The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-11
I T.,

ouch being the phnci pies Of canon Law. Fath9
" Nell proceeds to apply them 10 the admitted
'h'S IN the history Of Savonarola. First. did
'W' mar really incur the censure Of excopmuni-
'au"h. and. secondly, did he give srAosns.p u
oo'h 'heNc questions can be answered In ~ nago-
i've IL Is evident that the sentence N sruemmuni.
.Anoh pronounced against him by Alexander
VI was invalid ana Of no binding force In the
chapter devoted ~ a consideration Of the former
question. our author arrives al the concluaoA
nat no communicates lay against Savon.
ar"la on any Of the counts enumerated In The
iapal Bret Of May 10. 1897 He did not dsfy
NE faral summons ordering him TO 70 70 Rome
he dd not resume his teaching In Florence until
he had been assured Of the Pope's Permission:
he dd not in any manner, prohibited by Law %
Hsh'' resist the order to unto the Convent NJ 81
MARX with the recently formed Tusco RomA,
congregation: he did not teach heresy or scandal
Gus doctrine These facts Father ONeil thinks
''"' ne mas clearly established. and We believe
mat The reader will concur in his opinion.
Having proved that Sayonarols was NOT real,v
communicated. our author goes on 10 meso
me ~obI"rtion Of those who ask, Did not tho Fyia,
give scandal by openly deiying the papal Bnsf
which pnrported {" pronounce a sentence Of q.
COMMUNICATION? II is pointed OUT that the can
"nists makea distinction between scond., nina.
namely that which comes from words or deeds
evil in themselves or having the ,pn..,.r,.
VI evil, and scandal simply taken, Quit. bevonA
"n"ihers intention. and quito apart from tho
nature 81 his words or deeds This fots~
scandal arises either from Ignorance OF veal nes,.
IN winch case tisknown as ScdndaIum prslloruu-
OF The scandal Of the weak: or else II is ,hrosph
eNh Interpretation the offspring of malice, and.
aSshch' ltiscalled phnrisaical scandal. In uenorv
oi 'W" ihhrisees, who declared that they were
Scandall1ed by the most holy words and dead,
ol Jesus This distinction brings us TO the root
~ me question, namely. To what exten, Ia one
"pHgeh 10 relinquiSh spiritual work to avoid the
"'ahui NAT people might take
Iou'hlhg this inquiry, the authority OF 81
ihomas AquinaS is ndduced, who says that
spiritual work Necessary for salvation. and which
cannot be abandoned without, sin, must not n.
teiihquished to avoid scandal Of any kind oY IN
any one, because charity first obliges A man IA
seek his own chief spiritual welfare before ,hss
oil his neighbor. And again, ~spirtu.l worry
which is not necessary for sal walton. and which
therefore, can be rclinquished without sin should.
nevertheless, not he renowned on Account, ~
pharasaical scandal, If there is sufficient cause
iot lmhleuiate action, or for not delaying such
"ork' ]" the same effect is the well known do
tnm OF the great Pope. ST Gregory: III scandal
~ "keh al 'he ruth, tits better 10 let such scandal
come FATHER than 20 Telinquish the truth In
a comment on these words, St Bern ard SAYS
! would not D" silent when vice was 10 be reduced
"nn "u" ueiendeu. Applying these principles
vi canon ueology and law TO the story Of Saw
onafolas conduct, our author would no, denv
that his pharaSaical enemies took scandal. when.
after a time, lie resumed his practice Of preach
II = In IlDYapra pntut, A. NJ
mbiuon. Under the circumstances. however.
ne WAS morally bound not TO be Hlenoed BY the
apprehension Of such scandal. The represent
tauve men Of the rorenune Stats. aft., r,.v.
nehberation. were not only fully prepared for
Ssvonarola's preaching at the end Of hi, ionr
s~ecluSon. but oil the ~virtuous ct,ens wsrs s.vs,
10 listen 10 him Tho suppression OF all ser
mons, coupled with the renewed activity Of tho
dlssoiute. had thrown Florence back into The de-
Worable conditions from which Sayonarola,s
apos'olate had rescued her. II was under The
impulse OF charity. the supreme virtue, that Saw
onarola' who WAS ready to lay down his life for
souls, was moved TO speak, II was after mature
counsel with holy and learned men, and because
he beheld the spiritual interests OF his flock an.
dangered' thath broke the silence he had 90 long
maintained les, he might give scandal 70 the
weak. II, In the face OF the Pspal prohibition.
he ultimately determined IN rsAscend the pulut
II was because the marc umainess or expedioncv
OF preaching had ceased 10 be In question. and
because the doctrine which he had taught vas
sugmau1ed, the truth Of Jesus branded - DER.
nicious. and because further Mlence. would BE-
held a confession Of the Justice Of the slandeYs
published against him Father O-Neil submits
that herein Savonsrola followed the teaching a
Catholic theology. a. inculeAtsd By ST Thomas
AquinAs and St Gregory.
III.
In his last chapter the author asesrts thsH
Pope Alexander vi. himself did not regard
Savonarola IS excommunicatsd. How otherwise
could he have given Savonerola permission
10 celebrate mass on the day OF his execution.
although he had granted him no dissolution
from the bond Of excommunicauon1 II the OF.
communication Of the Fnar had been regarded
by the Pope as valid, absolution at the hands
OF the Pope himself or Of specially delegated
persons would have been indispensable. Tbs
ordinary power Of a confessor would not sufnoa.
Moreover, the apostolic commisssries despatched
from Rome to Florence were present at the time
Of the ETtars death, and, on them would have d.
yolycd tie exercise Of the delegated faculty Of
dissolution had any such faculty been granted or
nfel presumed ~ De required. Even II We assume
that such a faculty had been granted, Il is certain
that there Vas no rctracion by Savonarols OF
errors charged; there was no expression Of r-
pantance for scandal which mig hi have been givsn
by the offences for which he had been declared
communicated. A private apology and regre,
would not have awaited. From q man validly
and VIGOROUSLY communicated. an open 10
paration Was due, II not by q personal, verbal
declaration before his death, al least BY an au-
,henic writing for subsequent publication: from
this obligation there could be no release BY the
apostolic commissaries Had these msn not
acted In conformity with the Pops views. and
according TO his instructions. II II likely. asin
Fath-g O"Neil. that the omission OF absoluton
and tie neglect Of reparaion would have been
passed over without rebuke from Aleyanderf
Az a matter Of fact, there was no rebuks from
him nor complaint from any one authorized v
speak.
Savonarola made no apology. With serene
consistency. he went unialtenngly to the death
for which he had long prepared. and which he
willingly endured for principles Of which his life
had been an exemplincaton. He went With the
han still upon him, such As II was; the ban from
" hich he had solemnly announced that he would
never seek dissolution, becaus he knew that be
had done no wrong meritng such a penalty,
and because he believed that the censure was TN
I'll III -. -