James of the Marches
Encyclopedia
Saint James of the Marche
, O.F.M., (ca. 1391 – November 28, 1476) was an Italian
Friar Minor, preacher and writer.
, Province
of Ascoli Piceno
, in the Marche
region of Italy
. As a child, he began his studies at Offida
under the guidance of his uncle, a priest, who soon afterwards sent him to school in the nearby city of Ascoli Piceno
. He later studied at the University of Perugia
where he took the degree of Doctor in Civil Law
. After a short stay at Florence
as tutor
for a noble family, and as judge of sorcerers, James was received into the Order of Friars Minor, in the chapel
of the Portiuncula, in Assisi
, on July 26, 1416. At that time, he took the religious name of James. Having finished his novitiate
at the hermitage
of the Carceri
, near Assisi, he studied theology
at Fiesole
, near Florence, under St. Bernardine of Siena.
On 13 June 1420, he was ordained a priest and soon began to preach in Tuscany
, in the Marches
, and in Umbria
; for half a century he carried on his spiritual labours, remarkable for the miracles he performed and the numerous conversions he wrought. From 1427, James preached penance, combated heretics, and was on legation
s in Germany, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Bohemia, Poland, Hungary, and Bosnia. In Bosnia, he was also commissary
of the Friars Minor there. As such, he encouraged reforms in the Order of Friars Minor that earned him the hostility of its ruler, King Tvrtko II, and even more of his wife, Queen Dorothea
, whom James accused of trying to poison him.
At the time of the Council of Basle he promoted the reunion of the moderate Hussites with the Catholic Church, and later that of the Greek Orthodox at the Council of Ferrara-Florence. Against the Ottomans
, he preached several crusades, and at the death of St. John Capistran, in 1456, James was sent to Hungary as his successor.
In Italy he fought the Fraticelli
, instituted several montes pietatis (literally, "mountains of piety": nonprofit credit organizations that lent money at very low rates on pawned objects), and preached in all the greater cities. He was offered the bishopric
of Milan
in 1460, which he declined. St. James belonged to the Observant
branch of the Friars Minor, then rapidly spreading and stirring up much controversy. How much he suffered on this account is shown in a letter written by him to St. John Capistran, published by Nic. Dal-Gal, O.F.M., in "Archivum Franciscanum Historicum", I (1908), 94-97. Under Pope Callistus III, in 1455, he was appointed an arbiter on the questions at issue between the Conventuals and Observants. His decision was published February 2, 1456, in a papal bull
, which pleased neither part. A few years later, on Easter Monday
1462, James, preaching at Brescia
, uttered the opinion of some theologians that the Precious Blood shed during the Passion
was not united with the Divinity of Christ during the three days of his burial. The Dominican
friar, James of Brescia
, the local inquisitor
, immediately summoned him to his tribunal. James refused to appear, and after some troubles appealed to the Holy See
. The question was discussed at Rome during Christmas 1462 (not 1463, as some have it), before Pope Pius II and the cardinals, but no decision was ever given. James spent the last three years of his life in Naples
, and died there on November 28, 1476.
s are preserved in part at the Municipio of Monteprandone (see Crivellucci, "I codici della libreria raccolta da S. Giacomo della Marca nel convento di S. Maria delle Grazie presso Monteprandone", Leghorn, 1889).
He wrote "Dialogus contra Fraticellos" printed in Baluze-Mansi, "Miscellanea", II, Lucca, 1761, 595-610 (cf. Ehrle in "Archiv für Litt. u. Kirchengeschichte", IV, Freiburg im Br., 1888, 107-10). His numerous sermons are not edited. For some of them, and for his treatise on the "Miracles of the Name of Jesus", see Candido Mariotti, O.F.M., "Nome di Gesù ed i Francescani", Fano, 1909, 125-34. On his notebook, or "Itinerarium", See Luigi Tasso, O.F.M., in "Miscellanea Francescana", I (1886), 125-26: "Regula confitendi peccata" was several times edited in Latin and Italian during the fifteenth century. "De Sanguine Christi effuse" and some other treatises remained in manuscript.
, where his body is still to be seen. He was beatified by Pope Urban VIII in 1624, and canonized by Pope Benedict XIII
in 1726. Naples venerates
him as one of its patron saint
s. His liturgical feast day is observed by the Franciscan Order on 28 November. He is generally represented holding in his right hand a chalice
, out of which a snake is escaping – an allusion to some endeavours of heretics
to poison him or, less likely, to the controversy about the Precious Blood.
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
, O.F.M., (ca. 1391 – November 28, 1476) was an Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
Friar Minor, preacher and writer.
