Pedro de Moya - Vision of St Maria Magdalena di Pazzi - WGA16308

Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi, OCarm ( it, Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi; April 2, 1566 – May 25, 1607), was an Italian Carmelite

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...

and mystic. She has been declared a saint by the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Life

De' Pazzi was born at

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...

, Italy, on April 2, 1566, to Camillo di Geri de'

Pazzi The Pazzi were a noble Florentine family. Their main trade during the fifteenth century was banking. In the aftermath of the Pazzi conspiracy in 1478, members of the family were banished from Florence and their property was confiscated; the ...

, a member of one of the wealthiest and most distinguished noble families of

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

Florence, and Maria Buondelmonti. She was christened Caterina, but in the family was called Lucrezia, out of respect for her paternal grandmother, Lucrezia Mannucci. Smet, O. Carm., Joachim, ''The Carmelites: The Post Tridentine Period 1550–1600'', (vol III), La rinnovazione della Chiesa, Lettere dettate in estasi, Città Nuova – Edizioni O.C.D., 1986
At the age of nine de' Pazzi was taught how to

meditate Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm ...

by the family chaplain, using a then-recently published work explaining how one should meditate on the

Passion of Christ In Christianity, the Passion (from the Latin verb ''patior, passus sum''; "to suffer, bear, endure", from which also "patience, patient", etc.) is the short final period in the life of Jesus Christ. Depending on one's views, the "Passion" m ...

. Years later, this book was one of the items she brought with her to the

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...

. Around the age of nine is also when de' Pazzi began practicing mortification of the flesh through

self-flagellation Self-flagellation is the disciplinary and devotional practice of flogging oneself with whips or other instruments that inflict pain. In Christianity, self-flagellation is practiced in the context of the doctrine of the mortification of the flesh ...

, wearing a barbed metal

cilice A cilice , also known as a sackcloth, was originally a garment or undergarment made of coarse cloth or animal hair (a hairshirt) worn close to the skin. It is used by members of various Christian traditions (including the Catholic, Lutheran, A ...

, and wearing a home-made

crown of thorns According to the New Testament, a woven crown of thorns ( or grc, ἀκάνθινος στέφανος, akanthinos stephanos, label=none) was placed on the head of Jesus during the events leading up to his crucifixion. It was one of the in ...

. She received her First Communion at the then-early age of 10 and made a vow of virginity the same year. She experienced her first ecstasy when she was only twelve, in her mother's presence. From then on, she continued to exhibit what she considered to be many varied mystical experiences. In 1580, at age fourteen, de' Pazzi was sent by her father to be educated at a monastery of nuns of the

Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...

, but she was soon recalled to wed a young nobleman. Caterina advised her father of her vow, and he eventually relented and allowed her to enter

monastic life Christian monasticism is the devotional practice of Christians who live ascetic and typically cloistered lives that are dedicated to Christian worship. It began to develop early in the history of the Christian Church, modeled upon scriptural ex ...

. She chose the Carmelite monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Florence because the rule there allowed her to receive Holy Communion daily. On January 30, 1583, she was accepted as a

novice A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession with no prior experience. Religion Buddhism ...

by that community, and took the religious name of Sister Mary Magdalene.

Mystic

De' Pazzi had been a novice for a year when she became critically ill. Upon receiving the religious habit, one of the sisters asked her how she could bear so much pain without a murmur. Mary pointed to the

crucifix A crucifix (from Latin ''cruci fixus'' meaning "(one) fixed to a cross") is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the ''corpus'' (Lati ...

and said: Death seemed near, so her superiors let her make her profession of religious vows in a private ceremony, while lying on a cot in the chapel. Immediately after, she fell into an ecstasy that lasted about two hours. This was repeated on the following 40 mornings, each time after Communion.Foley OFM, Leonard, ''Saint of the Day, Lives, Lessons, and Feast'', (revised by Pat McCloskey OFM), Franciscan Median
As a safeguard against deception and to preserve the revelations, the de' Pazzi

confessor Confessor is a title used within Christianity in several ways. Confessor of the Faith Its oldest use is to indicate a saint who has suffered persecution and torture for the faith but not to the point of death.Pentecost week of the following year. That particular week was a preparation for a severe five-year trial that she relates. The fourth book records that trial, and the fifth is a collection of letters concerning reform and renewal. Another book, ''Admonitions'', is a collection of her sayings arising from her experiences in the formation of women in religious orders. It was believed that de' Pazzi could read the thoughts of others and predict future events. For instance, during one ecstatic event she predicted the future elevation to the papacy of Cardinal Alessandro de' Medici (as Pope Leo XI). During her lifetime, she allegedly appeared to several persons in distant places and cured a number of sick people. De' Pazzi died on May 25, 1607, at the age of 41. She was buried in the

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

of the monastery chapel. At her canonization in 1668 her body was declared miraculously incorrupt. Her relic corpse is located in the Monastery of Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi in Careggi.

