From the April-June 2009 Issue
When Calvin didn't pay a visit to Bologna ...
Stefano and Jenny Mariotti
Long, long ago, one day in 1536, two young Frenchmen arrived in Ferrara, a town near Bologna. They were hosted by the Duchess of Ferrara, Renée of France, cousin and sister-in-law of the King of France, Francis I. She was married to Duke Hercules of Este, Lucrezia Borgia’s son. Renée knew that the two Frenchmen ‘had left their homes on account of that Gospel of Christ which she herself had learnt to love… As these two Frenchmen were about to sojourn in the states of a prince, a vassal of the Pope, they were compelled… to appear under a false name.’ One of them, who introduced himself as Charles d’Espeville, was none other than the 27 year-old John Calvin, who had just published his Christianae Religionis Institutio in Basel. Calvin preached in the castle chapel, increasingly gathering reformed French speakers and also many Italians hungry for the Word of God. This caused a bitter reaction from the Duke and especially the Curia. The presence of this ‘Reformer of Noyon’ became known to the Inquisition and he was arrested. They were determined to have him tried at Bologna, at that time a city in the States of the Pope, where they would be in complete control. Yet, recalling Luther’s escape returning from Worms, Calvin was freed by an unknown army (likely that of Renée) and was somehow able to make his way to Switzerland, never to return to Italy. ‘At this epoch so glorious for Italy… when Juan Valdes, Peter Martyr, and Occhino filled Naples with the Gospel; when Christ’s truth seemed to be gliding even into Rome itself, a Frenchman, under the patronage of a French princess, was announcing in Ferrara the same Gospel, but with a voice even more distinct. What a future for Italy, if Rome had not extinguished these lights!’ (D’Aubigne, Merle J. H., History of the Reformation in the time of Calvin, Volume 5, Book 9, Chapter 15, in The John Calvin Collection, CD-ROM, Albany, Ages Software 1998, pp. 342, 346)
Well, I think that we need to be glad that Mr Calvin never paid a visit to our Bologna, otherwise we would have missed the four editions of the Institute which followed and one of the finest biblical and theological minds that contributed so much to the Reformation.
I am sure that the 500th year of Calvin’s birth is not passing unobserved in our circles. In our little evangelical environment in Bologna we are trying to take the opportunity of this anniversary to announce to the Bolognesi (the people from Bologna, not to be confused with the spaghetti sauce) the Christ that Calvin served with all his heart and for all his life.
Within the church
Recently we organised a trip for the teens we are working with from the churches of San Lazzaro and Sasso Marconi. We went to visit Ferrara, and particularly the castle where Calvin preached. It was interesting to visit the castle chapel especially because it is named ‘Calvinistic Chapel’, due to the total absence of images and icons, but the guide book makes no mention at all that John Calvin actually preached there. It seems that Ferrara’s town council is still not very proud of having hosted Calvin a few hundred years ago.
We are really encouraged by the work with the teens and can see signs of God’s work in a few of them, so please do continue to pray for their conversion. Stefano is continuing to regularly preach about three times a month between the churches of San Lazzaro and Sasso Marconi, and is asked to do some visiting preaching in Ravenna, Urbino and Mantua.
Outreach
Stefano is now leading the evangelistic group which is planning the outreach of the San Lazzaro church. We have been especially encouraged that one of the young men recently baptised has taken over the running of the weekly literature table at the market and it is good to have more people sharing with us in that witness. In January, through the website of the church, we were contacted by an association working with primary school children. They wanted to help their children understand who Evangelicals are and what they believe. Beginning from the 5 Solas, we had the opportunity to clearly share the Gospel with them, and there have been a few parents who have asked to be contacted for further children’s events and for the Sunday school.
At the present time we are working to organise an exhibition about Calvin’s life and teachings with a conference in the main library of San Lazzaro and to organise connected events with the partnership of churches in Bologna and Imola. Please pray for this because the councillor for culture in San Lazzaro has shown a keen interest and we are trying to organise this event in conjunction with the town hall in order to reach more people and especially the secondary schools of San Lazzaro. In this respect we are encouraged by the invitation from Youth for Christ Italy to Stefano to help in their school work.
We do not know what would have happened to Italy if Rome hadn’t extinguished the reforming lights of the 16th century, but we know that the field is of the Lord and we know that He is continuing to build His kingdom even when we do not see it! So, thanks for your support and please do continue to pray for God’s work in San Lazzaro, Sasso Marconi and Bologna.