Being an unmarried spiritual woman in the Late Middle Ages wasn’t easy, ask the beguines. The beguines sought to do good works, but they didn’t follow specific rules. They could commit to being a beguine, but they could also quit at any time. They did their own thing and that didn’t sit well with others. In my personal experience in modern times, that can still be true, whether conservative or more liberal. Some social conventions are still expected from women, and some are still frowned upon. But again, St. Hildegard shows us the way through.

According to Grace M. Jantzen in Power Gender and Christian Mysticism, “In Northern Europe, one of the forms of religious life for women in the thirteenth century was for women to live in small groups in family houses or in houses bought by pooling their resources.” These women were named beguines. They didn’t live under a religious order with vows, but chose their own virtues of poverty, chastity, and to serve the sick and needy in their towns. They didn’t have a strict rule of life, nor did they live under any authority. They lived spiritual lives untethered from normal conventions. They just did good for others. In the mid-fourteenth century about 15% of adult females living in Cologne were beguines, and there were more in France and Germany.

Interestingly, Cologne at that time was among seven cities named, an Imperial City. It meant it was independent from ecclesiastical (relating to the church) lords. And so naturally beguines flocked there, and tried to flourish, but with many difficulties even in that free city.

The ecclesiastical authorities came to consider these women as exercising heresy as free spirits. They were under no specific controls, rules or any specific religious order. While the women did good deeds and sought to follow the ways of Jesus Christ, their unbridled lives led to suspicions. Skeptics called them witches. Thus, removing any chance of them being seen as pious. But not all men were threatened by the beguines and many valued their charitable works.

Grace M. Jantzen writes that, “In the high and late Middle Ages, numerous women visionaries claimed spiritual authority for themselves. The construction of mysticism could no longer exclude women. What is apparent in the high Middle Ages, however, is the increasing wariness of the male ecclesiastical authorities toward (women) visionaries.”

In 1318, the Archbishop of Cologne ordered all beguines to be moved into convents.

Hence, a dilemma spiritual women have faced over the centuries: What if they don’t happen to get married (for the myriad of reasons that exist), but don’t want to be cloistered into religious life either?

I grew up (and still live) in liberal San Francisco, CA, so much of me still is so. However, being born in the early 1960s, I’m more traditional. It was a bit conservative back then, in my neighborhood near the beach anyway. So I’m a mix. Because in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, things changed but were again innocent as compared to these turbulent days.

So while I can relate to more liberal thinking women, I still navigate back to a sweeter more calm time, and yes, more traditional. That’s what became of me, with my circumstances, and because I turned back to God.

After very scary recent times that I went through unprotected, I knew I wasn’t safe without God. But I will admit, it’s still a battle between my old life and this new one. I believe that God allowed those turbulent times for a reason so that I would fully embrace Him, and my roots in the Catholic Church.

It’s easier for me because I had such jolting crises when I was left exposed to the world – scared straight, they say. Straight meaning to get back in line; turn back to God or live in Hell. Only God could save me because no one else understood what was happening.

Single women that don’t sit below a specific authority structure will face scrutiny and fears from others. They are seen as overly audacious because they aren’t conforming somewhere. That can be said today as well. Even though women have strived for more status in everyday life, there are still some norms that will never change. That’s just the way it is. And it’s best to follow that.

A woman who is a total free spirit even in modern times needs to be in some kind of containment or else she will be way too vulnerable to the evils of the world. For many marriage is a tried and true go-to. But that is a tricky topic. It’s not an easy choice.

I’m a lot like the beguines; I don’t like commitment. Like them, I like to get to change my mind. That’s the leftover liberal part of me I guess. Plus, my choice in men makes me selective and picky, a compliment to those I have known.

I have, however, committed to never leaving God.

I never want to break away from the teachings of the Catholic Church. But I choose not to make any specific religious promises either. I’m just an ordinary parishioner who loves studying the faith and then sharing it. I never want to be under any threat as the beguines were. I hope we have advanced since that time. I try to make myself as transparent as possible to Catholic Church authorities.

Truthfully, the teachings of the Catholic Church are easier for me to follow now, as an older woman. Even so, I struggle. I’m not perfect but I respectfully do my best.

Minor corrections here and there for the Catholic Church are good from time to time, but a total upheaval would bring everything crashing down.

