Ascension Homily of Pope Saint Leo the Great and Girolamo Savonarola

Jude Thaddeus Langeh

HSTD602: History and Preaching

May 03, 2020

 Introduction

At the heart of the Christian gospel is the Paschale Sacramentum (Paschal Mystery), that

is, the Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. While most

theologians will concentrate on the first three, some very significant homileticians have preached

great sermons on the Ascension. Two of such will be the object of our essay.

Our comparative essay thus will treat the Ascension Homily of Pope Saint Leo the Great

in the Fifth Century and Girolamo Savonarola of the 15th Century. Our writeup will have two

main parts: Firstly, we will present a summary of their biographical, historical/ homiletic contexts.

Secondly, we will make a comparative study of their Ascension Sermons.

Chapter 1

Biography and historical context of Pope Leo the Great and Girolamo Savonarola

1.1. Pope Saint Leo the Great within the Fifth Century Christianity

Leo was born c. 400 AD in Tuscany. “The Great” was appended to him because he was:

one of the greatest Pontiffs to have honored the Roman See”. He was elected 45th Pope in 440.

During his long pontificate of 21 years from 440 to 46, like other Church fathers in his era, he

defended the Church when “heretics wrought more grievous havoc among souls”1. He opposed

the Pelagians, the Nestorians the Manicheans and defended Rome against Barbarians and Vandals.

He defended the Incarnation doctrine and convoked the council of Chalcedon in 451. He died on

November 10, 461 in Rome. Augustin had much influence on Pope Leo. Proclaimed Doctor of the

Church in 1754 by Benedict XIV, Leo left many homilies, prayers and letters full of teachings.

1
John Gilmary Shea, Pictorial Lives of the Saints (New York; Cincinnati; Chicago: Benziger Brothers, 1887), 179.

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1.2. Girolamo Savonarola: Dominican Eloquent Preacher of the 15th Century Italy

Girolamo Savonarola was born in Ferrara in 1452. In 1475, he was admitted into the

novitiate of the Dominican Order. Florence was under the sway of the Medici and Savonarola

aimed at establishing an ideal Christian commonwealth there. After Charles VIII of France invaded

Florence in 1494, the ruling Medici were removed. Savonarola became the new leader of the city,

both as a secular leader and priest. He attracted many hearers by his diatribes against corruption

and moral decadence. He attacked Pope Alexander VI, and his doom was practically sealed. In

1495 he was forbidden to appear in the pulpit. In 1497, he and his followers went to the Piazza

della Signoria, and burned cosmetics, obscene pictures, books, works of poets, paintings by

famous artists, etc. This event is now called the “Bonfire of the Vanities”. During his Ascension

Day sermon on May 4, 1497, groups of young men (Compagnacci) rioted. They had previously

planned to put explosives in the pulpit which were replaced by nails and ordure on the day2. On

May 13, 1497, Savonarola was excommunicated, and on May 23, 1498, he was hanged and burnt.

Chapter 2

Ascension Sermon by Pope Saint Leo the Great and Girolamo Savonarola

2.1. Summary of their Homilies

Pope Leo the Great, delivered ninety-seven surviving sermons and these were preserved in

two series within his lifetime. Out of these, two of them pertain to Ascension3: Homilia 73

preached on June 1, 444 and Homilia 74 preached May 17, 445. While the first is divided into four

2
Girolamo Savonarola, Selected Writings of Girolamo Savonarola, Religion and Politics, 1490-1498, (New Haven
and London, Yale University Press, 2006), xxix
3
Original text in Latin published on Father Gray Coulter’s web page http://frcoulter.com/leo/index.html and for
English translations cf. Saint Leo the Great, Sermons, (Washington, The Catholic University of America
Press, 1996), 322-329.

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parts, the second is divided into five parts4. However, we shall concentrate on his first ascension

sermon. Homilia 73 is dated on June 1, 444 and has the following parts: I) The events recorded as

happening after the Resurrection were intended to convince us of its truth. II) And therefore they

are in the highest degree instructive. III) They prove the Resurrection of the flesh. IV) Christ's

Ascension has given us greater privileges and joys than the devil had taken from us. The climax

of the Hom. 73 is when Leo asserts that “Christi ascensio, nostra provectio est” – “the Ascension

of Christ is our elevation”5.

Girolamo Savonarola’s Ascension Day sermon6 was preached on May 4, 1497, from the

famous Duomo cathedral in Florence. It was based on the biblical text of Luke 24:51 and seven

main ideas can be deduced from the sermon: Firstly, substance and accidents. While men

concentrate on the accidents, only the light of Christ can help us understand the substance.

