Inferno Cantos 18-27: If you thought babies in limbo was bad... -- Sophia Colbert
I'm going to play devil's advocate. Let's stir the pot once more on the topic of accountability! If you thought sending babies to Limbo was bad, you're going to lose your mind when you read about poor Guido do Montefeltro!
Once upon a time, there was a normal Italian monk going about his normal monkly business. His spiritual status was almost good enough for Heaven, but alas! he listened to that darn Pope Boniface VIII. He told the Pope that the secret to a healthy rule was to "be long/ on promises and short on keeping them." When he died, he saw St. Francis coming for him, but a demon claimed him for Hell, all because he gave bad advice under threat of excommunication. He now wanders Hell in a tongue of flame, wondering when that Pope will join him.
So why is this poor guy here? According to his account, he had been a faithful monk for the majority of his life. It was only that one time of defraud that earned him a spot in a deep region of Hell. Isn't that a little harsh? Theoretically, this monk would have repented of his sin in his daily prayers. Why wasn't he forgiven? David gave bad advice, and he makes a debut in Heaven later in the comedy! Pope Boniface VIII wasn't a highly respected guy either. Isn't it a good thing he gave him bad advice? Perhaps he didn't repent of his sin. Supposing so, shouldn't he be in purgatory? That's where the other people go when they don't repent before death.
I think his biggest mistake was thinking the Pope could forgive him for his sin that he was about to commit. I know back then the Pope had the power to mediate between man and God, but it was still a monk's duty to repent and confess privately. Another reason he could be in Hell is because he gave bad advice to the Pope, the leader of the church. Yes, Pope Boniface VIII was not the best Pope in the world, but he was still the head of the church. Guido's sin was his defining feature because he defrauded the head of the church.
Still... that was one time!
P.S. I commented on Eliza and Cody's posts.
Once upon a time, there was a normal Italian monk going about his normal monkly business. His spiritual status was almost good enough for Heaven, but alas! he listened to that darn Pope Boniface VIII. He told the Pope that the secret to a healthy rule was to "be long/ on promises and short on keeping them." When he died, he saw St. Francis coming for him, but a demon claimed him for Hell, all because he gave bad advice under threat of excommunication. He now wanders Hell in a tongue of flame, wondering when that Pope will join him.
So why is this poor guy here? According to his account, he had been a faithful monk for the majority of his life. It was only that one time of defraud that earned him a spot in a deep region of Hell. Isn't that a little harsh? Theoretically, this monk would have repented of his sin in his daily prayers. Why wasn't he forgiven? David gave bad advice, and he makes a debut in Heaven later in the comedy! Pope Boniface VIII wasn't a highly respected guy either. Isn't it a good thing he gave him bad advice? Perhaps he didn't repent of his sin. Supposing so, shouldn't he be in purgatory? That's where the other people go when they don't repent before death.
I think his biggest mistake was thinking the Pope could forgive him for his sin that he was about to commit. I know back then the Pope had the power to mediate between man and God, but it was still a monk's duty to repent and confess privately. Another reason he could be in Hell is because he gave bad advice to the Pope, the leader of the church. Yes, Pope Boniface VIII was not the best Pope in the world, but he was still the head of the church. Guido's sin was his defining feature because he defrauded the head of the church.
Still... that was one time!
P.S. I commented on Eliza and Cody's posts.
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