When all goes well in the Church, we benefit from its structure and teachings. I don’t need to see women leading Mass or at the altar to feel “seen” by the Church. The sacredness of Jesus’ church should remain intact.

But women should be consulted, listened to and learned from. Thankfully, now women that are single or married, moms or not, have made promises or are in certain religious vocations or not, can all make a contribution to the Church. Many are becoming writers, like myself. There are many Catholic women’s organizations popping up to support us, in creating Catholic businesses as well.

Pope Francis is supporting women too, such as with the International Conference he held titled, “Women in the Church: Builders of Humanity.”

The contribution of women is more necessary than ever,” emphasized Pope Francis, acknowledging the challenges of hatred, violence, and ideological conflicts in today’s world.

He spoke about the urgent need for women’s contributions, which he said are characterised by tenderness and compassion, in order to foster unity and restore humanity’s true identity.

That said, let’s not forget the past, such as that of the beguines.

Grace M. Jantzen states that they should be remembered, “…in a study of who counts as a mystic, and that their lives should be included in the parameters of the question of power and gender in the Christian mystical tradition.”

And here she notes the importance of St. Hildegard:

Thus Hildegard of Bingen marks an important transition in the social construction of mysticism: whereas, as she insists, it is men who should be the mystical ones, expounding the knowledge of God by means of their insight into the mystical meaning of scripture, because of their laxity God has had to turn to herself, a woman, and give her the message to be communicated, doing so by means of visions rather than by the normal’ method of years of prayerful study of the scriptures.

St. Hildegard of Bingen chose the right path for a woman who had visions beginning in childhood. At that time, there was no other alternative but to join a religious order. Even so, she did not share her visions with others until she knew she had proper permission. She brought her visions to the attention of Bernard of Clairvaux in her later years when she was already an abbess, and he an abbot.

She wrote him a letter asking for his advice and with a plea for validation.

He wrote back declaring that her visions were a gift from God but told her to remain humble. A gift from God is to be accepted respectfully, with a humble heart to serve Him through whatever mission that may be. Pope Eugene III gave Hildegard confirmation as well.

“As long as Hildegard was willing to bow to the judgement of the pope and his representatives, they could affirm her vision without undue threat.” – Grace M. Jantzen

St. Hildegard was wise to take the necessary steps to gain authentication and approval from the higher ups. She did so with meekness, but also with intelligence to safeguard against being called a heretic or a witch. As a woman of God, she would want to be as far away from that as possible.

She complied with good reason.

“Accordingly, if a religious experience, a vision, or an alleged insight into scripture or Christian doctrine was deemed to be false, it was also deemed to be demonic in origin.” – Grace M. Jantzen

St. Hildegard of Bingen was confirmed a visionary, but is also a Doctor of the Church. She was an abbess and remained obedient under authority; however, she also was a great representative for women. As a leader, she submitted to church authorities, so that she could then advocate for the women that needed her direction and assistance, in what this will always be, a man’s world.

I hold up St. Hildegard of Bingen as an ultimate Catholic women’s spiritual leader. But honestly, after reading about the beguines, I think I’m more like them. I need more freedom. I have weaknesses and limitations. I could never aspire to the heights of Hildegard. I humbly sit below and look up to St. Hildegard of Bingen in awe (and so this website).

Establish my footsteps in Your word,
And do not let any wrongdoing have power over me.
Redeem me from oppression by man,
So that I may keep Your precepts.
Make Your face shine upon Your servant,
And teach me Your statutes.
Psalm 119:133-135

Hildegard’s letter to the Abbot concerning gossip:

The spears of malicious words hurled by the faithless and the slanderous are like a dangerous wind, suddenly assailing a person’s heart. And this is the storm aroused by the first angel when he despised God. As I frequently observe, these onslaughts often afflict even a person in felicity whom God cherishes highly, because the Enemy has learned of his bliss and seeks to oppress him with that storm so that he, too, may fall. But he is not powerful enough to snatch him from God’s bosom. Although difficulties and tribulations from the elements befall him, he retains his self-restraint, because God is watching over him.

References:

Jantzen, G.M. (1995). Power Gender and Christian Mysticism. Cambridge University Press.

Baird, J.L., Ehrman, R.K. (1994). The Letters of Hildegard of Bingen Volume I. Oxford University Press.