Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi

Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi, born Caterina Lucrezia de' Pazzi on April 2, 1566, was an Italian Carmelite nun and mystic. She was canonized by the Catholic Church and is venerated for her profound spiritual experiences and writings.

Life and historical context

Born into one of Florence's noble and wealthy families, de' Pazzi was christened Caterina Lucrezia. From the age of nine, she was taught meditation and began practicing mortification of the flesh, including self-flagellation and wearing a barbed cilice. She received her First Communion at ten and made a vow of virginity that same year. At twelve, she experienced her first ecstasy, marking the beginning of a life of continued mystical experiences.

Initially intended for marriage, de' Pazzi's vow of chastity led her father to allow her to enter monastic life. She chose the Carmelite monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Florence, drawn by its rule allowing daily reception of Holy Communion. She was accepted as a novice on January 30, 1583, taking the name Sister Mary Magdalene.

Mystic and writings

During her novitiate, de' Pazzi experienced critical illness and made her religious profession while lying on a cot. Following this, she entered a prolonged ecstasy that repeated daily for forty mornings. To preserve her revelations, her confessor instructed her to dictate her experiences. Over six years, five large volumes of her visions and ecstasies were recorded, along with a collection of letters concerning reform and a book of her sayings, "Admonitions."

It was believed that de' Pazzi possessed the ability to read minds and predict future events, including the future papacy of Cardinal Alessandro de' Medici. She was also reported to have appeared to people in distant locations and cured the sick.

Veneration and legacy

De' Pazzi died on May 25, 1607, at the age of 41. Her body was declared miraculously incorrupt in 1668. The process for her beatification began in 1610, and she was beatified under Pope Urban VIII in 1626. Her canonization followed in 1669 by Pope Clement IX.

The church of the Monastery of Pažaislis in Lithuania was one of the first consecrated in her honor. While her direct knowledge may be limited outside Italy, her cult remains strong, particularly in Florence. Selections of her writings have been published in English, and her significance in missions, especially concerning India, is a subject of recent exploration.

Mortification practices

Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi engaged in severe mortification practices. These included scourging herself, wearing a crown of thorns and a corset with attached nails, walking barefoot through snow, dripping hot wax on her body, and licking the wounds of the diseased. Researchers have described her as a "florid, sadomasochistic neurotic" and noted her struggles with anorexia mirabilis and bulimic symptoms. Psychiatrist Armando Favazza documented her physical suffering in her final years, noting her emaciation, painful gums, falling teeth, and bedsores.