PF minutes, 1681-09-30, Rome

PF minutes, 1681-09-30, Rome

Algiers

Capuchins

Mercedarians

Other religious orders

Renegades

Slave priests

Slaves (Christian)

Tunis

Minutes of PF General meeting of 30 September 1682 discussing amongst other issues, the case of Vincenzo Frascati and Francesco Gatta (which was dicussed during PF meeting of 8 April 1680). They are both missionaries in Tunis, and its believed that should there have not been so many public scandals concerning the areas local priests, they would have had better results with the Christian slaves. PF decided to write the vicar apostolic [Jean Le Vacher], to gain more information about the issue. The vicar apostolic offered PF his apologies for his delayed response, as it took more than a year for him to receive the letter. His response contained information from the Provicar [of Algiers, Giuseppe Maria Da Bologna], and two missionaries [Vincenzo Da Frascati and Francesco Gatta]. The first scandal was committed by Antonio Calendino, a slave from Coscenza. He acted as a clown and played the guitar with the Ciaia of his Turkish patron, and feasted with prostitutes. He threatened the missionaries to let him say mass, even though he did not have any papers proving that he was a priest. He also told the missionaries that he commited a murder in Napels and had been imprisoned for four years. Eventually he left for Livorno. The second case was Diego D'Avolos, a Spanish Mercenarian, who was killed by a gunshot in a case involving the wife of a rennegade. During the same incident, another priest Giovanni Pelij was also hurt. He was not allowed to say mass for a month to punish him, and after this he has led a better life. The third case was caused by Felice da Marta, a Minim priest, who won 80 pezze from Giuseppe Calabro (a slave of the Pasca), who forced Felice to pay the money back. Afterwards it was easy to apprehend him, since he was no longer the slave of an influential person. The fourth priest to cause a scandal was Carlo della Maltese, a Franciscan. Whilst playing cards with a Greek they got into a fight, which caused blood to be shed. When the Bey found out, he had the Greek imprisoned and rounded up all the missionaries to ask them whether it was allowed for a priest to play cards. The missionaries informed him that it was not allowed, and insisted that it was absolutely forbidden. The Bey handed the priest over to the missionaries, and told them to punish him. The Greek was again enslaved, and due to the Greeks attempting to also enslave Felice, he was sent on a ship travelling to Livorno. Le Vacher also wrote that the small island of Tabarca and at another place called Caponegro (which were both part of the kingdom of Tunis) are inhabited by Genoese. In Tabarca there are some Augustinians, and in the other place a Trinitarian. Le Vacher does not know whether they were given permission to travel to these areas, and also if they have the authority to act as priests. He asks PF to clarify if these two places are subjected to his vicariate. Le Vacher concluded the letter, by informing PF of his happiness at the impending arrival of Mercedarian priests of Aragon and Andalusia.

Date discussed: 1681-09-30

Additional comments

PF

APF SOCG 498, 181r-182v, 184v

1681-09-30

For the letter of Giuseppe Maria Da Bologna, Vicenzo Da Frascati and Francesco Gatta, see: APF SOCG 498, 177r-v, 180r (database item 806).
For the letter of Jean Le Vacher, see: APF SOCG 498, 178r-179r (database item 807).
For the earlier PF meeting mentioned in this one, see: APF ACTA 50, 98r, 112v-113v, issue 27 (database item 683).

Italian

Latin

Minutes

808

Origin: [Rome]