Biography
He was born Dominic Gangala in the early 1390s to a poor family in MonteprandoneMonteprandone
Monteprandone is a comune in the Province of Ascoli Piceno in the Italian region Marche, located about 80 km southeast of Ancona and about 20 km northeast of Ascoli Piceno...
, Province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
of Ascoli Piceno
Ascoli Piceno
Ascoli Piceno is a town and comune in the Marche region of Italy, capital of the province of the same name. Its population is c. 51,400.-Geography:...
, in the Marche
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
region of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. As a child, he began his studies at Offida
Offida
Offida is a comune in the Province of Ascoli Piceno in the Italian region Marche, located about 80 km south of Ancona and about 12 km northeast of Ascoli Piceno, on a rocky spur between the valleys of the Tesino and Tronto rivers.-History:The origins of Offida are debated...
under the guidance of his uncle, a priest, who soon afterwards sent him to school in the nearby city of Ascoli Piceno
Ascoli Piceno
Ascoli Piceno is a town and comune in the Marche region of Italy, capital of the province of the same name. Its population is c. 51,400.-Geography:...
. He later studied at the University of Perugia
University of Perugia
University of Perugia is a public-owned university based in Perugia, Italy. It was founded in 1308, as attested by the Bull issued by Pope Clement V certifying the birth of the Studium Generale....
where he took the degree of Doctor in Civil Law
Civil law (common law)
Civil law, as opposed to criminal law, is the branch of law dealing with disputes between individuals or organizations, in which compensation may be awarded to the victim...
. After a short stay at Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
as tutor
Tutor
A tutor is a person employed in the education of others, either individually or in groups. To tutor is to perform the functions of a tutor.-Teaching assistance:...
for a noble family, and as judge of sorcerers, James was received into the Order of Friars Minor, in the chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
of the Portiuncula, in Assisi
Assisi
- Churches :* The Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi is a World Heritage Site. The Franciscan monastery, il Sacro Convento, and the lower and upper church of St Francis were begun immediately after his canonization in 1228, and completed in 1253...
, on July 26, 1416. At that time, he took the religious name of James. Having finished his novitiate
Novitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
at the hermitage
Hermitage (religious retreat)
Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
of the Carceri
Eremo delle Carceri
The Eremo delle Carceri is a small hermitage in a steep forest gorge at the Monte Subasio, in Umbria, in middle Italy, four kilometers above Assisi, the steps and bows of which arch over a quatrefoil-shaped hole in the smooth pink stone: the so-called "Devil Hole", a grotto...
, near Assisi, he studied theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
at Fiesole
Fiesole
Fiesole is a town and comune of the province of Florence in the Italian region of Tuscany, on a famously scenic height above Florence, 8 km NE of that city...
, near Florence, under St. Bernardine of Siena.
On 13 June 1420, he was ordained a priest and soon began to preach in Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, in the Marches
Marches
A march or mark refers to a border region similar to a frontier, such as the Welsh Marches, the borderland between England and Wales. During the Frankish Carolingian Dynasty, the word spread throughout Europe....
, and in Umbria
Umbria
Umbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...
; for half a century he carried on his spiritual labours, remarkable for the miracles he performed and the numerous conversions he wrought. From 1427, James preached penance, combated heretics, and was on legation
Legation
A legation was the term used in diplomacy to denote a diplomatic representative office lower than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an Ambassador, a legation was headed by a Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary....
s in Germany, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Bohemia, Poland, Hungary, and Bosnia. In Bosnia, he was also commissary
Commissary
A commissary is someone delegated by a superior to execute a duty or an office; in a formal, legal context, one who has received power from a legitimate superior authority to pass judgment in a certain cause or to take information concerning it.-Word history:...
of the Friars Minor there. As such, he encouraged reforms in the Order of Friars Minor that earned him the hostility of its ruler, King Tvrtko II, and even more of his wife, Queen Dorothea
Dorothy Garai
Dorothy Garai was Queen consort of Bosnia as spouse of King Tvrtko II of Bosnia.-Family and engagement:She was the daughter of powerful Hungarian nobleman, John Garai, who governed Croatia as ban, and a descendant of a notable Hungarian noble family of Garai. Dorothea's grandfather was Palatine...
, whom James accused of trying to poison him.
At the time of the Council of Basle he promoted the reunion of the moderate Hussites with the Catholic Church, and later that of the Greek Orthodox at the Council of Ferrara-Florence. Against the Ottomans
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, he preached several crusades, and at the death of St. John Capistran, in 1456, James was sent to Hungary as his successor.
In Italy he fought the Fraticelli
Fraticelli
The Fraticelli, sometimes confusingly called Fratricelli, were medieval Roman Catholic groups that could trace their origins to the Franciscans, but which came into being as a separate entity. The Fraticelli were declared heretical by the Church in 1296 by Boniface VIII...
