Jump to content

Juliana Morell

From Catholicism Wiki
File:JulianaMorell-AltaDef.jpg

Juliana Morell (16 February 1594 – 26 June 1653)[1] was a Catalan Dominican nun and intellectual child prodigy. Some sources assert that she received a doctorate in canon law in Avignon in 1608. In 1941, Sylvanus Morley traced this to an 1859 misreading by Joaquín Roca y Cornet of 17th-century Latin documents.[2] and cited others stating that, while her father wished for her to obtain a doctorate, she refused, regarding it as incompatible with her status as a nun.[3]

Biography

Morell was born in Barcelona to a prominent banker and his wife.[4] She was left motherless when very young and received her first training from the Dominican nuns in Barcelona. At the age of four, she began studying Latin, Greek, and Hebrew at home under competent teachers. When she was seven years old, she wrote a letter in Latin to her father, who was away.[5]

After being accused of taking part in a murder, Juliana's father fled to Lyon with his daughter, then eight years old. At Lyon, Juliana continued her studies, devoting nine hours daily to rhetoric, dialectics, ethics, and music. At the age of 12, she publicly defended her theses in ethics and dialectics summa cum laude.[4] She then applied herself to physics, metaphysics and canon and civil law. Her father, who had meanwhile settled at Avignon, wanted his daughter to obtain a law doctorate. This was achieved in 1608, when she publicly maintained her law theses at the papal palace of the vice-legate before a distinguished audience, among whom was the Princesse de Condé. It is not clear what body granted her the degree.

According to some sources, Morell was the first woman to receive a university degree, but the circumstances are unclear.[6] Juliana Morell "defended theses" in 1606 or 1607 in Lyon or maybe Avignon, although claims that she received a doctorate in canon law in 1608 have been discredited.[7] The first woman to receive a doctorate degree in the modern era was Elena Cornaro Piscopia in 1678 at the University of Padua.

Disregarding wealth and an advantageous offer of marriage, she entered during the same year the convent of Saint Praxedes at Avignon. In 1609 she received the habit of the order, and on 20 June 1610 took the vows. On three occasions she was named prioress. For two years before her end she was in great bodily suffering and her death agony lasted five days; she died in 1653 at Avignon.

In a laudatory poem, Lope de Vega speaks of her "as the fourth of the Graces and the tenth Muse".[8] He also says "that she was an angel who publicly taught all the sciences from the professorial chairs and in schools".[9]

Works

Morell left a number of religious writings:

  • A translation of the "Vita Spiritualis" of Vincent Ferrer,[10][11] with comments and notes to the various chapters (Lyons, 1617; Paris, 1619);
  • Exercices spirituels sur l'éternité (1637);[10][11]
  • French translation of the Rule of St. Augustine[10] with addition of various explanations and observations for the purpose of instruction (Avigon, 1680);
  • History of the reform of the convent of St. Praxedes,[11] with lives of some pious sisters, in manuscript;
  • Latin and French poems, some printed and some in manuscript.[10]

See also

  • Beatriz Galindo
  • Francisca de Lebrija
  • Isabella Losa
  • Luisa de Medrano

