Editing Fra Girolamo Savonarola (section)

== Savonarola’s religious and political views ==

Views on the papacy and papal supremacy

“Therefore, since the government of the Church is superior to the rest, all Christian assemblies are brought under one head, just like the members of the whole body; thus, all parishes are under the authority of their priests, and cities are under their bishops, and all of these, finally, are under the pope. And so, because the principal power is assigned to this same head, it is inevitable that the good and the bad of the group depend upon it.”

"Although Christ is in heaven as the true and sole head of the church, he has left St.Peter as his representative on earth ... all the faithful should be united under the pope as the supreme head of the Catholic Church, the mother of all other churches."

Views on Mary

“The womb of the Virgin Mary is more capable than the whole world.”

Views on the working class

“The other good provision is that the shops be opened and that everyone, and especially the poor, be able to work and support himself with his labor. I would give comfort to those who still wait to lighten their burden and especially to those who are most in need.”

“I say of provision for the poor. […] Gather all the poor and provide for all their needs.”

Views on revolution

“If he that would summon a Parliament be of the Signoria, let his head be cut off; if he be not of it, let him be proclaimed a rebel and all his goods confiscated; … should the Signoria seek to call a Parliament … all may cut them to pieces without sin.”

“O Italy, and princes of Italy, and prelates of the Church, the wrath of God is upon you, and you have no remedy but to be converted! et a sanctuario meo incipiam [Ezech. 9:6]. O Italy, O Florence, propter peccata tua venient tibi adversa! Oh, nobiles, oh, potentes, oh, plebei, manus Domini est supra vos, et non resistet potentia, sapientia, vel fuga! And it will come about not because you do not know how things have been ordered. O princes of Italy, flee the land of the North.”

“Let Christ be your Captain, the One Who gives you a new reform of holy living. That reform which has been preached to you is nothing other than unity, that is, the love of God and neighbor. This is nothing other than God’s commandment: Hoc est mandatum meum, ut diligatis invicem [Ioh. 15:12, with mandatum from 13:34]. For this reason, I have told you to make this universal peace, and if you will do these things I have told you, you will be a glorious city, and Christ, your Captain, will conduct all your affairs, and you will be the reform of all Italy and even outside of Italy.”

Views on government

“You others, the new officers, you must, at the very least, arrange this universal peace before you leave office. Nunc, reges, intelligite; I speak to you who must now rule and govern: heed what I say to you. […] Be diligent and solicitous about the common good and this universal peace. Christ is your King, and may you be His ministers. Be glad and thank Him for choosing you as His coadjutants. […] God wants to perfect this work in every way, so be sure to be good champions and good ministers. Apprehendite disciplinam; study well what you have to do because you have to labor in this work for the City of God. Confide all to God, not to men, and have no doubt that God will assist you. Now our boat, as I have said, remains at sea and sails toward the harbor, that is, toward the peace which Florence must have after her tribulations. Officers old and new, all of you together, see to it that this universal peace is realized; make sure that good laws are passed in order to stabilize and strengthen your government.”

“Take Christ as your King and place yourself under His law, by which He governs you.“

“Now, Florence, what would you have? What leader, what king can be given you so that you remain at peace? I have told you before that one leader ruling alone is better for every place and every country; St. Thomas [Aquinas] says that in Italy princes become tyrants […]. Now, Florence, God wants to make you happy and wants to give you a leader and a King to govern you, and this is Christ see, here our psalm says so: Ego autem constitutus sum rex. The Lord wants to rule over you, if you would have it so, Florence.”

“Thus, since government of the community is established to maintain the common good so that people may live together peacefully, dedicate themselves to virtue, and more easily attain to eternal felicity, that government is good which diligently seeks to maintain and increase the common good and induces people to live uprightly and virtuously and, most importantly, to perform their religious duties. That government is bad which forsakes the common good and attends to its own particular benefit, heedless of human virtue or living uprightly if such is not useful to its own particular benefit; such a government is called a tyranny. And so we have seen the necessity of government among humankind, and what constitutes good and what bad government in general.”

“That accursed vice of sodomy, for which you know that Florence is infamous throughout the whole of Italy; this infamy arises perhaps from your talking and chattering about it so much, so that there is not so much in deeds, perhaps, as in words. Pass a law, I say, and let it be without mercy; that is, let these people be stoned and burned. On the other hand, it is necessary that you remove from among yourselves these poems and games and taverns and the evil fashion of women’s clothes, and, likewise, we must throw out everything that is noxious to the health of the soul. Let everyone live for God and not for the world, all in simplicity and charity, so that we may all sing: Eccequam bonum et quam iocundum habitare fratres in unum.”

“It is necessary, as I have told you before, to pass laws against the vice of sodomy and infamous persons, and that every vice be excluded from your city.”

Views on society

“Therefore, give yourselves, my sons and daughters, to simplicity and let go superfluous things, the pomp and the vanities, which I tell you are snares of the devil, which trap you without your realizing it. Slowly, slowly, little by little, they draw you at last to the dwelling-place of the devil. Let go of possessions, give them to the poor, and especially I say to you, priests: begin a little to live simply and be the first to begin, in order to show the way and give good example to others.”