, instituted several montes pietatis (literally, "mountains of piety": nonprofit credit organizations that lent money at very low rates on pawned objects), and preached in all the greater cities. He was offered the bishopric
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
in 1460, which he declined. St. James belonged to the Observant
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
branch of the Friars Minor, then rapidly spreading and stirring up much controversy. How much he suffered on this account is shown in a letter written by him to St. John Capistran, published by Nic. Dal-Gal, O.F.M., in "Archivum Franciscanum Historicum", I (1908), 94-97. Under Pope Callistus III, in 1455, he was appointed an arbiter on the questions at issue between the Conventuals and Observants. His decision was published February 2, 1456, in a papal bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
, which pleased neither part. A few years later, on Easter Monday
Easter Monday
Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday and is celebrated as a holiday in some largely Christian cultures, especially Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox cultures...
1462, James, preaching at Brescia
Brescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
, uttered the opinion of some theologians that the Precious Blood shed during the Passion
Passion (Christianity)
The Passion is the Christian theological term used for the events and suffering – physical, spiritual, and mental – of Jesus in the hours before and including his trial and execution by crucifixion...
was not united with the Divinity of Christ during the three days of his burial. The Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
friar, James of Brescia
James of Brescia
James of Brescia was an Italian Dominican theologian of the fifteenth century.He entered the Dominican Order at Brescia, his native city, and in 1450 was appointed to the office of inquisitor...
, the local inquisitor
Inquisitor
An inquisitor was an official in an Inquisition, an organisation or program intended to eliminate heresy and other things frowned on by the Roman Catholic Church...
, immediately summoned him to his tribunal. James refused to appear, and after some troubles appealed to the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
. The question was discussed at Rome during Christmas 1462 (not 1463, as some have it), before Pope Pius II and the cardinals, but no decision was ever given. James spent the last three years of his life in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, and died there on November 28, 1476.
Writings
His writings have not yet been collected. His library and autographAutograph
An autograph is a document transcribed entirely in the handwriting of its author, as opposed to a typeset document or one written by an amanuensis or a copyist; the meaning overlaps with that of the word holograph.Autograph also refers to a person's artistic signature...
s are preserved in part at the Municipio of Monteprandone (see Crivellucci, "I codici della libreria raccolta da S. Giacomo della Marca nel convento di S. Maria delle Grazie presso Monteprandone", Leghorn, 1889).
He wrote "Dialogus contra Fraticellos" printed in Baluze-Mansi, "Miscellanea", II, Lucca, 1761, 595-610 (cf. Ehrle in "Archiv für Litt. u. Kirchengeschichte", IV, Freiburg im Br., 1888, 107-10). His numerous sermons are not edited. For some of them, and for his treatise on the "Miracles of the Name of Jesus", see Candido Mariotti, O.F.M., "Nome di Gesù ed i Francescani", Fano, 1909, 125-34. On his notebook, or "Itinerarium", See Luigi Tasso, O.F.M., in "Miscellanea Francescana", I (1886), 125-26: "Regula confitendi peccata" was several times edited in Latin and Italian during the fifteenth century. "De Sanguine Christi effuse" and some other treatises remained in manuscript.
Veneration
James was buried in Naples in the Franciscan church of Santa Maria la NovaSanta Maria La Nova
Santa Maria la Nova is a church in Naples, southern Italy. It is located on the site given to the Franciscan order in 1279 when Charles of Anjou decided to build his Castel Nuovo , or Maschio Angioino, on the grounds of the order's original monastery, whence the name Nova .The "new" church was...
, where his body is still to be seen. He was beatified by Pope Urban VIII in 1624, and canonized by Pope Benedict XIII
Pope Benedict XIII
-Footnotes:...
in 1726. Naples venerates
Veneration
Veneration , or veneration of saints, is a special act of honoring a saint: an angel, or a dead person who has been identified by a church committee as singular in the traditions of the religion. It is practiced by the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic, and Eastern Catholic Churches...
him as one of its patron saint
Patron saints of Naples
The city of Naples has more than 50 official patron saints, although its principal patron is Saint Januarius. Second in terms of importance is Saint Aspren , first bishop of Naples.-Co-patrons of Naples and date that the saint was named a patron:...
s. His liturgical feast day is observed by the Franciscan Order on 28 November. He is generally represented holding in his right hand a chalice
Chalice (cup)
A chalice is a goblet or footed cup intended to hold a drink. In general religious terms, it is intended for drinking during a ceremony.-Christian:...
, out of which a snake is escaping – an allusion to some endeavours of heretics
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
to poison him or, less likely, to the controversy about the Precious Blood.