Poverty movement

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The poverty movement of the Middle Ages represented the poverty ideal of the 12th century. The real origin of the poverty movement leads back to the New Testament . Based on apostolic poverty , as described by the evangelist Matthew in the mission address ( Mt 10.7-14  EU ), the poverty movement was spread by lay communities in southern France and northern Italy .

Basics

In the Old Testament there is a twofold opinion on poverty. Poverty is said to be a negative consequence of a lack of diligence and idleness , on the other hand, the poverty of the oppressed is denounced. At the same time, poverty is viewed as a gift to be managed and shared. In conclusion, this would mean that whoever realizes his own poverty draws God's attention. At the same time there is the assumption that the accepted and sought poverty in the spirit of religiosity enables one to recognize and accept the order of the created.

Jesus takes up these aspects of the Old Testament and transfers them to his time.

The ideal of poverty is based on Jesus Christ himself, he himself was dispossessed. This means that the core idea of ​​general poverty is to be found in following Jesus . This is also described in the Gospel according to Mark :

“Then Jesus looked at him, and because he loved him, he said: One thing is still missing: Go, sell what you have, give the money to the poor and you will have a lasting treasure in heaven, then come and follow me ! "

- ( Mk 10.21  EU )

The abandonment of goods and the voluntary life in a general poverty occurred in St. Antonius (251–356) was particularly prominent. According to the Vita Antonii , he literally implemented the parable of the rich young man ( Mk 10.17-31  EU ) and consequently led an ascetic life.

In the instruction on the mission of the twelve apostles in the Gospel according to Matthew the statement can be found:

“Do not put gold, silver and copper coins in your belt. Do not take a storage bag with you on the way, no second shirt, no shoes, no walking stick; because whoever works has a right to his maintenance. "

- ( Mt 10.9  EU )

The same, slightly modified, references to the missionary mandate can also be found in the Gospel according to Luke ( Luke 9 : 1-6  EU ).

The ideal of poverty thus developed from the “ Vita apostolica ” and the “ imitatio Christi ” and should receive special attention among the religious communities , since the members of the order identify with the following of Christ, and thus with the apostles.

The poverty movement

In the 11th century Hildebrand / Gregor VII tried to enforce the poverty claim against the clergy, but without success. In doing so, he indirectly promoted the emerging poverty movement.

The poverty movement that arose in Europe towards the end of the 12th century developed out of a protest movement by laypeople who turned against the rich religious orders that arose in southern France and northern Italy. The Waldensians and the Humiliates were lay brotherhoods. The vow of apostolic poverty, one of the “ evangelical counsels ”, was extremely important to them as discipleship in Christ. Proponents of the ideal of poverty like Arnold von Brescia (1090–1155) were executed as heretics . Pope Innocent III (1198–1216) tried to integrate the poverty movement into the mendicant orders, but met resistance from the established monastic orders. On the contrary, the resulting poverty struggle among the Franciscans spread.

Around 1209 a large crowd of young men had gathered around Giovanni Bernardone, who later became Francis of Assisi (1181–1226). Francis sent them out in pairs. In order not to be considered homeless journeymen among the people and the clergy, he wrote a rule from the New Testament: "If you want to be perfect, go there, sell what you have and give it to the poor" ( Mk 10 , 21  EU )

Pope Honorius III. (1216–1227) suspected the female communities of heresy, among the most radical representatives of the poverty movement were Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia (1207–1231) and Maria von Oignies (1177–1213). For the Beguines, the issue of poverty did not become an existential issue, as they propagated poverty in an apostolic community of property of the early Jerusalem community and acted in the sense of the Acts of the Apostles ( Acts 4,32  EU ), here it says about community of property of the early community:

“… There was none among them who suffered hardship. For everyone who owned land or houses sold their property, brought the proceeds, and laid it at the feet of the apostles. Everyone was given as much of it as he needed ... "

- ( Acts 4,34-37  EU )

Mendicant orders

Before religious orders were founded that declared themselves willing to follow Christ, there were movements that were initially recognized by the Roman Catholic Church but were later persecuted as heretics . These lay groups included the Humiliates , the Waldensians and the Cathars , whose members were in 1184 by Pope Lucius III. (1181–1185) were excommunicated .

  • Emblem of the humiliates

  • Waldensian coat of arms

  • The yellow cathar cross

In the early 13th century the mendicant orders developed , whose endeavor was to orient their religious communities according to the ideal of poverty. They emerged as reform orders , whose members renounced personal property , just as the religious orders rejected any property . The Dominicans , the Franciscans , the Carmelites and the Augustinians were among the most famous mendicant orders of the Middle Ages . The monks did not live in monastic seclusion, they were primarily drawn to the cities . In a very short time, the monastic orders developed into pastors , preachers and teachers and were very popular with the city's population. In order to secure their livelihood, the "begging brothers" undertook "begging tours" in town and country and used the donated food to support the city monasteries. They received influence on religious life and were recognized personalities in the sciences .

Based on the basic understanding of the religious communities, the total gift of self - which included poverty - was viewed as a common reflection and as a symbolic and prophetic sign in the poverty movement. The members of the order put themselves in the service of pastoral care in chastity , poverty and obedience .

Also at the beginning of the 13th century, women's communities were founded ; the Beguines and Begarden were single women who wanted to follow Christ in apostolic poverty. They had no personal possessions, lived in house communities and made a living by doing handicrafts.

  • Dominican coat of arms

  • Franciscan coat of arms

  • Carmelite coat of arms

  • Begin around 1489

From the poverty movement to the poverty struggle

As a promoter of the poverty movement, Pope Gregory IX. (1227–1241) appeared, but he also showed his limits within the framework of church teaching. The mendicant orders received his encouragement in particular, and so between 1228 and 1235 he carried out several canonizations , in which he confirmed an extremely large measure of the poverty movement. These saints include Francis of Assisi (St. 1228), Antony of Padua (St. 1232), Dominic (St. 1234) and Elisabeth of Thuringia (St. 1235). Gregory IX. But also developed into a pope who promoted the fight against the poverty movement as a heresy. Particularly ardent advocates of the poverty movement fell victim to the post of inquisitor he promoted .

With the death of the monk Francis of Assisi in 1226, who was canonized as early as 1228, a spiritual dispute arose over the considerations on poverty recorded in his will . This closely followed the assignment according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke .

Pope Gregory IX intervened with his papal bulls " Quo elongati " (September 28, 1230) and " Nimis iniqua " (August 21, 1231) in the disputes that had meanwhile escalated into the "poverty dispute". Pope Innocent IV (1243–1254) took up the disputed points again with the papal bull " Ordinem vestrum " (November 14, 1245) and declared that all goods of the order are pro forma in the possession of the Apostolic See . The religious order was allowed to take over the administration of donated goods independently, otherwise it stipulated the complete exemption of the churches and monasteries.

See also

Further Apostolic Letters on the Poverty Movement and the Poverty Time:

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Compare on this "Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church", para. 323-325, page 240, Herder Verlag, Freiburg im Breisgau, 2006, ISBN 3-451-29078-2
  2. ^ Uta-Renate Blumenthal: Gregory VII Pope between Canossa and church reform. Scientific Book Society, Darmstadt 2001, p. 106 ff.
  3. ^ Lexicon of the Saints, Weltbild publishing group, Augsburg, 2005, ISBN 3-8289-4980-0
  4. ↑ Lucius III. issued a decree to combat heresy, that the basis for the subsequent fighting heretics was.
  5. ↑ According to Mt 10 : 9–10  EU , they had a right to maintenance
  6. ↑ Compare this: “Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church”, para. 540, page 383