Chapter 10: St. Gertrude not formally canonised— History of her cultus — Benedict XIV.— Her Office approved— Name inserted in Martyrology— Lanspergius— His history— Preface to Insinuationes— Plea for the female sex — Conclusion

St. GERTRUDE was never formally canonised. Benedict XIV. says, that her cultus was first permitted on the 7th October 1G06, four centuries after her death, when, by a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, an office was granted to the nuns of the monastery of St. John Evan gelist, of the city of Licia. On the 20th June 1609, the nuns of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin of Mexico obtained a similar favour, the Office being a double. The Benedictine monks and nuns of the Congregation of Cassiensis were granted a double, ad lib., on the 19th December 1654. The beautiful Office of the Saint at present in use was composed by Dom G. H. Vaillant. t In the Bibliotlieqiie Generate des Ecrivains <le VOrdre dt St. JBenott, t. iii., p. 170, we find the following details: "Dom Bernard Audebert, Superior-General of the Con gregation of St. Maur, having established the feast of St. Gertrude in 1673, whose cultus was already famous in Rome, Spain, arid the Indies, Dom Vaillant, of the same t In the Office for the Saint used by the Benedictines of the Most Holy Sacrament, we read that she was made Abbess of a monastery in the town of Delphos, and hence is called the Delphic Gertrude : "Deinde alterius in urbe Delphos, unde Gertrude Delphica dicitur," vi. Lesson, ii. Nocturu.

Congregation, composed the Office of the holy Benedictine Abbess, which was chanted from this year in the mon asteries of the congregation. The author uses the most tender expressions of the Canticle of Canticles — a language which only suits a small number of holy souls, who are elevated above earthly things."

It is more difficult to ascertain why the Office was transferred to March. The Maurist fathers made this change in a general chapter, possibly because there are so many feasts in November ; but again the question arises why they chose a day already occupied by St. Gertrude of Nivelle. As far as we have been able to ascertain, the feast is celebrated on the 15th November by the Bene dictine Order, with the exception of this congregation. The 17th November was the day first appointed for the festival ; but, as Benedict XIV. quaintly observes, it was found that this day was already occupied by a Bishop and Doctor of the Church, and as St. Gregory Thaurnaturgus had in his lifetime moved mountains from their place, it was not seemly that after his death he should be remove 1 out of his place by a woman, or give precedence to a virgin. Moreover, the day of St. Gertrude's decease was doubtful ; it occurred soon after the feast of St. Lebuin (November 12), and this was the only guide to a decision. A decree was then published, urbis et orbis. The Sacred Congregation of Rites, at the instance of the King of Poland, approved an Office conformable to the Eoman Breviary, for " Christians of both sexes, secular as well as regular, who are bound to the Canonical Hours." This was authorised by his Holiness Clement XII. on the 9th March 1739.

The question of the Saint's canonisation had been raised previously. In the year 1677, the insertion of her name in the Roman Martyrology was proposed. Bothinius, Archbishop of Myra, then Promoter of the Faith, declared that there was no document warranting either her canon isation or beatification ; " However," Benedict XIV. adds, " I find the following note in his own handwriting : t After writing the above, a plenary indulgence, authorised by a brief, was obtained on the feast of the Saint, which carries much weight with it; because, according to the decrees of Alexander VII. of happy memory, such indul gence is not granted to any one not previously named in the Martyrology ; and at present (whatever may have been the case previous to the decree aforesaid) it is generally refused. But the official secretaries stated that they found St. Gertrude described in their books as la magna, and therefore entitled to be inserted in said Martyrology.' "

The name was therefore inserted on the 22d January 1678, but without any special eulogium. The words " who was remarkable for the gift of revelation" were added afterwards. It is generally believed that the five books known as the Insinuationes Divince Pietatis were first translated from the original German by Lanspergius. Benedict XIV. mentions a previous work by Lamberto Luscorino, written in 1390 ; " but this," he adds, "as far .as I know, was never published." Lanspergius says, at the conclusion of his Preface, that after a most diligent search he could obtain only one copy in Latin, the first book of which was so torn and mutilated, that he was obliged to translate the same from the German into Latin, and adopt the Latin copy for the remainder. From this it may be reasonably inferred that the work had been already tran- slated and edited ; but there is no doubt the edition of Lanspergius was the first to bring the Revelations into general notice. How one longs to know if the " Teutonic * copy which he used was the original manuscript of the Saint, and where he obtained it !

