In unrelated news, there was a recent item from the National Post, based on an essay by Canadian Anglican Paul Gibson entitled "Why I am not afraid of schism". The comments after the essay are worth a look for those so inclined. The headline on the Nat'l Post article is Anglican schism not 'catastrophic': theologian.
Not only that, but in keeping with Good Friday tradition, the church is in court once again. I thought one trial was enough for holy week.
Well, settle in for a Good Friday special on the place of the sowers of schism and discord in the Inferno! What better way to spend a Good Friday evening than perusing the torments of those who seek to tear once again, the flesh of Christ. We'll bring you up to speed after a latte.
To begin Canto XXVIII, Dante bids the reader recall the fiercest battles and wars, with all their carnage, and the multitude of wounded and torn bodies, and then:
If each should show his bleeding limbs unhealed,
Pieced, lopt and maimed, 'twere nothing, nothing whatever
To that ghast sight in the ninth bowge revealedXXVIII, 19-21
The shades of those who are in this section of hell are subject to a recurring punishment: they are hacked and split by a demon with a sword, only to have their 'bodies' made whole again, and then hacked once more by the demonic sword. Dante is told:
All these whom thou beholdest in the pit
Were sowers of scandal, sowers of schism abroad
While they yet lived, therefore they now go split.Back yonder stands a fiend, by whom we're scored
Thus cruelly; and over and over again
He puts us to the edge of the sharp sword
XXVIII, 34-39
As they had no qualms about fostering division while on earth, these souls are now condemned to be themselves forever "divided". They are subject to the very principle they espoused while on earth. They divided the body of Christ, and now their own body will be divided and torn apart.
Perhaps Paul Gibson is right. Perhaps one need not be afraid of schism. He might be right on that one. After all, a person might find himself, through no intention of his own, in the middle of such a situation. But perhaps Mr Gibson would be wise to avoid being a sower of schism, a counselor of such things.
Dante gives us examples of sowers of discord in several categories: church, society and family.
Sayers' notes on this section are an interesting read for those who have followed (as a perpetual penitence) the various goings-on in the Anglican world: the Sowers of Discord appear "in the Circle of Fraud because their sin is primarily of the intellect. They are the fanatics of party, seeing the world in a false perspective, and ready to rip up the whole fabric..." (Sayers trans, Inferno, pg 250)
Just to round things out, the series of 10 bowges ends with the "Falsifiers". These are grouped according to the kinds of things they falsified. Cantos XXIX-XXX deal with those who have used their human intellect in order to falsify nature (the Alchemists); to falsify human personality (impersonators); to falsify language (perjerers) and to falsify civic commerce and interaction (counterfeiters). Again, Dante places them quite low in the circles of hell because more of our "human capacity" - our reason and intellect - is needed in order to commit these kinds of sins. These souls have committed their falsehoods while knowing perfectly well what they were doing, and the consequences their actions would have on others. Each one of these kinds of sins necessarily involves an offense against others.
For Holy Saturday we will descend into the pit and see the Traitors, and finally Satan himself at the center of Hell.
Have a miserable Good Friday!
No idea whatsoever why I should be reading Gibson's essay on this Day. Just thought I would as you've linked it. But the link to the essay doesn't work. Just as well. I'll go read a Good Friday sermon by Gore. Excellent little Dante posts. Thank you Joseph.
Posted by: Susan | March 21, 2008 at 08:35 PM
The link is fixed. Maybe it was Providence. At any rate, I thought it would be an interesting example of how contemporary Dante really is. You know, show the kids that all that old stuff is really very applicable today.
Yes, there are more, err, edifying things to read on Good Friday. We could start with the opening lines from this homily: from
CERTAIN SERMONS OR HOMILIES APPOINTED TO BE READ IN CHURCHES IN THE TIME OF QUEEN ELIZABETH
OF FAMOUS MEMORY
"There is nothing that the Holy Ghost doth so much labour, in all the Scriptures, to beat into men's heads, as repentance, amendment of life, and speedy returning unto the Lord God of Hosts. And no marvel why; for we do daily and hourly, by our wickedness and stubborn disobedience, horribly fall away from God, thereby purchasing unto ourselves -- if he should deal with us according to his justice -- eternal damnation."
Posted by: joseph | March 21, 2008 at 09:02 PM
Joseph, what an interesting post. Gibson's essay gripped me, you've fleshed it out. Thank you.
Have a blessed Easter.
Posted by: Bene D | March 22, 2008 at 12:53 PM