A Companion to Hildegard of Bingen

THE CANONIZATION AND DOCTORIZATION OF
HILDEGARD OF BINGEN*
George Ferzoco
The formal papal declaration of Hildegard’s sanctity was made on May 10,
2012, followed a few months later, on October 7, 2012, by a similar declaration
of her being a “Doctor of the Church.” Many people were surprised by
the former, insofar as it was assumed by almost everyone that Hildegard
had in fact been offfijicially considered a saint by the Roman Catholic
Church for many centuries. In fact, what had lasted for centuries was the
longest canonization process in the history of the Church—precisely, the
process to canonize Hildegard. That this surprise should be followed so
quickly by the decision to grant Hildegard the title of Doctor indicates
the great interest in the magistra’s image, character, teaching, and impact
over the course of over eight centuries. This article will trace the interest
demonstrated by the papacy and the curia in the cult of Hildegard, culminating
with its 2012 apotheosis.
Despite the many obvious signs of veneration toward Hildegard during
her life, upon her death in 1179, and afterward, it took close to 50 years
for an offfijicial papal investigation to be launched. Pope Gregory IX—who
had been papal legate in Germany in the fijirst years of the 13th century and
who surely would have known of Hildegard and her cult—sent a letter to
three clerics in Mainz less than a year after his election in 1227. Moved
by the entreaties of the nuns of Rupertsberg, he wanted from these men
copies of Hildegard’s works, and he demanded in particular a study of
Hildegard’s life, behavior, reputation, merits, and miracles that was based
on the testimony of trustworthy witnesses. The papal letter states:
We have inclined to the petitions of the sisters above mentioned, who do
not believe that what is made manifest by such great evidence should be
* Research on this article was made possible by the kind consideration of Angelo Cardinal
Amato, Prefect of the dicastry (or department) of the Congregazione per le Cause
dei Santi (Congregation for the Causes of Saints), and of the Rev. Vincenzo Criscuolo,
OFMCap, the Congregation’s relator generalis or general coordinator of the canonization
processes efffected under its aegis. Father Criscuolo in particular has made it possible for
me, as well as others interested in the fijigure of Hildegard, to study the documents relative
to the positio.