Lanspergius wrote at the close of the fifteenth and at the commencement of the sixteenth century. He was born at Lansberg, in Bavaria, and entered the Order of Carthusians at Cologne while still young. His piety arid devotion procured for him the distinctive appellation of "the Just." He died in 1539, before he had attained his fiftieth year. His works, which are principally ascetical, breathe a singularly devout and pious spirit ; they were published at Cologne, in five vols. 4to, 1693.

The Preface which he prefixed to the Insinuationes has been republished by all who have since edited the work. The title of Insinuationes, so expressive in the Latin, so impossible to be translated into English, which he was the first to prefix to the Revelations of St. Gertrude, has also been retained. Lanspergius commences his Preface by observing, " that no one should be surprised if, in tha present day, when the Holy Scripture is inquired for by all," he should have brought out a book of revelations ; and he anticipates objections to the work by observing, that even those who carp at such disclosures when made to religious, cannot deny that the Old Testament itself is entirely a volume of revelations. He suggests that objectors to such Divine manifestations must be of the number of those from whom Christ Himself declares His secrets to have been hidden by the Father, as being the " wise and prudent " of the world. It is for the " little ones " that he uncovers his candle, which has been too long hidden under a bushel \ but considering himself a debtor to all, he feels bound to declare that nothing shall be found in this volume which is contrary to Scripture, or which may not be proved thereby. He continues :

" Let the reader further learn that we possess the profoundest veneration for the Scripture, so that we do not attribute equal authority to any other work, howevei sublime ; but we must confess — such is the kindness and profuseness of Divine love — that there is no sex, age, condition, which it will not condescend to illuminate, or entice, and invite, according to its capacity or its power of being so attracted. And thus God has established in His Church, not only various ecclesiastical writers, but also various methods of teaching, of phrase, and of expression, and that in both sexes ; so that every one may be instructed, illuminated, and edified according to his taste.

" But some will perhaps object that these revelations were made to a woman, and either despising or suspect ing the whole female race, will think that, no matter how holy a virgin or a woman may be, she must of necessity be frail and unstable, having nothing manly (which means perfect) about her. As if holy women have not often been more constant in virtue, more ready for martyrdom, more chary of their chastity, more full of mercy, more intent on averting God's anger, than many men ; and have given us examples of virtue which are very often superior to those of men. We men, therefore, should rather be confounded when we reflect on them, and look up to the whole sex with veneration.

" I will not deny that the same sex, that is, certain pious virgins or women devoted to God, when left to themselves, and unaided by any help from God, are by no means be yond suspicion ; for vain-glory, to which females are very much exposed, or a vain complacency in themselves, leads them to believe that what was entirely human was really a Divine inspiration ; and at other times, delighted with the applause and esteem of men, they have considered themselves far better and superior to what they are in reality.

" Such people, however, are easily detected. An im postor, especially a female one, cannot escape very long ; because, wherever the very deepest foundation of humility is not laid, the whole edifice falls ignominiously. But where real humility exists, such humility as those possess, and as all should possess, who cling to God alone from pure, simple, and chaste affection, whatever sex such be long to, they will neither be deceived nor will they wish to deceive others ; for though they may feel some heavenly motion, or receive some unusual celestial grace, it troubles them, it raises much doubt in their mind, how such can come from God — how such can happen to them, weak, contemptible, mere nothings as they are — how God could come to know them at all ; and they look upon it as riish absurd for God, by such singular gifts, to prefer them to others, or to do any such thing for them in preference to others."

