Chapter XXI: Two Popes

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Catherine of Siena by Sigrid Undset
Chapter XXI

Most of this chapter discusses the politics that led to the election of Urban VI with all of Rome threatening to murder the college of cardinals if they did not choose a Roman and of the election of Clement VII in anger at Urban's reforms and harsh tone.

What is striking that we see from Catherine is the change in the tone of her letters.  Perhaps it is simply that I know, like her, that her end is drawing nigh, but her letters begin to sound like she is saying farewell.  Rather than in-the-moment almost desperate plea sounding advice - for the good of the Church - Catherine's tone seems more like final words of advice before she leaves.

Undset says Catherine started writing even more furiously - as if to finish her work on Earth all the sooner or because she knew that soon she would joyfully join God and be unable to directly affect its concerns.

Was her work done?  Italy seems to be still in something of a mess.  The Great Schism is happening all around her.  Would not this be an excellent time for the saintly woman of Siena?

But then, wouldn't now be a great time for someone like Catherine to take the Church leaders to task?  Remind them to reform as she did so constantly in her letters, remind them to keep spiritual goals in sight, and for heaven's sake just take them to task on concentrating on what's really important.  Every time could use someone like Catherine.  Only rarely do we get them, and we can't expect them to stick around forever.

That is a comforting and a difficult thing about being a tool of the Spirit - you don't fix everything, you don't solve everything.  You do your task, and the work and the world goes on without you when it is your time to go.  It's not like the inspirational movies where you accomplish a great goal and then things are definitely better.  Catherine brought Gregory XI back from Avignon to Rome, she made peace with Florence, she saved many.  The Great Schism happened, and many of her children backslid.

She still had to leave.  She had to trust the Holy Spirit to find others to continue her work - or rather, to continue God's work.  It was not hers to see brought to a pretty conclusion.  She had only to do the work God asked of her.  She didn't get the big payoff of everything settling down once the battle was won.  She didn't see the end of the Schism.

She had to trust the Spirit to win without her.  She never seemed to struggle with pride, but that would be quite a blow to it, if she had.  When you are chosen for a special role, is it not natural to think you will be needed until the end?  But we have faith in God - and we must joyfully leave our work for others to complete when He calls us home.