Periculoso  

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Periculoso (named for its Latin incipit (meaning dangerous) is a papal decretal of Pope Boniface VIII issued in 1298, that required the claustration of Catholic nuns. It is often incorrectly referred to as a papal bull.

Canonical status

Periculoso was later incorporated into the Liber Sextus, a compilation of papal legislation. The decretal was first confirmed in 1309 by the encyclical Apostolicae sedis of Pope Clement V. Three 16th century papal bulls were also promulgated to reinforce the basic principles of Periculoso: Circa pastoralis (1566) and Decori et honestati (1570) of Pope Pius V and Deo sacris (1572) of Pope Gregory XIII. The Council of Trent (1563) in its final session reiterated the commandments of the decretal and added new and stiff sanctions for violators. By the time of the Council, the decretals dictates had largely become synonymous with traditional conceptions of nunhood; for example, the Council referred to enclosure as the "primary obligation for nuns".

Some contemporary commentators regarded the regulations of Periculoso as either repetitive with or derivative of existing monastic vows; others considered it far stricter than the prevailing social contract between nuns and the ecclesiastical hierarchy at the time.

Content and application

Periculoso attempted both to "standardize" the lives of nuns from different houses and orders around the practice of "enclosure" and to demarcate distinctions between nuns and monks. The severity of the enforcement of the directive varied considerably across Europe, in part because the strict enforcement of the practice of enclosure would have "undermine[d] the economic stability" of many convents because of the way they generated revenue and solicited contributions within their communities.

Periculoso states: see inset.

One of the main rationales for enclosure in the directive was the alleged licentiousness of many nuns; However, empirical inquiries into the prevalence of sexually active nuns reveals that most were involved with priests already incorporated into the convent or with male agents whose presence was required as a result of enclosure. Such results are consistent with contemporary criticism of the decretal, for example by Humbert de Romans, the Master General of the Dominican Order. For its part, Periculoso was conscious to some degree of the financial predicaments of many monasteries, and required the careful monitoring of the size of convents in an attempt to ensure that they did not outgrow their financial supports.

In the wake of the promulgation of the decretal, walls, locked doors, and barred and grated windows became nearly (but not completely) ubiquitous in monasteries. Architectural divisions became prominent markets of the regulation of the shared space that remained (such as chapels). However, the delay of the implementation of claustration in some areas was dramatic; for example, in Lower Saxony, the enclosure of female monastic communities did not become prominent until the mid-fifteenth century (due to the efforts of Johannes Busch). According to Lowe, Venice was the only state in the Italian peninsula which did not eventually implement the decretal due to a dispute between the patriarch of Grado and the pope over the nuns of S. Maria Celeste.

One side effect of the decretal was the rapid urbanization of European monasteries, often to locations near city gates, due to economic necessity.

Interpretation

Elizabeth Makowski interprets the document as an attempt to "safeguard nuns from themselves; to diminish, if not completely remove, worldly temptations". Makowski further views Periculoso as a means of "controlling female religiosity" in the face of movements such as the Guglielmites which had begun to challenge papal supremacy and advocate radical roles for women in the 13th century. Brundage and Makowski conclude that Periculoso made enclosure "an end in itself to which other values of religious life were increasingly subordinated". Similarly, Rapley argues that "'celibacy for the kingdom,' became little by little, and exclusively for women, an end in itself to which all feminine religious life had to be subordinated.

The document has been interpreted as a "watershed in the history of female monasticism". Departing from earlier (informal) traditions of enclosure, Periculoso focuses on the nuns' own "propensity for sinful behavior" rather than the dangers of the external world.

Some commentators have argued that Periculoso was meant only to have a symbolic impact; others that its intent was additionally to change the material conditions in nunneries across Europe. Indeed, the decretal itself contends that "it is pointless indeed to make laws unless someone be designated to enforce them" (in the case of Periculoso, the prelates were so designated). English canonist John of Ayton commented that the decretal was merely a "dead letter" and that there was "scare any mortal man who could do this". Of course, episcopal records abound of bishops who did in fact attempt to enforce the decretal, both successfully and unsuccessfully.

Latin text

Full text from Makowski

Text of Liber Sextus 3.16 De Statu Regularium c. un. "Periculoso" Friedberg ed., 2:105354; Collated with Vatican Borghese 7 Liber Sextus Fol. 56v57v.

Periculoso et detestabili quarundam monialium statui, (quae, honestatis laxatis habenis et monachali modestia sexusque verecundia impudenter abiectis, extra sua monasteria1 nonnunquam per habitacula saecularium personarum discurrunt, et frequenter infra eadem monasteria personas suspectas admittunt, in illius, cui suam integritatem voluntate spontanea devoverunt,

