Catherine of Siena

Introduction
The record of medieval history reveals the stories of women who spent their lives in Christian
ministry. Extraordinary personalities have been seen throughout the ages in the midst of gender
discrimination, subjugation, oppression etc who devoted themselves to god in doing justice and
welfare of the humanity. They have shocked the patriarchy dominated era and forced to shape another
history of gender equality. This paper will be dealing on biography of the extraordinary personality of
the medieval period by name Catherine of Siena

Status of women during the medieval period

Medieval world was occupied by most negative attitude towards women and denounced as
wicked and inferior. Narola Imchen writes, many of the medieval theologians repeated some of the
main ideas on women found in the church fathers. She cited the example of Thomas Aquinas view,
“woman was created as subordinate and inferior to man. Not only was she second in the order of
creation, but she was endowed with less intellectual capability and consequently, less ability to make
the right moral decision”.1 Women were endowed with less spiritual insight than men and incapable of
highest form of Christian ministry. But somehow Roman Catholic has the women. 2 Single positive
attitude given by majority was in regards to biological nature of procreation.

Women saints and Mystics

Imchen in her book ‘Women in the History of Christianity’, under title “women saint and
mystic” has written that the medieval definition of sainthood was not humanly oriented but by divine.
She continues, it was said that God elect a person to sainthood, and that election began before birth and
was manifested by what God affected through that person. She made a statement of the church
teaching saying, “According to the teaching of the church the saint reign together with Christ and offer
their prayers to God on behalf of humankind”.

Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)

Catherine was a Domionican tertiary, remaining at home in solitary life of prayer. Originally
named Caterina Benincasa, she was born in siena, Italy on March 25, 1347. Her mother was Lapa and
her father was Giacomo di Benincasa a wool dyer. She was the twenty-third of 25 children3.

Mystical child
In 1348, a flea full of the bacillus Yersinia pestis entering the Italian port of Messina (Europe),
brought a tidal wave of disease called the “Black Death.” In just three years, 1348 to 1350, more than
one-third of Europe died. Baby Catherine survived the onslaught. 4 It is said that in 1374, plague struck
her hometown again; Catherine and her followers nursed the ill and bury the dead. She was said to be
tireless by day and night, healing all of whom the physicians despaired; some even claimed she raised
the dead.5

1
Narola Imchen, Women in The History of Christianity(Jorhat: TDCC, 2010),76. ( Here after it will be cited as
Narola Imchen, Women in the History of Christinity...)
2
Ruth A. Tucker and Walter L. Liefeld, Daughters of the Church: women and ministry from New Testament times
to the present(Andhra Pradesh: Om-Authentic Books, 2006),130
3
Narola Imchen, Women in The History of Christianity...78-82.
4
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5
A. Kenneth Curtis, J. Stephen Lang, and Randy Petersen, The100 Most important Events in Christian History
(Hyderabad:GS Books, 2016) 85.
 As a young girl, Catherine often went to a cave near her home in Siena to meditate, fast, and
pray. Convinced of her devotion, parents gave her a small room in the basement of their home that
acted as a hermitage 6 At about age 7, she claimed to have seen a vision of Jesus with Peter, Paul, and
John the evangelist; then she announced to her parents her determination to live a life of celibacy. 7 At
the age of fifteen her parents arranged a marriage for her; she cut off her beautiful hair in order to
dissuade her intended husband. When her face was pock-marked from an attack of smallpox, she
accepted it as a special gift of God which would make her unattractive to men.8

At the age of 16, she joined the Third order of St. Dominic 9 (Dominican Order of Penance) in
1363 in Siena, where she became noted for her gift of contemplation and her devotion to the poor. She
became increasingly influential in the church, concerning herself with such issues as crusades, civil
war, the Avignon papacy, and ecclesiastical reforms.10

Spiritual Marriage
It is revealed that from ages 16 to 19, Catherine continued living a secluded life at home and
attracted many followers, who were drawn by her feisty personality and exemplary sanctity. During
this time, she learned to read and became familiar with the church fathers, like Gregory the Great and
Augustine, as well as popular preachers of the day. At the end of this three-year seclusion, probably in
1368 Catherine experienced through vision and later she described it as “spiritual marriage” to Christ.
In this vision, Jesus placed a ring on her finger, and her soul attained mystical union with God. She
called this state an “inner cell in her soul” that sustained her all her life as she travelled and
ministered.11

Mystical death
Presumably at the age of 23, during the summer of 1370 she underwent an experience of
mystical death, a four hour period of union with God during which her body appeared to be totally
lifeless.12 In which she had a vision of hell, purgatory and heaven, and heard a divine command to
leave her cell and enter the public life of the world. After which she have written to family members,
poor and distressed, sick and dying, princes and ruler, popes and cardinals, foreign kings and soldiers.
They were filled with admonition, sharp reproof, comfort, advice, and details of her own mystical
experiences.13 She was consulted by the papal legates about the affairs of the church, and set herself to
heal the wounds of her native land by ministering during the fury of civil war and ravages of faction. 14
She was active in Siena from 1368-1374.15