Secondly, there is a link between the Incarnation and the Ascension. It pleased God to assume our

flesh. However, if we concentrate only on the flesh, there is much in God cannot understand.

Savonarola in the third idea encourages his listeners to cultivate the faith which leads to the Savior.

In the fourth main idea, he insists again on the importance of the light of faith through the story of

Balak and Balaam found in Numbers 22-24. Drawing from this, the fifth main point in the homily

is an admonition that we should never forsake the truth. The sixth major point is a message of

hope. He encourages all to open eyes to see God. He concludes with the seventh main point

showing that God will oppose the proud by drawing from the imagery of the poor fishermen

(Apostles).

4
Cf. New Advent website by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360373.htm>.
5
Cf. Patrick Regan, Advent to Pentecost: Comparing the Seasons in the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of the
Roman Rite, (Collegeville, Liturgical Press, 2012), 284.
6
William M. Pinson and Clyde E Fant Jr., 20 Centuries of Great Preaching - Volume One: Biblical Sermons to
Savonarola A. D. 27-1498 (Waco: Word Books, 1974), 273-282. Reprinted from The World’s Great
Sermons, comp. Grenville Kleiser, vol. 1 (New York: Funk & Wagnalls Co., 1908), 93-112

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2.2. Comparing and contrasting the Ascension sermons of Leo the Great and Savonarola

Leo the Great and Savonarola, despite their different audiences and epochs have one central

theme preached: the Ascension. We shall compare and contrast them on the following:

Same theme of Faith: Leo the Great and Savonarola uphold the centrality of faith. For

Leo, Christ's Ascension is a strong symbol of the certainty of faith. Ascension is an invitation to

doubt no longer about the Resurrection. In sermon 73.1 and 73.4, he clearly says that “our faith in

his Resurrection is being strengthened”. In 73.4, he uses roborare as an emphasis to translate

“strengthened”. Savonarola also consecrates many paragraphs to insist on the light of faith which

leads Christians to rise above the world to follow Christ. There is need to overcome fear and have

faith for “without faith it is impossible to please God”.

References with Biblical Texts: Leo the Great and Savonarola make use of Biblical texts

to back up their homily. In Sermon 73, Leo begins with the resurrection event, passing through the

Emmaus event, following his appearances and then culminating in the Ascension. This is the

pattern of Luke 24. When alluding to the destruction of the Temple and its being raised up after

three days (73.1), he is quoting Jn 2:19, Acts 2:24 and 3:15. He cites Eph 1:20–21 and many other

parts of the scripture. In 73.4, he cites “ill will of the devil” referring to Wis 2:24. Savonarola’s

sermon centered on Luke 24:51. He also quotes Eph 4:8 on the Holy Spirit who will teach us the

light of faith. He quotes Numbers 22-24 backing up his tenets with the story of Balak and Balaam,

finds solace in Jeremiah 15:10 and concludes his sermon by quoting Mark 15:16ff.

Divergence in style and literary devices: Leo the Great and Savonarola differ greatly in

style. Leo is characteristically Latin in both his preaching. His style is a combination and

integration of liturgy, doctrine, and praxis. His ascension sermons are crafted with a keen

awareness of the liturgical context in which they were “Magna in eis confirmata sacramenta,

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magna sunt revelata mysteria”, Hom. 73.2. This sermon style gives us a great understanding of

sacramental theology. This is because the Church confirms that sacramentum and mysterion in

greek are synonyms. Savonarola’s homily takes a self-defense or self justifying and apologetic

style. It is obvious that he was using a diatribe style to attack Church and civil authority and be

antagonistic against the “lazy monks”. Savonarola also used “apocalypticism and prophecy to

preach against the ruling Medici family and papal corruption”7. In his ascension homily he makes

a mixture of politics, self-defence morality and attack to the authority. His navigation into

Numbers 22-24 made his style less smooth.

Conclusion

The study of the Ascension homilies of Pope Leo the great and Savonarola have been a

very great experience. Though from different epochs, they were able to bring about the importance

of the Ascension in our Christian faith and on the importance of looking up to Christ. It has been

a very great learning process. The two homilies have taught me the importance of faith in order to

come to Christ.

I am quite inspired by Pope Leo the Great's ability to combine and integrate liturgy,

doctrine, and praxis in his sermons. He upheld the orthodoxy of his time. I am also a leader and

provincial superior of a religious order. I also have to defend these virtues in my homilies to edify

my confreres. I admire the courage of Savonarola who peached with courage against the vices of

his time. These two great preachers remain great pillars of our time!

7
Richard P. Macbrien, The Harpercollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism, (New York, HarperCollins Publishers,
1989), 1165. He reminds his audience in his homilies that Jesus will come back just like in Daniel 7.