing to make peace."'
Christendom seemed to be disintegrating. It was time for the twenty-fifth child of the wool dyer of Siena to take
charge. St. Catherine of Siena had already set out for Avignon, and on June 18 she arrived.' 12
She spoke neither French nor Latin, no language but her native Tuscan dialect; her confessor, Raymond of
Capua, had to interpret for her. It did not

t. Catherine of Siena to Pope Gregory XI, March 1376, in Letters ed. Scudder, pp. 127-128; Mollat, Popes
at Avignon, p. 166; Jorgensen, SG Catherine of Siena, pp. 217-218; Undset, Catherine of Siena, pp. 176, 179 (for the
quotation).
lo9
St. Catherine of Siena to Pope Gregory XI, Letters ed. Scudder, p. 132. 11oMollat, Popes atAvignon,
p. 168.
"'Barber, Edward, Prince of Wales and Aquitaine, pp. 233-236; Packe, Edward III, pp. 286,291-292; Perroy,
Hundred Years War, p. 168.
11Z
Jorgensen, St. Catherine of Siena, pp. 224-225.
matter. Neither the Pope nor the worldly cardinals had ever seen or imagined a phenomenon like her. She
reminded Gregory XI of his secret vow to return to Rome if he should be elected Pope. She warned him of the
vices and corruption of many of the priests and bishops and their families who lived in Avignon. "How have you,"
Gregory asked in amazement, "who have been here such a short time, got such knowledge of all that goes on
here?" "To the glory of Almighty God I am bound to say," Catherine responded, "that I smelt the stink of the sins
which flourish in the papal court while I was still at home in my own town more sharply than those who have
practiced them, and do practice them, every day here." The Pope's family watched her receiving Holy
Communion in ecstasy; his sister was much edified, but his nephew's wife stabbed Catherine in the foot with a
large needle to see if she could truly feel nothing while in ecstasy, so that she was unable to stand for days
afterward. Three distinguished Inquisitors were sent to interview Catherine; they began by calling her a "wretched
little female" (which is no more than what Catherine habitually called herself), and ended by singing her praises
and telling a doctor of theology who was present: "Let her answer for herself; she does it much better than you."
Even Pedro de Luna was charmed, and almost won over; he dropped his opposition to the Pope's return to Rome.
Catherine made a more lasting impression on Archbishop Bartolomeo Prignano, who was to be the next Pope. 113
When Gregory XI still hesitated to return to Rome, Catherine wrote him the letter that stands at the head of
this chapter. Then he borrowed 90,000 florins for the expenses of the journey, lla and she wrote to a friend in
Florence: "Behold that now he [the Pope] is coming to his bride, that is to hold the seat of St. Peter and St. Paul.
Do you run to him at once, with true humility of heart and amendment of your sins, following the holy principle
with which you began. So doing you shall have peace, spiritual and bodily."1's
She found time that summer also to write to Charles V of France, urging him to make peace with the
English and go on crusade-and warning him of the consequences of failure to do so:
 I tell you [said the wool-dyer's daughter to the king], on behalf of Christ crucified, to delay no longer
to make this peace. Make peace, and direct all your warfare to the infidels. Help to encourage and
uplift the standard of the most holy Cross, which God shall demand from you and others at the point of
death-demanding also from you account for such ignorance and negligence as has been committed and
is committed every day. Sleep no

Ibid., pp. 227-232; Undset, Catherine of Siena, pp. 182-186; Glasfurd, Antipope, pp. 30-37.
11a
Mollat, Popes atAvignon, p. 171.

11sSt. Catherine of Siena to Buonaccorso di Lapo, midsummer 1376, Letters ed. Scudder, p. 178.