Who Was Girolamo Savonarola

The PNCC Seminary is named the Savonarola Theological Seminary.  The founder of the PNCC, Prime Bishop Francis Hodur held great admiration for Savonarola's work in attempting to reform the Roman Catholic Church.

A Brief Biography of Girolamo Savonarola

Girolamo Savonarola

Girolamo Savonarola was a Dominican friar and prophet who lived from 1452 to 1498.  Savonarola is considered to be the forerunner of the Reformation. He has been called the "15th century John the Baptist."

Savonarola, was born of a noble family at Ferrara in 1452.  In 1474 Savonarola received an education leading toward the medical profession. It is believed that due to romantic rejection Savonarola adopted a life of piety and asceticism. 

Savonarola entered the Dominican order at Bologna. He wrote to his father describing visions he had received: "And now the Prince of princes calls me with a loud voice, even prays me, O great love! with a thousand tears, to gird a sword on my side, and wishes to place me among His knights-militant. Fight!."

His early attempts at preaching in 1482 at Florence were deemed to be a failure. At the monetary of Brescia his zeal won attention.  At Brescia in 1486 he first expounded his thoughts and visions with powerful effect: "The Church will be scourged. The church will be renewed. This will happen soon."  In 1489 he was recalled to Florence. His interests were focused on morals and a practical view of the evils in society as opposed to Church dogma. His second appearance in the pulpit of San Marco, speaking on the sinfulness and apostasy of the time, was a popular triumph, and some hailed him as an inspired prophet.  His preaching spoke of prophecies, which he believed were revealed directly to him by God, and which subsequently appeared to come true with miraculous accuracy. He foretold the death of Pope Innocent VIII, the coming of a foreign power with a large army as a scourge of God, and the collapse of the Medici rule in Florence. His eloquent sermons and gift of predicting future events made him the most popular preacher in Florence.

Savonarola attracted many enthusiastic followers among them Botticelli and Michelangelo. While his fame and following increased, Savonarola continued to live an ascetic and pious life.

Savonarola was a magnetic orator. When he spoke, his listeners were aflame with enthusiasm. Savonarola's type of preaching was described as follows: "...people fell into ecstasy and wept. Listeners paled, trembled, their "eyes glazed with terror.. tears gushed from their eyes; they beat their breasts and cried to God for mercy." "The hairs of their heads stood up as they listened."

The people not only accepted Savonarola's program of religious reform, but also his political views concerning a democratic theocracy.  Savonarola had predicted the occupation of Florence by France under Charles VIII.  On 5 November 1494, a Florentine delegation led by Savonarola, was sent out to meet with Charles VIII at Pisa, with the explicit mandate to negotiate with "free and absolute authority" about matters concerning the preservation of the city. Charles VIII entered Florence on 17 November 1494. By 1495 Charles VIII was forced out of Italy and a republic was established in Florence, of which Savonarola became the guiding spirit.  His followers were nicknamed "the Weepers" because they flaunted intense emotion. The Weepers included women as well as men - the majority of the listeners depicted in a 1496 woodcut of him preaching in the Duomo are women. He spoke of a sword in the sky but, despite the torrid language, his political demands were creative: he preached popular government. The constitution adopted by the Florentine republic under his influence made it the most representative state in Renaissance Europe.

Savonarola's popularity with the Florentines began to wane when he denounced worldly goods.  Savonarola called for a collection of all the Florentines' worldly goods and distractions and had them burned in a "bonfire of the vanities."  Fine clothing, jewelry, makeup, and artworks were burned.

Pope Alexander VI did not escape Savonarola's call to repentance.  The Pope’s scandalous conduct troubled the people but none more than Savonarola.  Savonarola was focused on trying to change the corrupt Roman Church.

Alexander, incensed at Savonarola's political and religious activities tried to destroy him.  The pope first bribed him with a cardinal's hat.  When the bribe was not accepted Savonarola was ordered to appear for a hearing in Rome on a charge of heresy.  When he did not appear he was forbidden to preach.

Savonarola defied the pope preaching it was man's duty to resist the pope when in error, and appealed to a general church council against the pope.

In 1497 Savonarola was excommunicated by the Pope and was precluded from administering the sacraments.  Savonarola continued to zealously tend to the sick monks in his community during the plague.

A second "bonfire of the vanities" in 1498 led to riots.  During the following elections the Medici party came back into power. Savonarola was again ordered to desist from preaching, and was fiercely denounced by a Franciscan preacher, Francesco da Puglia.

Savonarola was subsequently brought to trial for claiming to have seen visions, uttering prophecies, religious error, and for sedition. Under torture he was made to admit to heresy, an admission he later withdrew.

Savonarola was declared guilty and a sentence of death was confirmed by Rome. On May 23, 1498, Girolamo Savonarola and two Dominican disciples were hanged and burned, still professing their adherence to the Church.

Savonarola and Alexander VI

While Savonarola may be considered an unsuccessful reformer in his day, he did prepare the way for religious revival and the reformation.  Savonarola was a contemporary of political, worldly, warlike popes, who have been historically disgraced by the nepotism that occurred under them and the personal vices in which they engaged.  These popes aimed to extend temporal dominion rather than spiritual good.

As Pope, Alexander VI was the worldly opposite of Savonarola's Christ-like life.  Savonarola lived a life that was chaste, indifferent to worldly possession, totally focused on God’s glory and man’s salvation.

Jesus had denounced the “greed and self-indulgence” of the religious leaders and the priests of His time. The vengeful priests then condemned Jesus of blasphemy and handed him over to the civil authorities for execution. Repeating history, the priests of the Inquisition condemned Savonarola of heresy and wrested his death sentence from a civil magistrate.