Book of Gomorrah: An Eleventh-Century Treatise against Clerical Homosexual Practices

Appendix

APPENDIX This page intentionally left blank LETTER OF POPE LEO IX TO PETER DAMIAN The following translationof the letter of Pope Leo IX, "Ad splendidum nitentis," in reply to Peter Damian's Book of Gomorrah, is reprinted from J. Boswell, Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality, 36566 , with kind permission of the University of Chicago Press. The final part of the last sentence of the third last paragraph in Boswell reads, "or—what is horrible to mention as well as to hear—who have fallen into the last category." The modification 7 have introduced isprobably closer to the meaning. Boswell's note to this sentence: "Or, 'who have moved on to the rear'—a more literal reading of the words 'in terga praelapsi sunt'—but this seems inconsistent with the euphemistic terminology which otherwise characterizes the epistle" (p. 366). Boswell's note concluding the translation:"See pp. 211-12 above. Text in Mansi, 19:685-86. The ponderous complexity of the Latin text, characteristic of official letters, is reflected in the somewhat awkward translation" (p. 366). Bishop Leo, servant of the servants of God, to the hermit Peter beloved son in Christ, the joy of eternal beatitude. [Omitted by Boswell.] The book which you have published, my son, against the fourfold pollution of carnal contagion, frank in style and even more direct in reasoning, provides indisputable evidence of the intention of your mind to enter the holy fray on the side ofthe splendid might of shining modesty. You have indeed smitten wantonness of the flesh by thus striking with the arm of the spirit against obscene desire, clearly delineating the execrable vice by the authority ofvirtue, which, since it is itself immaculate, allows no uncleanness. Nor could it ever be the 95 96 Book of Gomorrah sort of thing which would lend itself to sordid vanities. Indeed these clerics concerning whose disgusting lives your wisdom has discoursed mournfully, fairly, and reasonably are rightly—altogether rightly— excluded from [literally, "do not belong to"] the bond of its inheritance , from which they have cut themselves off with voluptuous pleasures. Because if they lived chastely, they might be called not only the holy temple of God but also the sanctuary, in which the Lamb of God issacrificed in shining glory, through whom the horrid filth of the whole world is cleansed. Such clerics, of course, reveal by the testimony of their deeds, if not their words, that they are not what they are thought to be. For how could anyone be or even be called a cleric when he has not feared to do evil through his own will? About these things, sinceyou have written what seemed best to you, moved by holy indignation, it is appropriate that as you wish, we interpose our apostolic authority, so that we may remove any scrupulous doubt among those reading [this], and that it may be clear to all that the things contained in this little book, like water thrown on the fires of hell, have met with our approval. Therefore, lest the unpunished license of filthy desire should spread, it is essential to combat [it] with appropriate measures of apostolic severity, and moreover to give some evidence of strictness. Even though all those polluted by the filth of any of the four types [ofthis sin] mentioned areexcluded from all rank in the spotless church by the just censure of equity—both that of sacred councils and by our own judgment—yet we, acting more humanely, desire and ordain that those who elicited their seed either with their own hands or mutually with someone else, and even those who spilled it interfemorally, if it was not a long-standing practice or performed with many men and if they have restrained their desires and atoned for these shameful sins with a suitable penance, should be admitted to the same rank which they held while in sin (though they must no longer remain so), trusting in divine mercy. But there may be no hope of recovering their rank for those who are tainted with either of the two types of sin you have described—alone or with others—for a long time or with many men even for a short time, or—what is horrible to mention as well as to hear—who have fallen into anal relations. If anyone shall dare to criticize or question this decree of apostolic direction, let him know that he is...