1.nonnunquam . . . personarum omitted in text but added in margin gravamen, oftensam, in2 religionis opprobrium et scandalum plurimorum,) providere salubriter cupientes, praesenti constitutione perpetuo irrefragabiliter valitura sancimus, universas et singulas moniales, praesentes atque futuras, cuiuscunque religionis3 sint vel4 ordinis, in quibuslibet mundi partibus exsistentes, sub perpetua in suis monasteriis debere de cetero permanere clausura ita, quod nulli earum, religionem tacite vel5 expresse professae, sit vel6 esse valeat quacunque ratione vel7 causa, (nisi forte tanto et tali morbo evidenter earum aliquam laborare constaret, quod non posset cum allis absque gravi periculo seu scandalo commorari,) monasteria ipsa deinceps egrediendi facultas; nullique aliquatenus inhonestae personae nec etiam honestae (nisi rationabilis et manifesta causa existat, ac de illius, ad quem pertinuerit, speciali licentia,) ingressus vel accessus pateat ad easdem,8 ut sic a pubLicis et mundanis conspectibus separatae omnino servire Deo valeant liberius, et, lasciviendi opportunitate sublata eidem corda sua et corpora in omni sanctimonia diligentius custodire. &1 Sane, ut hoc salutare statutum commodius valeat observari, districtius inhibemus, ne in monasteriis ordinum non Mendicantium aliquae recipiantur de cetero in sorores, nisi quot poterunt de ipsorum monasteriorum bonis sive proventibus absque penuria sustentari, si secus actum fuerit, irritum decernentes. &2 Verum quando abbatissa vel9 priorissa cuiusvis monasterii pro feudo, quod monasterium ipsum10 tenet ab aliquo principe seu domino temporail, sibi debebit homagium vel11 fidelitatis sacramentum praestare, (nisi, quod per procuratorem illud praestet, possit efficere apud eum,) de monasterio cum honesta et decenti societate exire poterit eo casu licenter, hornagio facto, quam primum commode poterit, seu fidelitatis praestito sacramento ad ipsum monasterium e vestigio reversura, sic, quod in fraudem residentiae sive morae claustralis nihil fiat onmino. &3 Porro, ne moniales causam seu occasionem habeant evagandi, principes saeculares ac alios dominos temporales rogamus, requirimus, et obsecramus per viscera misericordiae Jesu Christi, eisdem in remissionem peccaminum nihilominus suadentes, quod abbatissas ipsas et priorissas ac moniales quascunque, monasteriorum suorum curam, administrationem negotiave gerentes, quibuscunque nominibus censeantur, per procuratores in suis tribunalibus seu curiis litigare permittant, ne pro constituendis procuratoribus, qui12 atornati in aliquibus partibus nuncupantur, seu aliis huiusmodi easdem oporteat evagari. Si qui vero contra praesumpserint, exhortationi huiusmodi rationabili atque sanctae obtemperare nolentes, quum13 sit iuri contrarium, quod mulieres, praesertim religiosae, per se ipsas litigare cogantur, et14 a via deviet honestatis et periculum animarum inducat, ad hoc per suos ordinarios ecclesiasticos censura ecclesiastica compellantur. Episcopis autem et aliis praelatis superioribus et inferioribus quibuscunque iniungimus, 2.in omitted 3.sint religione 4.vel > ut 5.vel > ut 6.vel > ut 7.vel > ut 8. , > . Ut . . . 9.vel > ut 10. omit ipsum 11.vel > ut 12.qui omitted in text but added in margin 13.quum > cui 14.et omitted Page 135 quod et ipsi causas seu negotia, quae praefatae moniales habebunt agere coram ipsis aut in curiis eorundem, sire sint homagia, fidelitatis sacramenta, lites vel quicquid aliud, ipsa per procuratores earum fieri faciant et tractari. &4 Et quoniam parum esset condere iura, nisi essent qui ea exsecutioni debitae demandarent: patriarchis, primatibus, archiepiscopis et episcopis universis districte in virtute sanctae obedientiae sub obtestatione divini iudicii et interminatione maledictionis aeternae praecipiendo mandamus, quatenus eorum quillbet in civitate ac dioecesi propria in monasteriis monialium sibi ordinario lure subiectis sua, in iis15 vero que ad Romanam immediate spectant ecclesiam sedis apostolicae auctoritate abbates vero et alii tam exempti quam non exempti prelati ecclesiarum, monasteriorum, et ordinum quorumcunque in monasteriis huiusmodi16 sibi subiectis, de clausura convenienti, ubi non est, ipsorum monasteriorum expensis et fidelium eleemosynis, quas ad hoc procurent, diligentius facienda, et de ipsis monialibus includendis quam primum commode poterunt providere procurent, si divinae ac nostrae indignationis voluerint acrimoniam evitare,17 contradictores atque rebelles per censuram ecclesiasticam appellatione postposita compescendo,18 invocato ad hoc, si opus fuerit, auxilio brachii saecularis. Per hoc autem in monasteriis exemptiis ordinarii locorum quoad alia nullam sibi credant iurisdictionera vel potestatem aliquatenus attributam.

