Paradiso: The Third Sphere, Cunizza, Folquet, Rahab

2005-04-04T20:01:00.000-07:00

Today is the day of Saint Isidore of Seville, the patron saint of the Internet -- homage is due this saint whose seemingly limitless erudition paved the way for the great cataloging of knowledge that led to the development of the first "database," which was used by scholars and Churchmen alike for almost a thousand years following his death.

The souls with whom we speak in this canto are again those of the amorous who take Charles Martel's place in the explication of their happiness, a thing which Aristotle explains to seem, "even if it is not god-sent but comes as a result of virtue and some process of learning or training, to be among the most godlike things." We meet Cunizza, who, but for the grace of God, would have been whipped eternally with Francesca around the tornados of hell's second circle. Her having turned toward God achieved for her heaven; her manumission of her slaves sped her to her destination faster than she would have gone without the good work. The same is true of Folquet, who turned his love to God, and Rahab, who turned from her harlotry toward God's service. When these souls thought of passion, they invested all their energies in it; likewise, when they thought of God, they could do no less than give utterly and entirely of themselves. Such is the grace with which we're all endowed now that we have the power to sin -- there is no sin that cannot be cleansed by a reorienting of the self to God. If there were, then it would be wrong for the priest to say, "Go and sin no more" to the truly repentent soul.

S.

Heaven: Canto 9 -- The Third Heaven: Venus

Paradiso: The Third Sphere, Cunizza, Folquet, Rahab