Legislating Female Religious in Fifteenth-Century Rome (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: Legislating Female Religious in Fifteenth-Century Rome
Author: Mary Harvey Doyno
Abstract: In a 1433 bull issued to the Oblates of Tor de’Specchi, the community of secular religious women founded by Francesca Romana, Pope Eugenius IV approved these women’s dedication to charity, their intense penitential commitment, and their desire to live together communally. However, he stopped short of awarding their way of life a precise canonical status. While this bull has been seen as a critical part of the establishment of Francesca Romana’s community, its role in the papacy’s centuries long efforts to corral, contain, and control the great variety of religious vocations taken up by secular Roman women has not been considered. This paper will explore Eugenius’ efforts on behalf of the Oblates in conjunction with other fifteenth-century papal legislation to understand the origins and significance of the curia’s interest in establishing the confines of a proper female religious life outside of the convent.
Date: 11/18/2021
Conference Name: Early Modern Rome 4

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