The Nuns of Sant'Ambrogio: The True Story of a Convent in Scandal (68 page)

56.
Relazione informativa con Sommario, Cenni storici sull’antica causa; ACDF SO St. St. B 7 c. Interestingly, Agnese Firrao seems to have defended herself vehemently against the charge of Molinosism. Cf. Copia dell’antico piccolo ristretto per il P. Priori; ibid., B 6 e 1.

57.
Sommario del Ristretto contro il P. Leziroli, no. I: Cenni storici; ACDF SO St. St. B7 e. Agnese Firrao had a strong following in England. The Franciscan Peter Bernadine Collingridge conducted a lively correspondence with her, and visited her in Rome several times, together with Bishop John Milner. A copy of Marconi’s saint’s life even found its way into the Clifton diocesan archive. The only surviving portrait of Firrao may also have been commissioned by one of her English devotees. Collingridge reports a man called Charles Butler entreating him to get a “miniature of Sister Agnes.” Cf. John Berchmans Dockery,
Collingridge
. A
Franciscan Contribution to Catholic Emancipation
(Newport, 1954), pp. 285–87; Bernard Ward,
The Eve of Catholic Emancipation. Being the History of the English Catholics During the First Thirty Years of the Nineteenth Century
, vol. 2: 1812–1820 (London, 1911), pp. 113–16.

58.
For example,
The Orthodox Journal and Catholic Monthly Intelligencer
, no. 40, September 1816, p. 370;
Gazzetta di Milano
, no. 56, February 25, 1816, p. 216;
Österreichischer Beobachter
, no. 62, March 2, 1816, p. 339;
Baireuther Zeitung
, no. 58, March 7, 1816, p. 214;
Lemberger Zeitung
, no. 31, March 11, 1816, p. 141;
Real-Zeitung
, no. 21, March 12, 1816, p. 88;
Journal de la Province de Limbourg
, no. 75, March 28, 1816, p. 1.

59.
She died in 1824. See Clemens Emling and Anna Katharina Emmerick,
Mystikerin der Nächstenliebe
(Kevelaer, 2011); Anna von Krane,
Anna Katharina Emmerick. Leben und Wirken der Seherin von Dülmen
(Leipzig, 2008); Weiß,
Seherinnen
, pp. 48–56.

60.
Cf. Winfried Hümpfener (ed.),
Tagebuch des Dr. med. Franz Wilhelm Wesener über die Augustinerin Anna Katharina Emmerick unter Beifügung anderer auf sie bezüglicher Briefe und Akten
(Würzburg, 1926), p. 198.

61.
Cf. Peter Groth, “Die stigmatisierte Nonne Anna Katharina Emmerick—Eine Krankengeschichte im Zeitalter der Romantik—zwischen preußischer Staatsraison und ‘katholischer Erneuerung,’ ” p. 110, online:
http://www.in-output.de/AKE/akekrank2.html
(5/17/2012).

62.
Journal de la Province de Limbourg
, no. 75, March 28, 1816, p. 1.

63.
This was probably the wife of the Marchese Luigi Costaguti, who was a member of the pope’s noble guard. Cf.
Notizie per l’anno
1828, p. 216; “Vessillifero di Santa Romana Chiesa,” in Moroni,
Dizionario
94 (1859), pp. 98–130, here p. 109.

64.
This was probably Baroness Piccolomini’s first lady-in-waiting. Cf.
Diario di Roma
, no. 71, 1828, p. 4. A Faustina Ricci appears among Rome’s “Signore della carità” (ladies of charity), responsible for the fourth prefecture of Santa Maria in Trastevere. Cf.
Piano dell’istituto generale della carità e sua appendice
(Rome, 1816), p. 48. For a Faustina Paracciani from Montepulciano, who married a Ricci and went to Rome, see Archivio di Stato di Firenze, Fondo Raccolta Ceramelli Papiani, Fasz. 6748 (Famiglia Ricci), online:
http://www.archiviodistato.firenze.it/ceramellipapiani2/index.php?page=Famiglia&id=6339
(7/10/2012).

