Santa Caterina Da Siena

Caterina Benincasa, Saint Catherine of Siena, was the 25th daughter and youngest child of a merchant (Hooks, 1980). She wanted more from life than an earthly marriage. From the age of five, she knew she was destined for a life devoted to God. As a teenager, she cut off her hair in an act of rebellion against her mother, who wished Catherine to be married (Franciscan Media, 2023). A woman of that time who was suitable for marriage had to be beautiful with long blonde hair (Lamichhane, 2012). Perhaps, for Catherine, it was a radical act signaling her devotion to God. She also knew a life in a convent was not for her (Hooks, 1980). Catherine wanted to be on the frontlines of the plague, helping the sick. The female literary tradition of writing begins with Catherine (Forbes, 2004). If the Medici's are the Godfather's of the Renaissance (Strathern, 2016), Catherine is the Godmother. This title aptly emphasizes her revolutionary contribution to history.

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At 18, she convinced the Dominican order of the Mantellette to let her join (Forbes, 2004). This was not a formal position of the church, but a tertiary position dedicated to serving the poor. Her family's wealth allowed her to live in isolation for nearly three years in a cell in her childhood home (Hooks, 1980). During this time, she sought continuous guidance from God and remained in deep meditation. Catherine soon became known as a mystic and her spiritual example culled many followers (Franciscan Media, 2023). She was a person of the people and saw herself that way (Hooks, 1980). Catherine believed that her love and service to the people revealed God’s love.

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Catherine was enigmatic, deeply loving, and powerfully persuasive (Forbes, 2004). Although Catherine was semiliterate, her rhetoric was unrivaled. She wrote letters with the help of her assistant because her own handwriting was rudimentary. Taking a play from Dante, Catherine wrote in her common tongue; not Latin (Forbes, 2004). In the time and place she grew up, Dante was frequently recited amongst believers (Hooks, 1980). Using common language allowed her to deeply relate to her audience regardless of their status. She spoke her truth with urgency, candor, and an "unshakable confidence" (Forbes, 2004, p. 126). Catherine reassured her audience that she had no formal authority and that she came to them as a "wretched daughter" of God (p. 139). She was the epitome of moral authority and meekness (Powell, 2022). She demanded integrity from those in power and many powerful men sought her virtuous guidance. Other men tried to silence her for her outspokenness as a woman. Steadfast in her convictions, she could not be moved.

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Catherine believed that the great schism of the church was detrimental to believers and reform in the church was crucial (Forbes, 2004). After the death of St. Bridget of Sweden, who spent 20 years trying to get the Papacy to return to Rome, Catherine took it upon herself to accomplish what Bridget could not (Weidenkopf, 2019). Catherine's rhetoric was at times androgynous (Forbes, 2004). She commonly wrote in the feminine when speaking to men, but in the masculine when speaking to women. She used a combination of compassion and agency to drive her major convictions.

 

Catherine brought the truth to light. Her extraordinary rhetoric elicited responses. Catherine never shied away from calling out Pope Gregory XI. In one correspondence, Catherine demanded that the Pope “be the boss” (Forbes, 2004). Eventually, she was afforded an audience with the Pope Gregory XI in Avignon. She held Pope Gregory XI accountable for his vow to return the Papacy to its rightful place in Rome (Weidenkopf, 2019). Pope Gregory conceded to Catherine's faithful arguments and returned the papacy to Rome January 17, 1377. Catherine accomplished what no one else could and set in motion the revolutionary rebirth of her country. She welcomed home the papacy and spent her last years in Rome.

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Catherine’s persistence returned the papacy to Rome and in 1417, Pope Martin V, effectively ended the great schism of the church (Norris, 2007). Now that there was one pope in his rightful place in the Eternal City, Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici managed to secure the papal account (Smee, 2018). Doing so also secured the Medici legacy (Strathern, 2016). With the papal coffers, the Medici's were able to spearhead the Italian Renaissance.