He then speaks of the humility of the Blessed Virgin when saluted by the Angel, and says that those who are truly humble and holy will riot believe any revelation or vision until assured by those who direct them. God speaks to whom He pleases, and makes no distinction of sex, unless indeed it be to give more abundantly to the weaker when they deserve it by humility and devo tion. But though He chose to speak through Balaam's ass, we are not therefore to call the ass blessed. But we call St. Gertrude blessed, such was her sanctity, purity, and sincerity in seeking God's glory and His will in all things, as to merit being the medium of revealing His secrets to us.

Lanspergius then shows that the character of these Revelations is such as to make them of general utility to the Church, as there is " nothing obscure, nothing doubt ful ; no prophecy of the future ; nothing but what we can desire arid wish for, — namely, the extent of God's kind ness, clemency, and compassion ; " and that " they show with what a most benign Providence He deals with His singular friends, who, renouncing their own desires, seek His will alone ; and how He promotes them to salutary,then to better, and then to the choicest gifts/'

He then enumerates the various women mentioned in Scripture who have either prophesied or even had rule over God's people, commencing with Debbora and end ing with Elizabeth and Anna. " I say nothing of the Female, the Virgin Mary, the most worthy, not only of women, but of all created beings, for it is not seemly to compare her with any one, since she excels them all as the sun outshines the stars."

The good Carthusian returns again to what seems a favourite theme, and says he passes over the details which he might have given of the glorious triumphs, the constancy, and the endurance of female martyrs, and, with a brief condemnation of those ecclesiastics who, because they are, or think themselves, " men of great importance, and high in the esteem of the people, despise the weaker sex," and restrain the devout from communicating as fre quently as they desire, passes on to a panegyric on the learning of the Saint and her sanctity : " As regards her sanctity, she so abounded in the virtues, that you could not say which was most prominent. Look at her humility — you can find nothing like it; at her chastity — you would say she excelled in it ; observe her mildness and kindness — you would put them before the others : for she was so advanced in each virtue, you would say each was her principal one."

He next considers the practices of devotion which she proposes, especially that of uniting all our actions, how ever trifling, to those of our Divine Lord : " Oh, the bar gain ! " he exclaims ; " would he not be considered a fool who would not give a piece of copper for a heap of gold, or a flint for a pearl ? " Thus are all our good actions turned to immense account, and become of great value to us, inasmuch as by our intention of uniting them with the oblation of Christ they become part and parcel of His merits. Further, if we do all this not merely for ourselves but for others, and above all for Holy Church, our gain is increased, God is more glorified, and the Church ia strengthened and supported : " for all property, the more common it becomes, the more heavenly it becomes," — words surely worth noting and treasuring in every stage of our spiritual life.

The testimonies of various divines and doctors who had examined the Revelations are next adduced. The most approved theologians amongst the Dominicans and Franciscans were employed upon it; amongst others, Brother Henry of Mulhuseri, and a certain Father called a Burgo, belonging to the Friars Minors at Halbustat, a person highly esteemed for his learning about the year 1300. He also observes: "There were many other learned persons, especially among the Friars Preachers, who conversed with her in her lifetime, and testified to her learning and sincerity. The testimony of one who gent the following, after a most accurate revision of the book, I cannot withhold : ' I consider that no one having the Spirit of God in him can either find fault with or impugn anything written in this book. Nerved by the Spirit of Truth, from whom all wisdom emanates, I offer and hold myself bound unto death to meet any one in defence of the holy and Catholic doctrine contained in it.'" Such a testimony from a member of an Order ever dis tinguished for its theological learning and calm judgment, will carry a weight with it which renders further observa tion unnecessary ; and as the arrangement of the work has been fully explained elsewhere, we will conclude in the graceful and holy words of onr author : " Farewell, there fore, courteous reader ; we ask your forgiveness for any oversight herein, for none certainly has been deliberate. Here look for and study what is right and perfcct ; and may God, through the intercession of the same pioua virgin and the prayers of all pious readers hereof, have mercy upon me."