Fr. Ron Millican
CHURCH HISTORY 58 - 1300 - 1500 A.D., FROM DISORDER TO BEAUTY AND HOPE: THE ROAD TO THE RENAISSANCE
The Restoration of Christianity to Spain and Its Introduction to the New World:
In 1492 Isabella and Ferdinand gained control of all Spain, ending Muslim rule in the southern part of the country. In the same year, they expelled all Jews from Spain. Actually, Jews had a choice: they could convert to Christianity or leave the country. Dangers and suffering accompanied either option. Of those who left the country, many died en route to Morocco or elsewhere. Some ended up being sold into slavery.
Jews and Muslims who converted to Christianity were called conversos. According to traditional Christian teaching, once people are baptized and become members of the Church, they should be welcomed into the fold and treated as brothers and sisters in Christ. However, in the atmosphere of distrust that existed in Spain at the time, some older Christians suspected that the new converts were not sincere in their motives for entering the Church. Some newly converted Jews were accused of “Judaizing” Christianity and of trying to subvert the Church, now from within. Thus, some of the conversos were subject to trials and tortures of the Inquisition. Although in time its implementation subsided, the Spanish Inquisition did not officially end until 1834.
1492 is significant for another reason. The Spanish rulers commissioned an Italian sailor to seek a western passage to India and the East. When Christopher Columbus arrived instead in the Americas, a whole new chapter in the story of Christianity began. I will discuss more of this in a later column.
As part of Jubilee Year 2000 activities, Saint Pope John Paul II asked forgiveness for mistreatment of Jews throughout history:
God of our fathers, you chose Abraham and his descendants to bring your name to the nations: We are deeply saddened by the behavior of those who in the course of history have caused these children of yours to suffer, and asking your forgiveness we wish to commit ourselves to genuine brotherhood with the people of the covenant. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
--Saint Pope John Paul II during, “Service Requesting Pardon”
The Renaissance:
The Renaissance was more than a movement; it was a happening. From the birth of the poet Petrarch in 1304 to the death of Titian in 1576, Italy experienced a flowering of artistic expression and that left an indelible mark on that country and the world. That the Renaissance began in present-day Italy is understandable because the area had relative political stability. There was no nation of Italy until 1870; instead it was a collection of city-states. These city-states vied with each other for economic superiority, but at the time of the Renaissance each was having great success. For this reason, they had the resources to endow the arts. Scholars, poets, craftsmen, and artists were supported by patrons such as the Medici family of Florence, the doges (mayors) of Venice, the Storza family of Milan, and the popes of Rome.
CHURCH HISTORY 58 - 1300 - 1500 A.D., FROM DISORDER TO BEAUTY AND HOPE: THE ROAD TO THE RENAISSANCE
The Restoration of Christianity to Spain and Its Introduction to the New World:
In 1492 Isabella and Ferdinand gained control of all Spain, ending Muslim rule in the southern part of the country. In the same year, they expelled all Jews from Spain. Actually, Jews had a choice: they could convert to Christianity or leave the country. Dangers and suffering accompanied either option. Of those who left the country, many died en route to Morocco or elsewhere. Some ended up being sold into slavery.
Jews and Muslims who converted to Christianity were called conversos. According to traditional Christian teaching, once people are baptized and become members of the Church, they should be welcomed into the fold and treated as brothers and sisters in Christ. However, in the atmosphere of distrust that existed in Spain at the time, some older Christians suspected that the new converts were not sincere in their motives for entering the Church. Some newly converted Jews were accused of “Judaizing” Christianity and of trying to subvert the Church, now from within. Thus, some of the conversos were subject to trials and tortures of the Inquisition. Although in time its implementation subsided, the Spanish Inquisition did not officially end until 1834.
1492 is significant for another reason. The Spanish rulers commissioned an Italian sailor to seek a western passage to India and the East. When Christopher Columbus arrived instead in the Americas, a whole new chapter in the story of Christianity began. I will discuss more of this in a later column.
As part of Jubilee Year 2000 activities, Saint Pope John Paul II asked forgiveness for mistreatment of Jews throughout history:
God of our fathers, you chose Abraham and his descendants to bring your name to the nations: We are deeply saddened by the behavior of those who in the course of history have caused these children of yours to suffer, and asking your forgiveness we wish to commit ourselves to genuine brotherhood with the people of the covenant. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
--Saint Pope John Paul II during, “Service Requesting Pardon”
The Renaissance:
The Renaissance was more than a movement; it was a happening. From the birth of the poet Petrarch in 1304 to the death of Titian in 1576, Italy experienced a flowering of artistic expression and that left an indelible mark on that country and the world. That the Renaissance began in present-day Italy is understandable because the area had relative political stability. There was no nation of Italy until 1870; instead it was a collection of city-states. These city-states vied with each other for economic superiority, but at the time of the Renaissance each was having great success. For this reason, they had the resources to endow the arts. Scholars, poets, craftsmen, and artists were supported by patrons such as the Medici family of Florence, the doges (mayors) of Venice, the Storza family of Milan, and the popes of Rome.