From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia

Juliana Morell — Dominican nun, b. at Barcelona, Spain, 16 February, 1594; d. at the convent of the Dominican nuns at Avignon, France, 26 June, 1653. The accounts of the learning of this celebrated Spanish lady seem to border on the miraculous. ln a laudatory poem Lope de Vega speaks of her "as the fourth of the Graces and the tenth Muse" and says "that she was an angel who publicly taught all the sciences from the professorial chairs and in schools". The apparently extravagant praise of the poet is confirmed by the reports of contemporaries. Left motherless when very young, Juliana's first training was received from the Dominican nuns at Barcelona. At the age of four she began Latin, Greek, and Hebrew at home under competent teachers, and, when not yet seven years old, wrote a pretty Latin letter to her father who was away. Accused of taking part in a murder, the father fled to Lyons with his daughter, then eight years old. At Lyons Juliana continued her studies, devoting nine hours daily to rhetoric, dialetics, ethics, and music. At the age of twelve she defended in public her theses in ethics and dialectics "summa cum laude". She then applied herself to physics, metaphysics and canon and civil law. Her father, who had meanwhile settled at Avignon, wanted his daughter to obtain a doctorate in the last-named faculty. This was gained in 1608, when she publicly maintained her law theses at the papal palace of the vice-legate before a distinguished audience, among whom was the Princesse de Condé. Disregarding wealth and a desirable marriage, she entered during the same year the convent of Sainte-Praxède at Avignon. In 1609 she received the habit of the order, and on 20 June, 1610 took the vows. Just as she had distinguished herself in secular life by her learning so in the Order she excelled aII others in piety, humility, faithful observance of the rules, being on three occasions, notwithstanding her reluctance, named prioress. In this manner the pious nun spent the remainder of her life in the order, well-pleasing to God and beloved by the sisters. For two years before her end she was in great bodily suffering and her death agony lasted five days. She left a number of religions writings: a translation of the "Vita Spiritualis" of St. Vincent Ferrer, with comments and notes to the various chapters (Lyons, 1617; Paris, 1619); (2) "Exercices spirituels sur l'éternité" (Avignon, 1637); (3) French translation of the Rule of St. Augustine with addition of various explanations and observations for the purpose of instruction (Avigon, 1680)); (4) History of the reform of the convent of St. Praxedis, with lives of some pious sisters, in manuscript; (5) Latin and French poems, some printed and some in manuscript.

QUETIF AND ECHARD, Script. Ord. Praed. II (1721), 845 sqq.; BARONIUS, Apologeticus, V, 326; ANTONIO, Bibliotheca hispana, II, (1672), 344-5.

References

  1. Back to citation Griswold (January 1941) p. 137
  2. Back to citation Griswold (January 1941) pp. 140, 148–149
  3. Back to citation Griswold (July 1941) p.4 01 doc.5 and p.402 "Two facts are now very clear: Juliana Morell never taught in Paris, and she never received the doctor's degree in Avignon."
  4. Back to citation occurrence 4.0 Back to citation occurrence 4.1 JStor website, Juliana Morell: Problems, article by S. Griswold Morley published in the Hispanic Review, Vol. 9, No. 1, Crawford Memorial Number (January, 1941), page 137
  5. Back to citation Jstor website, Juliana Morell: Postscript, article by S. Griswold Morley published in Hispanic Review, Vol. 9, No. 3 (July, 1941), page 399
  6. Back to citation Paul F. Grendler (1988). John W. O'Malley (ed.). Schools, Seminaries, and Catechetical Instruction, in Catholicism in Early Modern History 1500-1700: A Guide to Research. Center for Information Research. p. 328.
  7. Back to citation "Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/Juliana Morell - Wikisource, the free online library". en.m.wikisource.org. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  8. Back to citation Gutenberg website, The life of Cardinal Mezzofanti by C. W. Russell, 1858
  9. Back to citation Google Books website, Leveraging Your Leadership Style: Book 2. What it takes to be the First!, by Liedeke Bosma, page 220
  10. Back to citation occurrence 10.0 Back to citation occurrence 10.1 Back to citation occurrence 10.2 Back to citation occurrence 10.3 Monstrous Regiment Of Women website, Juliana Morell, Yet Another "Tenth Muse", article dated August 27, 2015
  11. Back to citation occurrence 11.0 Back to citation occurrence 11.1 Back to citation occurrence 11.2 History.com website, Sister Juliana Morell: First Woman to Receive a University Degree, article by Eudie Pak

Bibliography

Attribution

The entry cites:

  • Quétif and Jacques Échard, Scriptores ordinis prædicatorum recensiti, notisque historicis illustrati ad annum 1700 auctoribus II (1721), 845 sqq;
  • Baronius, Apologeticus, V, 326;
  • Nicolas Antonio, Bibliotheca hispana, II, (1672), 344–5.
Sources
  • Morley, S. Griswold (January 1941). "Juliana Morell: Problems". Hispanic Review. 9 (1): 137–150. doi:10.2307/469691. JSTOR 469691.
  • Morley, S. Griswold (July 1941). "Juliana Morell: Postscript". Hispanic Review. 9 (3): 399–402. doi:10.2307/469606. ISSN 0018-2176. JSTOR 469606.
Citations
Retrieved from "https://catholicism.wiki/index.php?title=Juliana_Morell&oldid=176282"