Katherine nodded, her eyes sparkling with pride. The movement caught Julia’s attention, and a short look passed between the two women.
“With the understanding that Dante believes the souls that inhabit Hell do so justly, let’s reconsider Guido’s story. The demon sees Francis and shouts at him, saying that Guido’s soul belongs in Hell and that it would be robbery for Francis to take it. If that’s true, why would Francis appear?”
Julia paused, hoping that the audience would join her in considering the question.
“A survey of the literature in Dante studies for the past fifty years reveals at least two interpretations of this passage. First, that Guido is truthful and Francis appeared for his soul. Second, that Guido is lying and Francis didn’t appear at all.
“I believe that both possibilities are too extreme. For the first interpretation to be the correct, we’d have to attribute either ignorance or injustice to Francis, neither of which is reasonable.
“The second interpretation asserts that Francis didn’t appear, but then the demon’s speech doesn’t make sense, since Guido cannot steal his own soul. So we’re left with a puzzling report of Francis’s appearance, accompanied by an explanation that strains credulity. The explanation is given by Guido and a demon, neither of whom is trustworthy.
“I believe we can solve the puzzle of Francis’s appearance by rejecting Guido’s explanation, and substituting one that would be consistent with Francis’s life and character. According to my interpretation, Francis appeared and was seen by the demon. But the demon misunderstood why Francis was there.”
Julia began to grip the lectern more tightly, as the members of the audience began to murmur. Her mouth felt dry as the desert, but she continued, her eyes locked on Gabriel’s.
“Much as it might be . . . comforting to think of Francis coming down from Heaven like an archangel to fight for Guido’s soul, that can’t be what happened.” A look passed between the Emersons before Julia continued.
“Guido capitalizes on Francis’s well-known commitment to his brothers, no doubt thinking that reasonable people will believe that he appeared at the death of a fellow Franciscan. Further, Guido wants Dante to spread this tale, so others will think that he was important enough to merit the saint’s attention, or that his condemnation to Hell was a mistake.
“The demon, thinking to persuade Francis not to rob him, explains why Guido deserves to be in Hell. Guido sought absolution for the sin of fraudulent counsel before he committed the sin. He believed absolution would free him from the consequences of his sin, and so he willingly and unrepentantly committed fraud against the Colonna family.
“The demon points out that absolution only works if the human being repents. You can’t sin intentionally and be repentant of your sin at the same time.” Julia gave the audience a tentative smile. “Absolution isn’t like fire insurance.”
(At this, a few members of the audience, including Paul, laughed.)
“Guido cloaks himself in Franciscan robes and preemptive absolution, but he’s a fraud. Francis would have known this. If anything, Guido shamed the Franciscans by behaving the way he did.
“Although Francis could have condemned Guido’s sin, he remains silent. He can’t save Guido. He has to watch as the demon takes Guido by the hair and drags him down.
“The ugliness of the demon’s shouting and Guido’s false Franciscanism appear even worse when contrasted with Francis’s quiet, pious presence. His silence and lack of action give the lie to the demon’s explanation that Francis is there to steal. And his silence forces us to reexamine Guido’s tale.
“Would Francis have been so passive in trying to rescue a soul that was condemned unjustly? Of course not. But since Guido hasn’t repented of his sin, all Francis can offer him is his silent compassion and, possibly, his prayers.”
Julia paused and intentionally looked in Christa’s direction.
“Francis could have argued with the demon. He could have called him a liar for presenting a false account of his appearance. He could have protested that the demon is simply gossiping about him. But instead of fighting to preserve his good name, Francis is quiet so that the evil can be heard for exactly what it is.”
Julia shifted her gaze to the other conferencegoers, noting numerous nods of agreement and Paul’s wide, expressive grin.
“Guido would have us believe that St. Francis was either gullible enough to believe that Guido belonged in Heaven or arrogant enough to believe that he could second-guess God. Guido would have us believe that Francis confronted a demon but lost, because he wasn’t smart enough to best the demon in a match of logic.