248 BuoniCattolici
votive Mass was free, the laity had a say in it. When the Franciscan Fra
Corrado asked Margherita of Cortona’s advice on what votive Masses to
say, she replied that Jesus himself had told her to have the Mass of the Dead
on Monday, that of the Passion on Friday, and that of the ‘‘Glorious Virgin
Mary’’ on Saturday.^81 Saint Bona of Pisa and her friends came one day to
request a votive Mass from her parish priest at San Martino. He demurred,
dissembling a sore throat that prevented him from singing that morning.
The real problem was a secret but minor hidden fault. Bona, with her spiri-
tual insight, called him aside, revealed the fault, and chastised him for his
scrupulosity.^82 The women got the votive Mass of their choice.
Priests existed to say Mass for the people, living and dead. This was the
priest’s unique privilege and his most serious obligation. Failure to celebrate
was to deny the living their rights and the dead their succor. So essential was
Mass to priestly service that the canons stripped a non–parish priest of his
benefice or living if he failed to say Mass at least once a year.^83 Canons of
collegiate churches and cathedrals received their stipends prorated according
to the number of times they celebrated Mass or were present to help chant
the Mass and Office.^84 The synod of Lucca excommunicated any new priest
who did not chant his first Mass within three months of ordination.^85 To
ensure that new priests celebrated correctly and with proper reverence, each
had an older, pious priest assigned to teach the chants and motions. Fra
Guglielmo of Piedmont did this for the Franciscan priest Salimbene of
Parma, who never forgot the help.^86 Some future priests began to practice
early. The young Ambrogio Sansedoni, a future Dominican, erected and
decorated sand altars while his knightly playmates built sand castles.^87 Gia-
como Salomone, a future Dominican, learned the priestly chants while a
child and organized a choir of his friends to sing the Mass parts while he
celebrated at a tiny altar. It was the only ‘‘game’’ (ludus) he really enjoyed.^88
People paid attention to the celebrant’s demeanor. The Franciscan minister
general Giovanni of Parma was famous among the clergy for celebrating
Mass every day, and among the laity for the devotion with which he chanted
it.^89
- Giunta Bevegnati,Legenda... Margaritae de Cortona, 9. 24 and 9. 72 , pp. 385 , 424 – 45.
82 .Vita [Sanctae Bonae Virginis Pisanae], 4. 42 ,p. 152. - Ravenna Council ( 1314 ), 13 ,p. 546.
- Mantua (cathedral chapter), ‘‘Constitutiones Antiquae Aecclesiae Mantuanae,’’ ed. Petro Torelli,
L’archivio capitolare della cattedrale di Mantova fino alla caduta dei Bonacolsi,Pubblicazioni della R. Accademia
virgiliana di Mantova, serie 1 : Monumenti 3 (Verona: Mondadori, 1924 ), 231 – 32. - Lucca Synod ( 1300 ), 32 ,p. 223.
- Salimbene,Cronica( 1248 ), 459 , Baird trans., 315.
- Gisberto of Alessandria et al.,Vita [B. Ambrosii], 1. 6 ,p. 182 ; on the growing sacramentality of high
medieval piety, see Andre ́Vauchez, ‘‘La valorisation de la pratique sacramentelle,’’Histoire du christianisme
des origines a`nos jours,ed Jean-Marie Mayeur et al. (Paris: Descle ́e-Fayard, 1990 ), 5 : 745 – 48.
88 .Vita [Beati Jacobi Veneti Ordinis Praedicatorum], 1. 1 ,p. 453. - Salimbene,Cronica( 1248 ), 433 , Baird trans., 297.