The Two Easters of Jacopone da Todi
Jacopone at Casatenovo and Todi
The Italian word Pasqua – indicating the founding mystery of Christianity, the event of Christ’s death and resurrection – derives from the Hebrew Pesakh. This in turn refers to the “passing over” of Israelite homes by the Lord’s angel of death, when inflicting the final curse on their Egyptian captors. The result was Pharaoh’s release of the Israelites, who passed through the Red Sea, led by Moses, on their way towards the ‘Promised Land’.
Each of us must go through the darkness of death, but some have to pass through times of suffering, loneliness and despair in life that are no less distressing than death. These are moments when the crucified God appears as the only One who understands and loves us. The Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, on the day before he was hanged as a rebel against Nazism on April 9, 1944, wrote: “At the bottom of my heart only your name and your cross shine: for this I will be happy”. I cite this example, out of many, because April 9 of this 2023 was, coincidentally, Easter Day!
Jacopone had to go through at least two periods of despair and pain in his life. The first, around the age of 38, was marked by an existential anguish and psychological burnout that brought him to the edge of desperation. An encounter with Franciscan spirituality and the renunciation of everything that had guided his worldly life, led him to a true resurrection to hope and joy. This was Jacopone’s first Easter.
Later, at about 65 years of age, Jacopone was brought for the second time to the brink of despair through excommunication and harsh imprisonment by Boniface VIII. Despite isolation, hunger and deprivation of the Eucharist, Jacopone found the strength to forgive his enemies and join the crucified God in suffering. And this was his second Easter.
The details of these experiences, preserved in some beautiful laudi of Jacopone’s, formed the subject of two preparatory meetings for Easter in Casatenovo (Lombardy) and in Todi (Umbria) led by myself. The Casatenovo meeting was introduced by the priest, don Marco Rapelli and the laudi were read by Saverio Bari and Marianna Mothè de Freitas. The Todi meeting was introduced by Father Alfio Vespoli and the lauds were read by Andrea and Amane Brugnera.
In an extraordinarily encouraging sign: the Catholic Church and the Franciscan Fraternity once again honoured this great poet and mystic, to whom the institutions of the official Church owe a long debt of gratitude.
Below you can listen to the recording of the event in Italian.
