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Dear REED-Lers-- I tried to add to this note from Andrzej and something went wrong. I then asked Abigail to try for me, but for some reason my forwarded message to her only contained Andrezej original note and not my response. Andrzej asked the other day that I send him my response privately, but I thought I would attempt the List serv. once again. I realize we have moved on from this discussion, but though I'd give it another shot. My note was in regard to the second item in Andrzej's original note: the letter from Innocent III (1207) that is quoted at the end of this e-mail. The letter was partially quoted in the Decretals of Gregory IX, 3.1.12 (Corpus iuriis canonici; Friedberg 2.452): Interdum ludi . . . theatrales. Ludi theatrales continues to be translated as "stage plays" despite the fact that both Chambers and Young insisted that liturgical pieces are not the object of the prohibition. The letter and the decretal refers to the raukous games of the lower clergy, esp. around Christmas: boy bishops, feast of fools and the like. The canonist Bernardo Bottone makes this quite clear in his gloss, Cum decorem, which was standard. He says that Innocent is not referring representationes of the Nativity, Rachel, etc. because these encourage men to worship and devotion. For details and bibliography, see my Drama, Play, and Game (Chicago, 2001), pp. 55-56 et passim; and my 1990 Speculum article on Miracula. Larry On Tue, 16 Oct 2001, Andrzej Dabrowka wrote: > > Probably I am going to say quite the same as Clifford, but I need some more words. > > What has been called "liturgical drama" is just a name for (parts of) church offices. > Some of them, like the Palm Sunday procession were always "outdoors" events. Some of > them, like the Mandatum, are "indoors" even today. On the other hand fully fledged > Passion plays were staged in churches by the Jesuits and Piarists in the 16th-18th > centuries. But there actually were ceremonies which were part of the liturgy and were > being banished at different times from different churches, if necessary. It was the > Feast of Innocents with the famous Boy Bishop as celebrant. Like in the joke about > getting rid of smoking, every bishop could have said: Banishing theater from the > church? It is very simple, I did it many times! > Here I want to discuss two things. > (1) Let me recall first a nice specimen of "liturgical drama" - different from > the famous Quem quaeritis : without dialogue, but with excellent dramatic action. It > is quoted from Young (vol. 1, p. 107-8: > > Post Primam quidam sacerdos dicit Missam Episcopelli ad altare Sancte > Crucis, et ibi a dextro latere altris preparatus est Episcopellus cum > pluuiali et mitra, et cum capellanis suis. Officium Ex ore infantium. > Epistola Vidi supra montem Syon. > Quam dicit quidam indutus quadam uili | stricta, et tenet in manu > quandam hastam ligneam, quam prohicit uersus populum. Et ibi sunt quidam > armati, qui secuntur dictam hastam, et circuiunt ecclesiam querendo > Infantem cum Matre sua, scilicet Christum cum Beata Uirgine (108) Maria. Et > est quidam indutus ad modum mulieris que sedet supra Asinam fugientem per > ecclesiam, ad significationem Uirginis fugientis cum puero Egypto secundum > quod angelus Domini in sompnis dixerat Ioseph. > > Young is misinterpreting this as "sheer revelry and hilarity" (p.110) If anything, I > would say, fear and pity! I am discussing this question in my book* (pp. 517-520) > which you all cannot read. > > (2) My second point is the oldest prohibition of "theater" in the church (I know of), > ordained by Innocent III in 1207 and concerning the head of the Polish church at the > time, the archbishop Henryk Kietlicz of the capital Gniezno. (For the full text see > ** at the bottom of this mail. In my new book, in progress, I am preparing a > discussion of this document). The decree is pointing at corruption of the church > caused by married canons: if they unwisely allow their sons to the offices, soon > public games are being held in those churches; not only monsters in masques are > introduced, but on three annual feasts following Christmas [Innocents, Circumsision > and