Pathways to Redemption: Contemplations on Literary Confession - Essay Example

Pathways to Redemption: Contemplations on Literary Confession The Roman Catholic Church of the 14th century was aflawed institution that found itself under increasing criticism from followers who were all too aware of the worldly behavior of its priests. In this light, the sacraments of confession and absolution imparted cheap spiritual currency indeed, and so it appears in the first tale of Boccaccio’s The Decameron. “Ser Ciappelletto” sets the tone for a masterfully cynical contemplation of the medieval church. Ciappelletto famously hoodwinks the friar, offering up a spurious confession that makes a mockery of the church’s role in a society increasingly apt to question matters of faith. In the spirit of a culture beginning to question the superficiality of dogma, Boccaccio transcends the cynical humor of Ciappelletto’s confession, and the friar’s absolution, reminding us that there is a divine immanence beyond and above the temporal, sometimes absurd practices of the medieval church. After Ciappelletto’s false confession, the narration muses that he may have, at the last, received forgiveness for his many sins, having “made so complete an act of contrition that perchance God had mercy on him…” (Boccaccio 89). But considering the evidence of his transgressions, eternal punishment is a much more likely fate. In other words, he may have fooled the friar and ultimately received canonization, but true justice is another matter (Name) 2 altogether – for which we should all be grateful. Saint or no, Ciappelletto faces a verdict from which he cannot escape through bluff and deception. It is not given to us to know the final disposition of Ciappelletto’s soul but if eternal damnation is his lot, then it is a “ manifest token of the superabundance of the goodness of God to usward, inasmuch as he regards not our error but the sincerity of our faith, and hearkens unto us when, mistaking one who is at enmity with Him for a friend, we have recourse to him, as to one holy indeed, as our intercessor for His grace” (Boccaccio 90). Confession has enabled Ciappelletto to “work the system,” to play on notions of holiness, seen through the prism of a worldly church, in order to receive absolution and achieve sainthood. His confession typifies the comparative spiritual impotency of the medieval church, itself a wan reflection of the true spirit it purports to embody. Flouting the sacrament, he has effectively lied his way to sainthood. But Boccaccio assures us that, for all his fabrications, Ciappelletto’s punishment surely must be all the worse in the next world for having “gotten away with it” in this world. The Summoning of Everyman, Ciappelletto’s 15th-century counterpart, is a morality play that symbolizes the role of the church in securing divine forgiveness in this world. Ciappelletto cynically uses the sacrament of confession to secure his passage to heaven, but Everyman teaches us that confession is an intercessor, a step along the way that must be preceded by “good deeds” before salvation can be attained. The play achieves its most direct and literal expressiveness when Confession gives Everyman a precious jewel, representing penance, if he confesses his sins. Everyman teaches us (Name) 3 that absolution can only be obtained through an intermediary; in other words the priest who, through the acceptance of confession and granting of absolution, intercedes with God on behalf of the sinner. But as in “Ser Ciappelletto,” the play has something to say about the abuses of a worldly church, warning of the deleterious influence of priests who break their vows: “Sinful priests giveth the sinners example bad, Their children sitteth by other men’s fires, I have heard, And some haunteth women’s company, With unclean life, as lusts of lechery; These be with sin made blind” (Everyman 25). In this, The Summoning of Everyman becomes a true morality play, not just in what it has to say about the priest’s role as confessor and intercessor with God, but as a reflection on morality in general. It teaches us that morality is not just a one-way street, a proprietary realm from which priests expound, but do not necessarily exhibit, model behavior, but is a standard all must strive to uphold - priests in particular. It is interesting that priests engaging in sexual relationships contributed to the widespread disaffection that resulted in the Protestant reformation (Doyle, Sipe & Wall 33), For Everyman, freeing oneself of sin is a matter of confession and of scourging, an agonizing ordeal comprised of many steps. Good Deeds and Knowledge take up Everyman’s cause, and together they go to seek out Confession. Everyman, desirous of taking the next step toward salvation, asks where they may find him: "In the house of salvation; (Name) 4 We shall find him in that place, That shall us comfort by God’s grace. Lo, this is Confession: kneel down and ask mercy; For he is in good conceit with God Almighty” (Everyman 18). Ultimately, Everyman emphasizes that confession is a hollow act without a true reckoning of sin, commission of good works and a sincere willingness to embrace penitence. In “Ser Ciappetello,” confession was the means to an end. For Everyman, it is a pivotal step in one’s spiritual journey. In Hesse’s Narcissus and Goldmund, confession is a somewhat more complicated phenomenon. Two friends with widely disparate personalities and talents come to resolve their relationship through an examination of motivations and redemption, leading to Goldmund’s confession. Narcissus is a contemplative intellectual who has shunned the active and excessive life that Goldmund has lived. Narcissus admires Goldmund for his artistic skill but admits that his persona, and his calling, relegated him to a very different path in life. "I don’t wish to speak morally, but from a merely practical point of view, pure thinking, the practice and teaching of which is my task, offers a certain protection from the world” (Hesse 281). Narcissus recognizes that Goldmund has taken greater risks in life and admits, “in spite of the difficulty, you found a way to become an artist, and I admire that a great deal” (Hesse 279). Seeking peace for his troubled soul, Goldmund overcomes the personal conflict he feels over confessing to his close friend, who has transformed into the imposing and austere Abbott (Name) 5 John. In hearing Goldmund’s confession, rather than blaming him for a lifetime of sin, of sexual exploits and disregard for others, Narcissus admonishes his friend for failing to pray, to take communion and adhere to the practices and regimens of the church. It’s as if Narcissus, in admiration for Goldmund’s God-given abilities, upbraids him not for sinning as much as for failing to follow the prescribed pathway to salvation. In other words, his past behavior may be symptomatic of his artistic temperament and, as such, can be forgiven. But by pointedly neglecting the care of his soul, by foregoing confession, prayer and communion which lead to salvation, he has committed a grave sin of omission. For Narcissus, this is something he cannot forgive. As Abbot John, he holds Goldmund to account. Narcissus tells Goldmund he must turn to “praying, confession and communion,” and “imposed the following penance upon him; to live moderately and chastely for a month before receiving communion, to hear early mass every morning, and to say three Our Fathers and one Hail Mary every evening” (Hesse 285). Surprised by Narcissus’ penance, Goldmund fails to understand that his friend is providing him with a spiritual foundation from which he may find his own route to salvation. “Here the penance awarded is a set of exercises which will draw off some of the dross from Goldmund’s soul and give a little form to his spiritual life” (Bloom 102). Narcissus adds that Goldmund is not to “speculate about these exercises: they are to be performed ‘in the same way as for instance when you are singing and playing the lute’” (Bloom 83). He is to seek precision in them, as he has his art, an act of discipline that will lead him to faith (Bloom 83). (Name) 6 Works Cited Bloom Harold. Hermann Hesse. Broomall, Pa.: Chelsea House Publishers, 2003. Boccaccio, Giovanni. The Decameron, Vol. 1. London: A.H. Bullen, 1903. Doyle, Thomas P., Sipe A.W.R., & Wall, Patrick J. Sex, Priests and Secret Codes: The Catholic Church’s 2,000-Year Paper Trail of Sexual Abuse. Santa Monica, Calif.: Volt Press, 2005. The Summoning of Everyman. Farmer, J., ed. London: Gibbings and Company. Hesse, Hermann. Narcissus and Goldmund. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1957. Read More