I first heard of the Christian polymath Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola ( 1463-1494) from the late Jack Lunzer, the owner and curator of the Valmadonna Trust Library that a few years ago was sold off at Sotheby’s in New York in 2017 and ended up at the National Library of Israel.
This amazing collection of Hebrew manuscripts and books was kept originally in his North London home where I was occasionally invited to join him. He told me that of all the Medieval and renaissance Christian religious personalities he had encountered, Pico Della Mirandola was his favorite. Not something I think he would have confessed to any of the many rabbis with whom he was friendly with over the years and who came to visit him and his amazing collection
I will call him Pico for short. He was born near Modena into a noble family. A brilliant child destined for a career in the Church. He mastered poetry, scriptures, mathematics, philosophy, jurisprudence, astronomy, and natural science. A true renaissance man. He studied for several years in Paris where he became fascinated by mysticism. He went on to study the Kabbalah in Padua with rabbi Elia ben Moshe del Medigo, a follower of Maimonides and a Kabbalist, who wrote Sefer Bechinat ha-Dat (The Examination of Religion). Pico introduced Kabbalah to the church in the belief that it would strengthen Christian theology. And became friendly with the controversial and heretical Florentine Savonarola (Bonfire of the Vanities).
At 23 he published his 900 Theses which tried to reconcile different philosophical theological traditions. Unsurprisingly the church was not impressed. Pope Innocent 8th declared Pico’s work heretical and demanded that all copies of the thesis be burnt. It was the first printed book ever to be banned by the church. Though the Church had ordered burning the Talmud in Paris earlier in the 13th century. Pico campaigned to defend Judaism against its enemies in the Church, together with Johannes Reuchlin (1455-1522) a German Dominican cleric and Hebrew scholar who was also interested in Jewish mysticism. Which made both of them even more unpopular with the Papacy.
Pico fled to France in 1488, where he was arrested but was allowed to move to Florence and live under Lorenzo’s protection. He was cleared in 1493, after the accession of the controversial Rodrigo Borgia to the papacy. Pico gave up his fortune and hopes of a career in the church and died mysteriously at the age of 31. Some say poisoned by his enemies.
I spent some time reading as much as I could of his work before my career took me off in different directions. But I have always had a soft spot for controversial heretics, particularly if they are pro Jewish.
I was reminded of him just this week by an article in The Spector magazine about a book called “The Grammar of Angels: A Search for the Magical Powers of language” that followed the career of Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola and his search for divine wisdom. The review is not particularly positive, but the subject took me back in time to earlier, youthful days and memories.
As the Vatican prepares to choose a successor for the ailing Pope Francis, one wonders who will lead the Catholic Church now. What will its attitude to the Jews change? The Vatican is complex, politically unpredictable and often corrupt, as the recent fictional movie “ Enclave” well illustrates. And like all hierarchies it has rival camps and vested interests all vying for control. Since Pope John23rd, the Catholic Church has taken huge steps to change its well-entrenched anti-Jewish (and Israel) biases. Indeed, it is far less antagonistic than much of the Establishment Protestant world is today. Recent Popes, John Paul, Benedict and Francis have been very positive, not only in their attitude to Jews in general, but particularly in Francis’s case they have personal, close friends amongst Jews.
But recently, as Francis, has ailed, the Vatican has published opinions that are at best controversial and at worst antagonistic to our interests. So, although of will might be. If only it would be someone as charismatic, broadminded, intellectually honest and fearless, as Pico Della Mirandola on the Throne of St Peter. I am hoping, these days, more and more for miracles. Including this one.
Happy Month of Adar
PS So sorry for the misprint in my parsha piece this week. Terumah and Truman have nothing in common.
