Impact Of Simony On Dantes Inferno

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Canto XIX: Simony’s Impact on The Medieval World In Canto XIX of Dante’s Inferno, the first book in his widely known trilogy The Divine Comedy, the sin of Simony is depicted with vivid symbolism and strong theological implementations. Simony, a sin defined as “the buying or selling of ecclesiastical or spiritual benefits; especially the sale or purchase of preferment or office in the church (Oxford English Dictionary),” is punished in the eighth circle of hell, condemning simoniacs to be stuck upside- down in holes while their legs and feet are burned by flames. Not only does this punishment hold significant symbolism in itself, but it also speaks to the seriousness the ceremony has on Dante’s contemporary society. Dante’s imagery of the punishment …show more content…

Even those who were considered heretics, the Albigensians, critique the church for its corruption and simony. Drawing from Bernard Gui’s critical opinion of the Albigensians in Medieval Sourcebook: Bernard Gui on the Albigensians, they claim “the churchmen sell this water out of avarice, just as they sell earth for the burial of the dead, and oil to the sick when they anoint them, and as they sell the confession of sins as made to the priests. Hence, they claim that confession made to the priests of, the Roman Church is useless, and that, since the priests may be sinners, they cannot loose nor bind, and, being unclean in themselves, cannot make others clean (Gui).” These “attacks” on the Church by the Albigensians directly call out the rampancy of simony and corruption within Church positions. In conclusion, the punishment and discussion of simony in Dante’s Canto XIX is highly emblematic and important in understanding the highly religious social climate at the time the Inferno was

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