Veneration

Medal commemorating the canonization of Pedro de Alcántara and Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi Women of the Book

Two years after de' Pazzi died, the Jesuit Vincenzo Puccini, her confessor, published the life of this Carmelite nun as an edifying example. The 1639 edition was augmented with material relating to the mystic's canonization, and was purposefully dedicated to two nieces of Pope Urban VIII. Numerous miracles allegedly followed de' Pazzi's death, and the process for her

beatification Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...

was begun in the year 1610 under

Pope Paul V Pope Paul V ( la, Paulus V; it, Paolo V) (17 September 1550 – 28 January 1621), born Camillo Borghese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 16 May 1605 to his death in January 1621. In 1611, he honored ...

, and completed under Pope Urban VIII in the year 1626. She was not, however,

canonized Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of s ...

until 62 years after her death, when

Pope Clement IX Pope Clement IX ( la, Clemens IX; it, Clemente IX; 28 January 1600 – 9 December 1669), born Giulio Rospigliosi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 20 June 1667 to his death in December 1669. Biography Ear ...

raised her to the altars on April 28, 1669. The church of the Monastery of Pažaislis, commissioned in 1662 in Lithuania, was one of the first to be consecrated in her honor. Puccini's successful biography first was translated into French in honor of her canonization. Nowadays, de' Pazzi herself is little known outside Italy, but her cult is very strong, especially in Florence.

Paulist Press The Paulist Fathers, officially named the Missionary Society of Saint Paul the Apostle ( la, Societas Sacerdotum Missionariorum a Sancto Paulo Apostolo), abbreviated CSP, is a Catholic society of apostolic life of Pontifical Right for men founded ...

issued a selection of her writings in English translation in their series of ''Classics of Western Spirituality''. Her importance in the Mission to the East especially in connection with India is recently explored. The quote ''Never utter in your neighbors' absence what you would not say in their presence.'' is attributed to her on the web.

Feast day

In 1670, the year after de' Pazzi's canonization, the feast day of the saint was inserted in the

General Roman Calendar The General Roman Calendar is the liturgical calendar that indicates the dates of celebrations of saints and mysteries of the Lord (Jesus Christ) in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, wherever this liturgical rite is in use. These cele ...

for celebration on May 25, the day of her death. In 1728, the date of May 25 was assigned instead to Pope Gregory VII, and her feast day was moved to May 29, where it remained until 1969, when it was restored to its original place in the calendar, as the true anniversary of her death.

Mortification

Pazzi was known to have worn little clothing and to have whipped herself with a

. According to researcher Ian Wilson, sometimes she would wear only a single garment but she would tear this off "in order to roll herself on thorns, or give herself another savage beating". Wilson described Pazzi as a "florid, sadomasochistic neurotic". Asti Hustvedt has written that "Pazzi wore a crown of thorns and a corset onto which she had attached piercing nails. She also walked barefoot through the snow, dripped hot wax onto her body, and licked the wounds of the diseased, including those afflicted with leprosy." The anthropologist

Eric Dingwall Eric John Dingwall (1890–1986) was a British anthropologist, psychical researcher and librarian. Biography Born in British Ceylon, Dingwall moved to England where he was educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge (M.A., 1912), and the Univer ...

wrote a chapter on Pazzi's alleged

masochism Sadomasochism ( ) is the giving and receiving of pleasure from acts involving the receipt or infliction of pain or humiliation. Practitioners of sadomasochism may seek sexual pleasure from their acts. While the terms sadist and masochist refer ...

and flagellant behaviors in ''Very Peculiar People'' (1962). Psychiatrist Armando Favazza in '' Bodies under Siege'' (3rd edition, 2011) wrote: Psychiatrist Kathryn J. Zerbe has written that Pazzi was a sufferer of ''

anorexia mirabilis Anorexia mirabilis, also known as holy anorexia or inedia prodigiosa or colloquially as fasting girls, is an eating disorder, similar to that of anorexia nervosa, that was common in, but not restricted to, the Middle Ages in Europe, largely affec ...

''. She also displayed behavioral symptoms of

bulimia Bulimia nervosa, also known as simply bulimia, is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by purging or fasting, and excessive concern with body shape and weight. The aim of this activity is to expel the body of calories eaten ...

.Garner, David M; Garfinkel, Paul E. (1997). ''Handbook of Treatment for Eating Disorders''. Guilford Press. p. 13.

References

External links

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Super Saints: St. Mary Magdalen de' Pazzi on Youtube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pazzi, Mary Magdalene De 1566 births 1607 deaths Nobility from Florence Mary Magdalene Carmelite nuns 16th-century Italian Roman Catholic religious sisters and nuns Carmelite mystics Venerated Carmelites 16th-century Christian saints 16th-century Christian mystics 17th-century Christian saints 17th-century Christian mystics Carmelite saints Incorrupt saints Italian Roman Catholic saints Christian female saints of the Early Modern era Women mystics Beatifications by Pope Urban VIII Religious leaders from Florence Canonizations by Pope Clement IX