65.
Mattei was born in 1744. He became archbishop of Ferrara in 1777, and cardinal
in petto
in 1779 (an appointment made public in 1782). He became prefect of the Congregation of Ceremonies in 1815, prefect of the Congregation for the Fabric of Saint Peter, and died in 1820. See Wolf (ed.),
Prosopographie
, pp. 963–67.

66.
Vita della Serva di Dio. La M. Maria Agnese di Gesù; ACDF SO St. St. B 6 q 1.

67.
Charles Emanuel was born in 1751 and married Marie Clotilde of France in 1775. He became king of Sardinia and duke of Savoy in 1796, before abdicating in 1802. He left the throne of Sardinia to his brother Victor Emanuel I, but kept the Duchy of Savoy. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1815 and died in 1819. See Giuseppe Locorotondo, “Carlo Emanuele IV di Savoia, re di Sardegna,” in
DBI
20 (1977), online:
http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/carloemanuele-iv-di-savoia-re-di-sardegna_%28Dizionario-Biografico%29/
(7/5/2012).

68.
Marie Clotilde of France was born in 1759 and died in 1802. See Luigi Bottiglia,
Erbauliche Lebensgeschichte der Dienerin Gottes Marie Clotilde von Frankreich, Königin von Sardinien
. Translated from the French, 3 vols. (Augsburg, 1819); Pietro Cavedoni, “Biografia della Venerabile Maria Clotilde di Borbone, Regina di Sardegna,” in
Continuazione delle Memorie di religione, di morale e di letteratura
, vol. 2 (Modena, 1833), pp. 93–159; “Maria Clotilde di Francia,” in Moroni,
Dizionario
42 (1847), pp. 316–18.

69.
Sommario del Ristretto contro il P. Leziroli, no. I: Cenni storici; ACDF SO St. St. B 7 e.

70.
Almost all the Jesuits who had been connected with Firrao were dead by 1816. Francesco Antonio Spaziani, the ceremonial master
supra numerum
of the papal chapel (
Notizie per l’anno
1784, p. 34, to 1792, p. 162) and lecturer in moral theology in the Propaganda Fide College (ibid., 1786, p. 37, to 1801, p. 146), died in 1810. Marconi and Pignatelli died in 1811, and José Doz in 1813. When Pignatelli saw his end was near, he passed the role of Firrao’s spiritual guide onto the Jesuit father Agustín Monzon. Cf. Sommario del Ristretto contro il P. Leziroli, no. I: Cenni storici; ACDF SO St. St. B 7 e.

71.
Lorenzo Litta was born in 1756 and became titular bishop of Thebes in 1793. The same year, he also became nuncio to Poland, and in 1797 apostolic delegate and ambassador to Saint Petersburg. He was made a cardinal in 1801, and was prefect of the Congregation of the Index from 1803 to 1816. He was cardinal vicar in Rome from 1818 until his death in 1820. See Wolf (ed.),
Prosopographie
, pp. 873–77.

72.
Vita della Serva di Dio. La M. Maria Agnese di Gesù; ACDF SO St. St. B 6 q 1.

73.
Sommario del Ristretto contro il P. Leziroli, no. I: Cenni storici; ACDF SO St. St. B 7 e.

74.
Della Genga became titular Bishop of Tyrus in 1794, and nuncio to Cologne the same year. In 1814 he became extraordinary nuncio in Paris. He was made a cardinal in 1816, and became cardinal vicar in Rome in 1820. He was elected pope in 1823, and died in 1829. See
Notizie per l’anno
1820, p. 25; Wolf (ed.),
Prosopographie
, pp. 464–66.

75.
Della Genga was Protector of the Collegio Umbro-Fuccioli in 1822. The convent of Regulated Third Order nuns under Firrao’s reform had been housed in the Collegio Fuccioli in Borgo Sant’Agata before Firrao was convicted in 1816.
Cf.
Notizie per l’anno
1822, p. 27. Pius VII’s brief of January 24, 1806, set out his responsibilites; Regola della Riforma delle Monache del Terz’Ordine di S. Francesco, Cap.XII. Del Protettore e Visitatore; ACDF SO St. St. B 6 r 1.

76.
Ristretto con Sommario dei Costituti sostenuti dall’inquisita Abbadessa Sr. Maria Veronica Milza; ACDF SO St. St. B 7 d.