Epiphany], diacons, priests and subdiacons subsequently, showing their madness, > are corrupting the people: > > ...per insolentiam eorundem interdum ludi fiunt in eisdem ecclesiis > theatrales, et non solum ad ludibriorum spectacula introducuntur in eas > monstra larvarum, verum etiam in tribus anni festivitatibus que continue > Natalem Christi sequuntur, diaconi, presbyteri ac subdiaconi vicissim > insanie sue ludibria exercentes, per gesticulationum suarum debacchationes > obscenas in conspectu populi decus faciunt clericale vilescere... > > The monstra larvarum are seemingly not as bad as the "madness" of priests - not the > spectacula as such are aimed at, but destroying clerical decorum by "obscene acting", > whatever it was. > > With best regards, > > > Dr Andrzej Dabrówka > Polish Academy of Sciences > Institute of Literary Research > http://www.medianet.pl/~dab/and/teatr.htm > http://www.medianet.pl/~dab/and/ > > _______ > *My book I am referring to - THEATRE AND THE SACRED IN THE MIDDLE AGES (2001); > has got an English summary: "http://www.medianet.pl/~dab/and/tis-e.htm" > ____ > ** > Innocentius Pp III, 1207 Jan. 8, interdicit archiepiscopo Gneznensi et suffraganeis > eius, ne publice uxoratos admittant ad ecclesiasticas dignitates, simulque mandat, > ludibria publica in ecclesiis extirpent. > [Inc.] Cum decorem domus Domini et locum tabernaculi glorie sue > diligere vos oporteat, accurata vobis est sillicitudine precavendum, ne in commissis > vobis ecclesiis illatempere presumantur, que vel in eis lampadem religionis > extinguere, vel munditiam videantur ministrorum domini maculare. Ad nostram siquidem > noveritis audientiam pervenisse, quod quidam in vestris diocesibus constituti, > publice cum mulieribus contrahentes ecclesiasticas non verentur suscipere dignitates, > et nonnullarum ecclesiarum canonici, quorum lumbos iuxta verbum evangelice veritatis > deceret esse precinctos ac in eorum manibus lucernas bone operationis ardere, usque > adeo luxurie sordibus putruerunt, quod nec etiam ignominiam suam velint > turpitudinemque velare, quin se reddunt indignos, indignius secum trahunt; ac si non > satis in opprobrium ordinis clericalis eorum incontinentia foret cognita, nisi > natorum, in publicum deductorum loquentiumque testimonium, contra ipsos esset > ostensione sedula comprobata. Cumque in ecclesiis in quibus huiusmodi clerici locum > habent multa enormiter attententur, dum in eisdem fermentata patrum et filiorum, > nepotum etiam et affinium parentela inordinate ministrat, quia videlicet amore > predominante carnali reverentia spiritualis tepuit inter ipsos, unde nequaquam unus > quodlibet facere propter alium pretermittit: per insolentiam eorundem interdum ludi > fiunt in eisdem ecclesiis theatrales, et non solum ad ludibriorum spectacula > introducuntur in eas monstra larvarum, verum etiam in tribus anni festivitatibus que > continue Natalem Christi sequuntur, diaconi, presbyteri ac subdiaconi vicissim > insanie sue ludibria exercentes, per gesticulationum suarum debacchationes obscenas > in conspectu populi decus faciunt clericale vilescere, quem potius illo tempore verbi > Dei deberent predicatione mulcere. Quia igitur ex officio nobis iniuncto zelus domus > Dei nos comedit et opprobria exprobantium ei super nos cadere dignoscuntur, > fraternitati vestre per apostolica scripta mandamus, quatenus, ne per huiusmodi > turpitudinem Ecclesie inquinetur honestas, eos qui sunt publice uxorati non > admittatis de cetero ad ecclesiasticas dignitates, et admissos repellatis ab eis quas > non possunt sine pravo exemplo et gravi scandalo retinere. Filiis quoque canonicorum, > prebendas in eisdem conferri ecclesiis non sinatis quarum sunt canonici patres eorum: > cum indecorum sit, ut in altaris officio illegitimus filius impudico patri ministret, > in quo unigenitus Filius eterno Patri pro salute humani generis victimatur. > Prelibatam vero ludibriorum consuetudinem vel potius corruptelam, curetis ab > ecclesiis vestris taliter extirpare, quod vos divini cultus et sacri comprobetis > ordinis zelatores. > [quoted from the Kodeks Dyplomatyczny Wielkopolski, vol. 1, No. 55, pp. 57-580; > its source was: Breguigny et du Theil, Diplomata, chartae etc. II, p. 1037]. > >