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is. ST. BIRGITTA AT ROME AND IN THE EAST. 137
will struggled with sickness on the journey, and her revela
tions continued, and were extended to Cyprus and to the
prelates of the Greek Church. She lived to return to Rome,
and there breathed her last with great piety and trust the
23rd July, 1373. She did not foresee that a younger saint
than herself, Catharine of Siena, a friend of her own
daughter Katharine, would be more successful, and actually
would procure the return of Pope Gregory XI. only a few
years later. Birgitta herself was canonized in 1391 by Boni
face IX. But, inasmuch as this took place during the great
schism, the interests of the order, which was subject to a
good deal of jealousy and suspicion, both theological and
practical, required a further confirmation of her sanctity,
and of the value of her revelations. The question of the
authority to be attached to the latter was raised at the Coun
cil of Constance in 1415 by the greatest theologian of the
day, John Gerson, Chancellor of the University of Paris,
in a tract written for the purpose, which he entitled De
probatione spirituum (Opera, t. i. 37-43, Antverpiae,
1706). He notices the difficulty involved in either approv
ing or rejecting her revelations, and complains that they
were not properly before the council for the purpose of
examination.
The eleventh consideration of this tract seems to be
especially directly against Birgitta. It warns the council
of the danger of a woman having long conversations with
her confessor under pretext of frequent confession, and
prolix narration of her visions, or any other excuse for ex
cessive talking.
"
There is scarcely any other plague
which is more effective to do mischief or more hard to
heal," he exclaims, and then goes on to quote Virgil s
description of Dido s dangerous conversations with
Aeneas. The University of Oxford was also concerned
to oppose the multiplicity of canonizations. Birgitta s
second canonization was, however, solemnly performed by
Pope John XXIII. ,
who had already issued an immense
bull, generally called, from its size, Mare magnum, the
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