It would hardly be possible
to find a more instructive instance than this. The doctrine taught by
the Church of the 'character indelibilis' of the priesthood,
independently of the personality of the priest, had so far borne fruit
that it was possible to loathe the individual and still desire his
spiritual gifts. It is true, nevertheless, that there were defiant
natures like Galeotto of Mirandola, who died unabsolved in 1499) after
living for sixteen years under the ban of the Church. All this time the
city lay under an interdict on his account, so that no mass was
celebrated and no Christian burial took place.
A splendid contrast to all this is offered by the power exercised over
the nation by its great Preachers of Repentance. Other countries of
Europe were from time to time moved by the words of saintly monks, but
only superficially, in comparison with the periodical upheaval of the
Italian conscience. The only man, in fact, who produced a similar
effect in Germany during the fifteenth century, was an Italian, born in
the Abruzzi, named Giovanni Capistrano. Those natures which bear within
them this religious vocation and this commanding earnestness, wore then
in Northern countries an intuitive and mystical aspect. In the South
they were practical and expansive, and shared in the national gift of
oratorical skill.
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