中世纪教廷“封圣”问题研究——对“封圣”过程的非宗教层面考察

A Study of Canonization by the Holy See during the Middle Ages ——An Investigation of Canonization from a Non-religious Perspective

与历史悠久的圣徒崇拜史相比 ,教皇“封圣权”的获得是相对较晚的事情。在教皇正式行使“封圣权”的最初几个世纪中 (即中世纪中后期 ) ,教廷封授的新圣徒人数呈逐渐减少的趋势。之所以出现这一现象 ,从非宗教层面来看 ,其原因可归于“封圣”周期的渐趋延长、“封圣”所需费用的日益增加以及政治因素对“封圣”过程的影响 ,但最为主要的原因还是教廷“封圣”策略的变化。从根本上说 ,中世纪中后期“封圣”过程中出现的由多封型向少封型的转变是教廷谋取和巩固权力的反映 ,但其最终结果却与教廷的集权愿望背道而驰。

Compared with the long tradition of worship of the saints, the Papal right to canonize certain deceased Christians is quite a recent phenomenon. During the first centuries (the middle and later middle ages) of the exercise of the Papal right of canonization, the number of new saints canonized by the Holy See was on the decrease. Reasons for this, from a non religious perspective, consisted in the longer cycle of the canonization, the larger amount of money involved and the impact of political factors on the canonization process. But the most important of all was the change in the strategy of the Holy See in respect to canonization. In the final analysis, the incremental decrease in the number of people who attained sainthood was a reflection of the attempts on the part of the Holy See to seek and consolidate more power. But the ultimate results ran counter to its wishes.