did not understand the Greek language. They did not know enough Greek to be able to read their rule or understand their office. In 1221 Pope Honorius III (1216-1227) heard that the Basilian monks of Calabria and Apulia were in a parlous state; they were ignorant, lazy, and a scandal to the people. So he sent the Bishop of Cotrone and the Archimandrite of Grottaferrata as visitors, to see about reforming them.[1] Urban V (1362-1370) in 1370 made the Archbishop of Otranto visitor to all the Basilian monasteries in the South. He was to see to it that their liturgical books contained no errors. Their ignorance of Greek was believed to have allowed various errors of the schismatics to creep into their prayers.[2] In 1424 Martin V (1417-1431) again sent a visitor, Laurence Carella, Archdeacon of Ascoli.[3] The civil Government also tried to improve the condition of these monks. Alphonsus I (1442-1458), established schools of the Greek language for them, and threatened that, if they would not learn, he would take away their monasteries and give them to Latins.[4] Pope Eugene IV (1431-1447) summoned a synod of the monks to Rome in 1446, appointed regular visitors for their monasteries and Greek teachers, whom the monasteries had to pay out of their revenues. But the monks would not pay to be taught Greek, and there were further difficulties.[5] In 1461 the Town Council of Messina set up a school where its monks were to be taught their liturgical language.[6]
Cardinal Bessarion was commendatory Archimandrite of St Saviour at Messina, then of Grottaferrata. As he was one of the chief protectors of the Byzantine rite in Italy in his time, so he took a special interest in the Byzantine monasteries.[7] Since the monks knew so little Greek, he translated the rule of St Basil into Italian for them. In the Preface of this translation he says: "Some men, following the monastic life, especially in Italy and Sicily, pretend to keep the laws and rules of that life, yet, ignorant of the Greek language, being born of Latin parents, cannot read Greek, or if they can read it,
- ↑ Ughelli, "Italia sacra," ix, 385.
- ↑ The Brief is quoted in full by Rodotà, ii, 133.
- ↑ Rodotà, ii, 135. The instructions given to these visitors all insist on the need of radical reform.
- ↑ Rodotà, ii, 135-136.
- ↑ Ibid., 136.
- ↑ Ibid., 137.
- ↑ R. Rocholl, "Bessarion, Studie zur Gesch. der Renaissance" (Leipzig, 1904), "Die Basilianer," pp. 79-85. In 1446 Bessarion was appointed Protector of the O.S. Bas. in Italy.
