The Popes and Science: The History of the Papal Relations to Science During the Middle Ages and Down to Our Own TimeWalsh, James J. (James Joseph)
Religion
The Popes and Science: The History of the Papal Relations to Science During the Middle Ages and Down to Our Own Time
Walsh, James J. (James Joseph)
Popes; Religion and science -- History; Science -- History
Accordingly, the Pope extended an invitation which, under the
circumstances, must have been practically a command, to Guy or Guido
of Montpelier, the administrative head to whom the hospital there owed
its successful organization, to come to Rome and establish a hospital
of his order in the Papal capital. He provided the order with a
sufficient foundation in what is now known as the Borgo, not far from
the present Vatican. On this was erected, at the beginning of the
thirteenth century, a hospital of the Holy Spirit, which still exists
there, though, of course, the building has been many times renewed
since the original foundation. This hospital of the Holy Spirit soon
attained a world-wide reputation for careful nursing and medical
attendance and for the discretion with which its surgical cases were
treated. It was understood that all the ailing picked up on the
streets should be brought to the hospital, and that all the wounded
and injured would be welcomed there. Besides, certain of the
attendants of the hospital went out every day to look for any patients
who might {251} be neglected or be without sufficient care, especially
in the poorer quarters of the city, and these were also transported to
the hospital. This old Santo-Spirito hospital then was exactly the
model of our modern city hospitals.
Pope Innocent's idea, however, was not to establish a hospital at Rome
alone, but his fatherly solicitude went out to every city in
Christendom. In accordance with this pre-determined plan, by personal
persuasion, by the display of an interest in hospital work, and by
official Papal encouragement he succeeded in having, during his own
pontificate, a number of hospitals established in all parts of the
then civilized world on the model of this hospital of the Holy Ghost
at Rome. The initiative thus given proved lasting, and even after the
Pontiff's death hospitals of the Holy Ghost continued to multiply in
various parts of Europe, until scarcely a city of any importance was
without one.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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