Libellus. Addressed to Leo X, Supreme Pontiff by Blessed Paolo Giustiniani & Pietro Querini, Hermits of Camaldoli

Latin & English Edited & Translated, with Notes to the Latin, by Stephen M. Beall

Introduction, with Notes to the English, by John J. Schmitt

ISBN 9780874627152. 244 pages. 5.5 x 8.5. Paperback.List: $25.00.

Reformation Texts with Translation 14. Sub series: Theology and Piety, Volume 6

“One of the most significant expressions of religious reform and spiritual renewal which emerged between c.1400 and c.1550 was the Libellus ad Leonem. Giustiniani’s and Querini’s proposals for the reform the Catholic Church and Christendom in this document drew on a wide range of scriptural, humanist, conciliar, monastic, and mystical sources and methods that had medieval antecedents and were adopted by many subsequent reformers during the turbulent years of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. The Libellus was unprecedented in its attacks on the abuse and corruption of the Renaissance Church and it has long fascinated anyone interested in the history of church reform. This excellent translation provides the first full English text of this important document and it offers a new generation of readers and scholars extraordinary access to the minds of two extraordinary figures of the Renaissance.” Stephen Bowd, The University of Edinburgh

“With this side-by-side text and translation, scholars and students of church reform can now explore an important sixteenth-century text that was unheeded in its time and has been largely overlooked in ours. As the church today continues to unpack the legacy of Vatican II, this volume offers a time capsule photograph of church reform snapped just a few moments before Luther.” Christopher M. Bellitto, Kean University

Stephen M. Beall  is an Associate Professor of Classics at Marquette University, where he has taught Latin and Greek for 23 years. His research interests include the theory and practice of translation and the history of Jesuit education.

John J. Schmitt is Associate Professor Emeritus ,  Marquette University. He taught biblical studies for 30 years in the Department of Theology, focusing on the Hebrew Bible, especially the prophetic books, with emphasis on the exclusively masculine personification of the people Israel. Other interests include interfaith relations and the monastic tradition.