Mackenzie Warner
In Babylon on the Rhone the author describes a city that is bursting with every sort of evil thought of. Babylon, in Christian language is seen as a mixture of all types of people, it was thriving metropolis before Christ and Christianity was born and there were no one ruling religion. It had such a mixture of people and beliefs that in the eyes of strict christians, it could be seen as devilish. But, the city that is being discussed in these letters is Avignon. A city in France, that sits on the Rhone River. Hence Babylon on the Rhone. The letter describes Avignon and specifically the papacy as corrupt, evil, and believing “only money is savior”. The author goes on to discuss the papacy as “old children with white hair”, and shares one story specifically. A church leader who knows not of celibacy, fornicates with anyone and everyone, but especially the poor because he takes food and riches to them. He tricks a young girl into marrying him, she is very upset learning that she married such an ugly old man, but instead of consoling her with words of wisdom he simply puts on his cardinal cloak and hat, and the girl enters into the marriage willingly.
This letter in my opinion is written by someone who sees the flaws in Christianity and wants to end the corruption of not only Avignon but also the entirety of the Christian realm. All of the authors were scholastic people who specialized in the humanities, philosophy and poet. Along with blatantly describing Avignon as the worst place ever and the papacy as evil and corrupt, I found it interesting how they described the girl in the story. She was poor and told that she could be elevated in status if she agreed to this marriage, but once she saw the man, she was repulsed. However, by seeing him as a cardinal she agreed. This shows how important the ascetic’s for these people were and how their virtues and morals were of little importance. I think this metaphor shows how not just Avignon but of the larger Christianity community has lost sight of the christian values and have become obsessed with materials and money.
In Babylon on the Rhone the author describes a city that is bursting with every sort of evil thought of. Babylon, in Christian language is seen as a mixture of all types of people, it was thriving metropolis before Christ and Christianity was born and there were no one ruling religion. It had such a mixture of people and beliefs that in the eyes of strict christians, it could be seen as devilish. But, the city that is being discussed in these letters is Avignon. A city in France, that sits on the Rhone River. Hence Babylon on the Rhone. The letter describes Avignon and specifically the papacy as corrupt, evil, and believing “only money is savior”. The author goes on to discuss the papacy as “old children with white hair”, and shares one story specifically. A church leader who knows not of celibacy, fornicates with anyone and everyone, but especially the poor because he takes food and riches to them. He tricks a young girl into marrying him, she is very upset learning that she married such an ugly old man, but instead of consoling her with words of wisdom he simply puts on his cardinal cloak and hat, and the girl enters into the marriage willingly.
This letter in my opinion is written by someone who sees the flaws in Christianity and wants to end the corruption of not only Avignon but also the entirety of the Christian realm. All of the authors were scholastic people who specialized in the humanities, philosophy and poet. Along with blatantly describing Avignon as the worst place ever and the papacy as evil and corrupt, I found it interesting how they described the girl in the story. She was poor and told that she could be elevated in status if she agreed to this marriage, but once she saw the man, she was repulsed. However, by seeing him as a cardinal she agreed. This shows how important the ascetic’s for these people were and how their virtues and morals were of little importance. I think this metaphor shows how not just Avignon but of the larger Christianity community has lost sight of the christian values and have become obsessed with materials and money.