The Mystical Element of Religion, as studied in Saint Catherine of Genoa and her friends, Volume 1 (of 2)Hügel, Friedrich, Freiherr von
Religion
The Mystical Element of Religion, as studied in Saint Catherine of Genoa and her friends, Volume 1 (of 2)
Hügel, Friedrich, Freiherr von
Catherine, of Genoa, Saint, 1447-1510
And just because both these movements are within, and necessary to,
one and the same complete Church, they can be and are different from
each other. Hence the following book would condemn itself to pompous
unreality were it to mimic official caution and emphasis, whilst ever
unable to achieve official authority. It prefers to aim at a layman’s
special virtues and function: complete candour, courage, sensitiveness
to the present and future, in their obscurer strivings towards the
good and true, as these have been in their substance already tested
in the past, and in so far as such strivings can be forecasted by
sympathy and hope. And I thus trust that the book may turn out to be as
truly Catholic in fact, as it has been Catholic in intention; I have
striven hard to furnish so continuous and copious a stream of actions
and teachings of Christian saints and sages as everywhere to give the
reader means of correcting or completing my own inferences; and I
sincerely submit these my own conclusions to the test and judgment of
my fellow-Christians and of the Catholic Church.
* * * * *
My obligations to scholars, thinkers and great spiritual souls are far
too numerous and great for any exhaustive recognition. Yet there are
certain works and persons to whom I am especially indebted; and these
shall here be mentioned with most grateful thanks.
In my Biographical and Critical Part Second, I have had, in Genoa
itself, the help of various scholars and friends. Signor Dottore
Ridolfo de Andreis first made me realize the importance of Vallebona’s
booklet. Padre Giovanni Semeria, the Barnabite, put me in touch with
the right persons and documents. The Cavallière L. A. Cervetto, of the
Biblioteca Civica, referred me to many useful works. The Librarian of
the Biblioteca della Missione Urbana copied out for me the inventory
of St. Catherine’s effects. And Signor Dottore Augusto Ferretto, of the
Archivio di Stato, made admirably careful, explicitated copies for me,
from the originals, so full of difficult abbreviations, of the long
series of legal documents which are the rock-bed on which my biography
is built.
The courteous help of the Head Librarian of the Genoese University
Library extended to beyond Genoa. For it was owing to his action,
in conjunction with that of the Italian Ministry, of the English
Embassy in Rome, and of the British Museum Authorities, that the three
most important of the manuscripts of St. Catherine’s life were most
generously deposited for my use at the latter institution. I was thus
enabled to study my chief sources at full leisure in London.
The Rev. Padre Calvino, Canon Regular of the Lateran, made many kind
attempts to trace any possible compositions concerning St. Catherine
among the Venerable Battista Vernazza’s manuscripts, preserved by the
spiritual descendants of Battista’s Augustinian Canonesses in Genoa; it
was not his fault that nothing could be found.
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