77.
Appendice al Ristretto informativo: Sr. Maria Luisa riferisce della Relazione e premura, che aveva Leone XII per il monastero di S. Ambrogio; ACDF SO St. St. B 7 f.

78.
There seem to have been several miraculous images in Sant’Ambrogio. Another picture of the Virgin was venerated there in the eighteenth century. Cf. ACDF SO St. St. B 6 s; Bianchi,
Notizie
; Dreuille,
S. Ambrogio
, pp. 30 and 78; “Ragguaglio storico intorno alla sacra Immagine della SS. Vergine Consolatrice venerate nella chiesa di Sant’Ambrogio delle Monache riformate del terz’Ordine di S. Francesco.” The picture named here came from the estate of Cardinal Francesco Saverio de Zelada, who died in 1801. See Wolf (ed.),
Prosopographie
(1701–1813), p. 1324. It was purchased by the Abbess Maria Maddalena’s father, Alessandro Ragazzoni. She evidently brought the picture with her to the convent.

79.
Ragguaglio storico; ACDF SO St. St. B 6 s. Other senior religious and secular dignitaries, like the archbishop of Naples, Luigi Cardinal Ruffo-Scilla, or King Charles Emanuel IV of Sardinia, paid homage to the picture on several occasions. On Ruffo-Scilla, see Ekkart Sauser, “Ruffo-Scilla,” in
BBKL
17 (2000), p. 1172.

80.
Clarelli Paracciani was born in 1799 and became a consultor of the Congregation of Cardinals in 1821. He was made a cardinal in 1844, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and Religious Orders in 1860, and prefect of the Congregation for the Fabric of Saint Peter’s in 1870. He died in 1872. See Wolf (ed.),
Prosopographie
, p. 337.

81.
Sommario del Ristretto contro il P. Leziroli, no. I: Cenni storici; ACDF SO St. St. B 7 e.

82.
Appendice al Ristretto informativo: Sr. Maria Luisa riferisce della Relazione e premura, che aveva Leone XII per il monastero di S. Ambrogio; ACDF SO St. St. B 7 f.

83.
Wiseman,
Recollections
, pp. 261–63, here p. 262.

84.
See H. W. van Os, “Krönung Mariens,” in
LCI
2 (1970), pp. 671–76; Heinrich Schauerte and Torsten Gebhard, “Corona,” in
Marienlexikon
2 (1989), pp. 96–97. For the coronation inscription engraved on the miraculous image, see Dreuille,
S. Ambrogio
, illustration 40.

85.
“But the pope became a special custodian and helper to the Society of Jesus, which had been reinstated by his predecessor.” Schmidlin,
Papstgeschichte
, vol. 1, p. 460. See also Martina,
Pio IX
, vol. 1, p. 243.

86.
ASV, Monasteri femminili soppressi, S. Ambrogio Busta 1, vol. 3, Visitatio Apostolica 1824.

87.
Ristretto con Sommario dei Costituti del P. Leziroli, In nota, October 1861; ACDF SO St. St. B 7 e.

88.
“Leone Papa XII. per la futura memoria del fatto.” Leo XII’s brief, January 30, 1829; ACDF SO St. St. B 6 r 1.

89.
As a monsignore, Cinotti belonged to the Camerieri Segreti Soprannumerari, and was the author of several important works. See
Notizie per l’anno
1861, p. 377.

90.
Perrone was born in 1794 and entered the Society of Jesus in 1815. In 1823 he became a professor at the Collegio Romano, and in 1830 professor at the Jesuit college in Ferrara. He was made rector of the college in 1850, and died in 1876. See Erich Naab, “Perrone,” in
BBKL
7 (1994), pp. 227–29.