Full text from [1]

Periculoso et detestabili quarundam monialium statui, (quae honestatis laxatis habenis, et monachali modestia sexus- que verecundia impudenter abiectis, extra sua monasteria non- nunquam per habitacula saecularium personarum discurrunt, et frequenter intra eadem monasteria personas suspectas ad- mittunt, in illius, cui suam integritatem voluntate spontanea devoverunt, gravem offensam, religionis opprobrium et scan- dalum plurimorum), providere salubriter cupientes, praesenti constitutione perpetuo irrefragabiliter valitura sancimus, uni- 355 versas et singulas moniales praesentes atque futuras, cuius- cunque religionis sint vel ordinis, in quibuslibet mundi partibus exsistentes, sub perpetua in suis monasteriis debere de cetero permanere clausura, ita, quod nulli earum religionem tacite vel expresse professae sit vel esse valeat quacunque ratione vel causa, (nisi forte tanto et tali morbo evidenter earum aliquam laborare constaret, quod non posset cum aliis absque gravi periculo seu scandalo commorari), monasteria ipsa dein- ceps egrediendi facultas, nullique aliquatenus inhonestae per- sonae, nec etiam honestae, (nisi rationabilis et manifesta causa exsistat, ac de illius, ad quem pertiuuerit, speciali licentia,) ingressus vel accessus pateat ad easdem, ut sic a publicis et mundanis conspectibus separatae, omnino servire Deo valeant liberius, et lasciviendi opportunitate sublata eidem corda sua et corpora in oiuni sanctimonia diligentius custodire. Sane ut hoc salutare statutum commodius valeat observari, distri- ctius inhibemus, ne in monasteriis ordinum nou meudicantium aliquae recipiaulur dc cetero in sorores, nisi quot poterunt de ipsorum monasteriorum bonis sive proventibus absque pe- nuria sustentari; si secus actum fuerit, irritum decernentes.

Verum quando ahbatissa vel priorissa cuiusvis monasterii pro feudo, quod monasterium ipsum lenet ab aliquo principe seu domino temporali, sibi debebit homagium vel fidelitatis sacramentum praestare , (nisi quod per procuratorem illud) praestet, pussit efhcere apud eum), de monasterio cum honesta , et decenti societate cxire poterit eo casu iicenter; homagio

i facto, quamprimum commode poterit, seu fidelitatis praestito sacramento, ad ipsum monasterium e vestigio reversura sic, quod in fraudem residentiae sive morae claustralis nihil fiat omnino.

Porro ne moniales causam seu occasionem habeant eva- >• gandi, principes saeculares ac alios dominos temporales roga-

mus, requirimus et obsecramus per viscera misericordiae Iesu \ Christi, eisdem in remissionem peccaminum nihilominus sua- 356

dentes, quod abbatissas ipsas et priorissas, ac moniales quas-

cunque, monasteriorum suorum curam, administrationem nego- I, tiave gerentes, quibuscunque nominibus censeantur, per pro-

curatores in suis tribunalibus seu curiis Iitigare permittant, ne a pro constituendis procuratoribus, (qui adornati in aliquibus

partibus nuucupantur), seu aliis eiusmodi easdem oporteat ti evagari. Si qui vero contra praesumpserint , exhortationi

huiusmodi rationabili atque sanctae obtemperare nolentes,

quum sit iuri contrarium, quod mulieres (praesertim religiosae) s per se ipsas litigare cogantur, et a via deviet honestalis, et

0 periculum animarum inducat, ad hoc per suos ordinarios ? ecclesiasticos censura ecclesiastica compellantur. Episcopis e autem et aliis praelatis superioribus et inferioribus quibus-

1 cunque iniungimus, quod et ipsi causas seu negotia, quae e praefatae moniales habebunt agere, coram ipsis, aut in curiis i- eorundem, sive sint homagia, fidelitatis sacramenta, lites,

vel quicquid aliud, ipsa per procuratores earum fieri faciant » et tractari.

Et quoniam parum esset condere iura, nisi esseut qui ea !t exsecutioni debite demandarent, patriarchis, primatibus, archi- il episcopis et episcopis universis districte in virtute sanctae a obedientiae, sub obtestatione divini iudicii et inlerminatione t maledictionis aeternae praecipiendo mandamus, quatenus eorum j. quilibet in civitate ac dioecesi propria in monasteriis monialium u sibi ordinario iure subiectis sua, in iis vero, quae ad Roma- H uam iinraediate spectant ecclesiam, sedis apostolicae auctori- >. tate; abbates vero et alii tam exempti praelati ecclesiarum,

monasteriorum et ordinum quorumcunque, in monasteriis huius- ii modi sibi subiectis de clausura convenienti, ubi non est, ipso- , rum monasteriorum expensis et fidelium eleemosynis, quas ad j, hoc procurent diligentius faciendas, et de ipsis monialibus in- | cludendis, quam primum commode poterunt providere, procurent, si divinae ac nostrae indignationis voluerint acrimoniam evitare; contradictores atque rebelles per censuram ecclesia- slicam appellatione postposita compescendo, invocato ad hoc

(si opus fuerit) auxilio brachii saecularis. Per hoc autem in 

monasteriis exemptis ordinarii locorum quoad alia nullam sibi credant iurisdictionem vel potestatem aliquatenus attributam,

See also

• Canon law
• Consecrated life (Catholic Church)
• Mary of Woodstock
• List of excommunicable offences from the Council of Trent
• Canon law
• Representing the Negative: Positing the Lesbian Void in Medieval English Anchoritism[2] () by Michelle M. Sauer