Thursday, March 9, 2023

It is the 9th of March 2023 Welcome to the Christian History Almanac brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org, I’m Dan van Voorhis.

How about I tell you the story of an Italian who became a Frenchman, was a Cardinal but more interested in politics than the church, and is the name behind one of Sweden’s favorite desserts?

He was Cardinal Jules Mazarin, the first minister to King Louis XIV. A word here, yes, “Cardinal,” is a term from the Catholic Church- it’s a tricky etymology. Still, essentially they are incardinated by the Pope, and to be “cardinal” is to be “most important”. Many Kings and Queens of Catholic countries would have a cardinal so high up in the court as to have an open line to the Pope. Secondly, as they were supposed to be celibate, they wouldn’t have designs on their own family legacy. Ironically, “minister” would have no religious connotation but references one who serves in a government capacity.

Jules Mazarin was born Giulio Mazzarino just outside of Rome. His family connected with the noble Colonna family and the Jesuit order. It was through the Colonna family that Jules could go to the Jesuit school in Rome and then study law in Madrid. He seemed content to enter civil service if not for a radical spiritual experience on Christmas 1625. He would serve as a diplomat for the Pope amidst the various wars in the mid-17th century, the 30 Years War chief among them. Mazarin was made a nuncio in Paris, and here he would come to the attention of the powerful Cardinal Richelieu (of 3 Musketeers fame). Soon Mazarin’s fellow priests argued for his removal from the position in France because of his close connection with Richelieu (also a Cardinal but trying to solidify French power in Europe). Mazarin was removed from his position but stayed in France, where he was naturalized as a French citizen in 1639.

Richelieu used Mazarin as a diplomat- similar to his position with the Pope. Mazarin’s success would lead to him being made a Cardinal, the Pope realized how important he was to French-Catholic relations.

He would become most famous for his role in getting all sides to agree on the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 and the end of the brutal 30 Years War. He was not insistent on punishing countries simply for being Protestant (to the chagrin of some Catholics) and helped Sweden push out its borders. For this, his name is on that of a favorite dessert- a “Mazarin” in Sweden is an almond tart or almond flavored cake (called “marzipan” and no relation to the Cardinal Mazarin).  

He became very close, some have suggested too close, with Anne of Austria after her husband, Louis XIII, died. She would serve as regent for her son Louis XIV (that’s the so-called “Sun King”- the guy who built Versailles, etc.). When King Louis took over from his mother, he made Mazarin his first Minister- a position formally held by Richelieu and known to be very powerful. On account of his growing power and influence with the crown, he was run out of town twice by the “Fronde,” which were the civil wars between Parisian partisans.

Towards the end of his life, he became known for his lavish lifestyle, patronage of the arts, the introduction of Italian Opera to France, and supporting Moliere, one of the earliest French comics. Some wondered if he was stealing from the king- upon hearing this, the shrewd Mazarin re-wrote his will, publicly, leaving everything to the King. The King could not accept an inheritance from an inferior and rejected the will. Mazarin left a large sum of money for the Pope- an act of goodwill but also for financing a crusade against the Turks.

Mazarin, the last Cardinal to serve as minister to the French crown, a Jesuit, diplomat, and Swedish pastry, died on the 8th of March in 1661. Born in 1602, he was 58 years old.

The last word for today comes from the daily lectionary, a promise from the 36th chapter of Ezekiel:

24 “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 28 Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 9th of March 2023, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man after whom the midwestern dessert Mayonnaise Jello is called a “Gillespie.” He is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who, in looking for strange old desserts, came across a Ham and Banana Hollandaise. I’m Dan van Voorhis

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.