91.
Sommario del Ristretto contro il P. Leziroli, no. I: Cenni storici; ACDF SO St. St. B 7 e.

92.
“Dopo aver narrato molte altre di queste particolarità dice, che anche il Card. della Genga stando in Roma andava spesso a visitare e conferire coll’Abbadessa Maria Maddalena. Più dice di aver letto molte lettere, che il Cardinale le scriveva da Ferrara dove era Vescovo, e che essa lo dirigesse, come era pur noto alle vecchie etc.” Appendice al Ristretto informativo: Sr. Maria Luisa riferisce della Relazione e premura, che aveva Leone XII per il monastero di S. Ambrogio; ACDF SO St. St. B 7 f. Gabriele della Genga, born in 1801, became prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and Religious Orders and a member of the Holy Office in 1852. He became prefect of the Congregation for Consultations of Regulars in 1856, and died in 1861. Cf. Weber,
Kardinäle
, vol. 1, p. 456; Wolf (ed.),
Prosopographie
, pp. 467–68.

93.
Ristretto con Sommario dei Costituti sostenuti dall’inquisita Abbadessa Sr. Maria Veronica Milza; ACDF SO St. St. B 7 d.

94.
“Stato Pontificio. Roma 21 settembre. Domenica 15 del corrente, giorno sacro al glorioso nome della Vergine SS.ma, l’Em. Cardinal Pacca, vescovo ostiense e decano del S. Collegio, si portò con treno nella chiesa di Sant’Ambrogio, detta volgarmente
alla Massima
, ove consecrò il nuovo arcivescovo di Berito monsignor Gabriele della Genga Sermattei canonico della basilica patriarcale Lateranense. L’Em. S. fu assistita nell’augusta ceremonia dai monsignori Genovesi, arcivescovo di Mitilene, e Mazenod, vescovo d’Iconia. Il sacro rito fu amministrato con dignità e decoro.”
Gazzetta Privilegiata di Milano
, no. 272, September 21, 1833, p. 1193.

95.
Cf. Schmidt,
Konfessionalisierung
, pp. 131–51.

96.
Cf. Wolf,
Ketzer
, pp. 141–90 and pp. 379–82.

97.
The account of pretense of holiness that follows is based primarily on Bottoni,
Scritture
; Del Col,
Inquisizione
, pp. 659–80; Gotor,
Chiesa
, pp. 139–41 (with extensive bibliography); Anne Jacobson Schutte, “Finzione di santità,” in
DSI
2 (2011), pp. 601–5; Schutte,
Saints
; Modica,
Dottrina
; Prosperi,
Tribunali
, pp. 430–64; in particular Zarri (ed.)’s excellent anthology,
Finzione
.

98.
Zarri,
Santità
, p. 14.

99.
Gotor,
Chiesa
is essential reading here; also Samerski,
Himmel
, pp. 61–92.

100.
See Miguel Gotor, “Canonizzazione dei santi,” in
DSI
1 (2011), pp. 257–60.

101.
Zarri,
Santità
, p. 15.

102.
See Samerski,
Himmel
, pp. 492–99.

103.
See Del Col,
Inquisizione
, p. 660.

104.
Miguel Gotor, “Canonizzazione dei santi,” in
DSI
1 (2011), p. 258; Gotor,
Chiesa
, pp. 110–20.

105.
Cf. Overbeck and Niemann,
Stigmata
. Therese Neumann, who was born in
1898, lived in the Bavarian village of Konnersreuth. In an attempt to put out a fire on a neighboring farm, she injured her spine and was confined to bed. She suffered visual disturbances, epileptic fits, indications of paralysis, and deafness. On the day Saint Thérèse of Lisieux was beatified, in April 1923, she was suddenly able to see again, and when Saint Thérèse was canonized in 1925, her paralysis disappeared. In 1926 Thérèse Neumann, who was already venerated as a saint by the people, began to display stigmata. She died in 1962. See Armin Strohmeyr,
Glaubenszeugen der Moderne. Die Heiligen und Seligen des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts
(Düsseldorf, 2010), pp. 135–38. Cf. Paola Giovetti,
Teresa Neumann di Konnersreuth. Biografia di una grande mistica del nostro tempo
(Milan, 3rd ed., 1990). Padre Pio was born in 1887 and received the stigmata in 1918. A great wave of veneration followed. He died in 1968 and was canonized in 2002. See Del Col,
Inquisizione
, p. 815; Turi,
Stigmate
, p. 84. A very critical view of Padre Pio’s stigmata can be found in Luzzatto,
Padre Pio
, pp. 54–96.