6
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7
Tony Lane, A Concise History of Christian Thought(Michigan:Baker Academic,2007),134. ( Here after it will be
cited as Tony Lane, A Concise History of Christian Thought...)
8
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9
Dominican Order is the order to share with others the truth about the God whom one contemplate in his or her
hearts. Dominic was a priest, a member of the Canons of St Augustine at the cathedral of Osma in Spain. As he travelled
through the South of France with his bishop on a diplomatic mission for their king, they came across people who believed
the physical world was evil and the creation of an evil god. Dominic witnessed first-hand the harm that not knowing the
truth about God and his creation could do to people, and so he realised the need for good preaching of the Catholic faith
and eventually for a worldwide Order of Preachers.
10
Narola Imchen, Women in The History of Christianity...78-82.
11
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12
Tony Lane, A Concise History of Christian Though...134.
13
http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/innertravelers/catherine-of-siena.html 04/07/17, 8:45pm
14
Narola Imchen, Women in The History of Christianity...78-82.
15
Tony Lane, A Concise History of Christian Thought...134.
Her Service to every conditions of life
Her reputation is based in large measure on her many charitable works. She went among the
poor to alleviate their suffering. She nursed the incurably ill, especially those with cancer and leprosy.
She worked with prisoners, staying with them during their trials and executions. She is said to have
performed miracles of healing and raising the dead during a plague which ravaged the city. At every
opportunity she preached to the people and soon gained a large following of men and women who
were mostly from the laity and who wanted to imitate her piety.

She had operated so freely outside the church's official authority, so was tried for heresy by a
Dominican tribunal, but was cleared of all charges. The court did, however, appoint for her a spiritual
adviser, Raymond of Capua, who became her friend, secretary, biographer, and confessor.16 

Political Mystic
Like many reformers of the day, she was disturbed by the rampant corruption of the church,
because of early fourteenth-century political intrigue, the papacy had moved to Avignon, France. This
scandalized people for two reasons: first, the papacy was divorced from the special sanctity of Rome.
Second, the popes became increasingly captive to French politics and lifestyle, which were decadent
and corrupt.

She is considered as political mystic for she played a vital role in wider church politics,
including negotiations between the pope and the city of Florence. And her hard work to get the papacy
out of Avignon. Since 1305 the pope had been in Avignon under French control. 17 Her first trip to
Avignon to speak with the pope resulted in bitter disappointment, for she found the papacy to be “a
stench of infernal vices” rather than “a paradise of heavenly virtues,” as she expected. Finally, one
year later of her visitation, in 1377, Gregory XI returned to Rome. She succeeded in restoring it to the
ancient papal in Rome. But the return of the papacy to Rome resulted in graver problems; the great
Papal Schism in which two rival popes claimed the papal chair. To her despair she failed to settle this
problem.18

Her major work

In 1377 she had further experiences of God which moved her to write Dialogue, her major
work.19 In her 383 extant letters and The Dialogue, referred to as “my book” and which describes her
mystical experiences, she expressed her driving motivation to love God. She wrote that God told her
“not to love Me for your own sake, or your neighbor for your own sake, but to love Me for myself,
yourself for Myself, your neighbor for Myself.”

At the heart of Catherine’s teaching was the image of a bleeding Christ, the Redeemer ablaze
with fiery charity, eager sacrifice, and unqualified forgiveness. And it was not the cross or nails that
held Christ to the tree; those were not strong enough to hold the God-Man. It was love that held him
there. She records God’s words to her: “My son’s nailed feet are a stair by which you can climb to his
side, where you will see revealed his inmost heart. For when the soul has … looked with her mind’s
eye into my son’s opened heart, she begins to feel the love of her own heart in his consummate and
unspeakable love.” 20 In this work she urged people to respond to an inner calling from god.

16
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17
Tony Lane, A Concise History of Christian Thought...134.
18
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19
Tony Lane, A Concise History of Christian Thought...134
20
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Last words of Catherine
Catherine died in Rome at the age of 33 with final words to her companions which sharply
underscore her mystical bent: “Dear children, let not my death sadden you, rather rejoice to think that I
am leaving a place of many sufferings to go to rest in the quiet sea, the eternal God, and to be united
forever with my most sweet and loving bridegroom.” In 1970, the Roman Catholic Church declared
her a doctor of the church.21

Summary
She is said to be ever radiant and full of practical wisdom. She had very convincing attitude
towards all condition of life and many disciples gathered round her, both men and women who formed
a spiritual fellowship. There is a universal acceptance that after the mystical death she began to
dispatch letters to men and women, of republic of Italy and it is said to be convincing to all. Even the
papal legates consulted her about the affairs of the church, and set her to heal the wounds of her native
land by ministering during the fury of civil war and ravages of faction.

Conclusion
Catherine’s had the gift, combination of mystical devotion and active Christian service. She
was a humble, god fearing and humanitarian woman by nature. She lived a life of selflessness with
deep concern for corrupted society and unconditional love for all conditions of life. She had proved
that god fearing and humble woman can bring a greater changes and difference in the world. Her
services reflected that sex discrimination, subjugation and oppression cannot handicap a woman of
strong faith, devotion, and humanitarian spirit from shaping a new history.

Source referred

Curtis, A. Kenneth, J. Stephen Lang, and Randy Petersen, The100 Most important Events in Christian
History. Hyderabad:GS Books,2016.

Imchen, Narola. Women in The History of Christianity. Jorhat: TDCC, 2010.

Lane, Tony. A Concise History of Christian Thought. Michigan:Baker Academic, 2007.

Tucker, Ruth A. and Walter L. Liefeld. Daughters of the Church: women and ministry from New
Testament times to the present. Andhra Pradesh: Om-Authentic Books, 2006.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/innertravelers/catherine-of-siena.html

Further reference

Logan, F. Donald. A History of the Church in the Middle ages. New York: Routledge, 2002.

Michael Walsh, ed., Dictionary of Christian Biography. Great Britain: Continuum, 2001.

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