Franciscan Studies

SOME FAMOUS CONVENTUAL HISTORIANS ALTHOUGH after the division of the Order in 1517 the Con- > . ventuals continued to be literarily active in every phase of secular and ecclesiastical knowledge, they seemed to have developed a certain predilection for history, as the following pages will, I be­ lieve, sufficiently demonstrate. Like satellites that revolve around the larger planets, Conventual historians can easily be grouped around certain major authors whose names will remain immortal in the history of the Order and of the Church. Their activities and merits refer as well to secular as to ecclesiastical history, but espe­ cially to the general history of the Franciscan Order, collections of papal documents with appropriate commentaries, biographical notes on Franciscan authors, hagiographical annotations, descriptions and studies, controversial matters on Franciscan questions, and finally the history of individual Provinces of the Order. A large galaxy of such authors are associated with the name of Fr. M. Giacinto Sbaraglea (or Sbaraglia), O. F. M. Conv., the author of the first four volumes of the Bullarium Franciscanum; of additions and corrections to Luke Wadding’s (O. F. M.) Annales Minorum, and especially to the great Franciscan annalist’s Scriptores Minorum. Some of these authors antedated Sbaraglea, but in as far as they prepared the way for his important studies they are rightly circled about his name. Very little, if anything, concerning these friar-historians has thus far appeared in English; in fact hardly anything in any language besides Sparacio’s Italian compilations. 1. Among the pioneers of Franciscan History, Pietro Rodulphus of Tossignano (Ridolphe), frequently styled Tossinianensis, occu­ pies a prominent place.1 Besides being a famous preacher, Ridolphe edited several sermon books. Before his elevation to the episcopal sees of Venosa (1587) and Senigallia (1591), he was Regent of Studies at Bologna and Venice; Minister Provincial of the Province of the Marches; Consultor of the Holy Office; and Secretary and 1. Cf. Wadding, Scriptores under "Petrus Rodulphus” (edit. Nardecchia, Romae, 1902), p. 193; Sbaraglea, Supplementum et Castigatio ad Scriptores. . . a Waddingo, Aliisque Descriptos (Romae: Nardecchia, 1921), pp. 363-5; Franchini, Bibliosofia (Modena, 1693), pp. 523-7. 259 260 FRANCISCAN STUDIES Procurator General of the Conventuals. He died in 1601. He is described by Wadding as "Minorum Conventualium Theologus, Ecclesiastes et historicus insignis.”2 By order of Pope Sixtus V, who had intended personally to do the work3 and with whom he stood on familiar terms, Rodulphus edited between 1588 and 1593 in six folio volumes the Opera Omnia S. Gregorii Papae. The work saw many editions: Paris, 1605, 1619, and 1640; a second Roman edition, 1613; Antwerp, 1615. Benoffi4 praises it as the best on the market in his day and adds that recent discoveries and exact critical studies were not able to give the literary world anything better on this great Father of the Church. In 1586, Rodulphus published his Historiarum Seraphicae Religionis Libri Tres.5 The purpose of this book, as expressed by the author in his preface, is "to list diligently (and as far as possible) all the famous and honorable men who by the sanctity of their lives and morals as well as by their eminent doctrine have adorned this our Minorite Order; and also the names of those who for the faith of Christ have shed their blood or labored in His militia to defend and propagate the Christian Republic.” Besides all these heroic souls, Rodulphus lists also the names of the various Generals, General Chapters, and Conventions held in the interest of the Order; the names of the Popes, Cardinals, and Bishops who were Franciscans; and he records the more important events and persons associated prominently in the development of the individual Provinces. Wadding, while praising Rodulphus’ large work (674 pages in folio), remarks that historical experts would justly have expected greater research and carefulness on the part of the author.6 Benoffi7 likewise indicates certain anachronisms, e. g., the placing of the martyrdom of Bl. John Forest under Queen Elizabeth (1558-1603), whereas in reality it occurred during the reign of Henry VIII (15091547 ). Franchini8 tries to excuse the defects of Rodulphus’ History of the Order by calling attention to the important and varied cares 2. Scriptores, loc...