Borgias
Posted by Constanza on September 08, 1998 at 10:02:37:
In response to Celibates, written by Lesley on September 08, 1998 at 00:21:18
] Misty, I can't really give you many titles about the medieval church period but just from my general knowledge I can tell the following. First of all, this vow of celibacy was mostly lip service and the priest's and other officials sired plenty of children. The thing to remember is that the Church was a political body as well as a religious body and we all know that politics attracts all kinds of unscrupulous, immoral people. ;-) I am thinking in particular of the Borgias- you made want to read some on them. Papa, who was Alexander the something, used his daughter, Lucretia, as a political pawn, dissolving her marriages at will to make other more strategic alliances. Her brother Cesar was also embroiled in political intrigue. I think he was assasinated.
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Alejandro VI, I believe. His name was Rodrigo Borja and he was a Spaniard. He had several illegitimate children by an Italian mistress before he became Pope. Lucretia was married three times. Her first marriage was annulled and her second husband died in mysterious circumstances (it seems that Cesar killed him).
As for Cesar, he was the model for Macchiavelli's The Prince (you know, the one about the end justifies the means). He was an army captain, then a bishop or cardinal, but he then quitted and then married some noblewoman. (Actually, priests need the Pope's permit in order to forego their celibacy vows and marry).
- So that's where Prince Macchiavelli Came From! - Thanks! NFM Misty Ann Khan 14:04:29 9/09/98
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