Companion to Catherine of Siena

Description

This volume, written by experts on Catherine of Siena, considers her as a church reformer, peacemaker, preacher, author, holy woman, stigmatic, saint and politically astute person. The manuscript tradition of works by and about her are also studied.contains copious footnotes of excerpts in the original latin of the [*Legenda maior*](https://isidore.co/calibre/#panel=book_details&book_id=5930) by Bl. Raymond of Capua One of my favorite parts of the Bl. Raymond of Capua, [*Legenda maior*](https://isidore.co/calibre/#panel=book_details&book_id=5930), III.1.334.937C-D: Summus autem Pontifex [Gregorius XI] ea visa gavisus est, voluitque coram Cardinalibus, qui tunc aderant, quod verbum faceret exhortationis, potissime propter schisma, quod tunc incipiebat. | The Supreme Pontiff [Gregory XI] was clearly delighted to see her again and asked her to say a few words of encouragement to the Cardinals, especially with regard to the Schism, which had then just begun. ---|--- Quod et perfecte fecit, animando unumquemque eorum ad fortem constantiam verbis et sententiis plurimis, ac ostendendo divinam providentiam semper adesse cuilibet, sed potissime cum sancta Ecclesia patitur: et concludendo, quod propter inchoatum schisma in nullo trepidare deberent, sed agere quæ Dei sunt, et nullum timere.| [She] urged them with many arguments, which she expressed most felicitously, to be strong in constancy. She showed that divine providence is always with us, above all when the Church has to suffer, and ended by telling them not to be afraid of the schism that had just begun and to do the things of God and to fear no one. [dixit Pontifex:] hæc muliercula nos confundit. Mulierculam autem voco, non in contemptum ejus sed in expressionem sexus feminei, naturaliter fragilis, et ad nostram instructionem.| [The Pope said:] A mere woman puts us to shame. I call her a ‘mere woman’, not out of disrespect, but with reference to her sex, which in itself is weak, and also for our own instruction. PDF pp. 63-88 are on female reclusion in Siena, which sheds light on why St. Catherine chose the *mantellate* (Dominican Third Order of Penance) and not the Second Order.