A Companion to Hildegard of Bingen

244 susanne ruge
teacher or judge (presidens rector, presidens iudex).78 The latter terms
explicitly indicate that the priest has a representative function: during
confession, he is the mouthpiece of God, in that “a person reveals his sins
to God through the ear of his priest.”79 When the priest imposes penance,
he stands in place of Christ in judgement.80
The presiding master’s (magister) responsibility in this task is so great
that it is accorded a separate section at the end of part fijive.81
The master should reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the soul
and the character of his subordinates as well as the character of their
sins, and consider exactly to what extent they were seduced. And he should
assist each penitent according to the intention of the sinner’s aptitude and
according to the degree of the sin and according to the type of penance.82
The master should distinguish between the “hardened and rough” (duris
et asperis), for whom the scourge should be kept in readiness (in order to
drive out the strong self-will), and those for whom “a small light is sufffijicient
to provide full illumination.” The latter are in danger of being “entirely
extinguished” if they are addressed too harshly, and thus they should be
treated gently.83 In particular, those who have sinned grievously are most
deserving of assistance during penance. This follows the guidelines of the
Benedictine Rule, which encourages all to hate vices (vitia) but to love
the brothers.84 The Benedictine Rule’s guidance for abbots stands as a
background for this entire section about masters.85
Even when the master determines the measure of penance, this act
is always described in an active manner, in that the penitent imposes
the penance. This explicitly emphasizes that the penitent undertakes the
penance of his or her own volition. This is thus a conscious decision, as
78 iudex: Vite mer., 1.88, p. 54: “iudicum suorum”; more often presidens iudex: 1.84, p. 52:
“presidentis sibi iudicis”; 1.122, p. 64: “sibi presidentis iudicis”; rector, 1.107, p. 60: “suarum
rectore”; more often presidens rector: 4.51, p. 205, 4.58, p. 208, 5.41, p. 246: “sibi presidentis
rectoris”; praeceptor: 2.58, p. 106: “preceptoris sui”; ductor: 1.95, p. 56: “ductoris sui”; prelatus:
1.92, p. 55: “prelate sibi”; 3.58, p. 160: “prelatis suis.”
79 Vite mer., 5.76, p. 257, l. 1298: “homo peccata sua per aurem sacerdotis Deo manifestat.”
80 Ibid., 1.79, p. 49, ll. 1364–65: “Iudex autem iste sacerdos in uice eiusdem Filii mei est.”
81 Ibid., 5.69–74, pp. 255–57.
82 Ibid., 5.69, p. 255, ll. 1249–53: “Magister autem animarum fortitudinem et imbecillitatem
ac qualitatem subditorum suorum et qualitatem peccatorum eorum considerabit, et
etiam qua intentione peracta sint perspiciet; et unicuique penitenti iuxta considerationem
nature ipsius, et iuxta modum peccati, ac iuxta modum penitentie astabit.”
83 Ibid., 5.70, p. 256, ll. 158–60: “Ad illos autem qui cum paruo lumine lucent, cum lenitate
loquatur: quia si eos cum acerbitate circumdare uoluerit, omnino extinguentur.”
84 Timothy Fry, ed., The Rule of St. Benedict in Latin and English with Notes (Collegeville,
Minn., 1981), 64.11, pp. 282–83.
85 The Rule of St. Benedict, chapter 2.23–25, pp. 174–75; 2.28, pp. 176–77; 2.32, pp. 176–77.