Jerome Savonarola: A Sketch...
Published in cooperation with the Savonarola Society and Studio Fratesco. The figure of Girolamo Savonarola looms lar...
View Book →- Product Code: wsre
- Publication date: Early August 2026
- Pages: 194
- Size: 5.5 x 8.5
- Readers interested in Girolamo Savonarola and Renaissance Florence
- Students of Church history, canon law, and ecclesiastical censures
- Dominicans and those devoted to the history of the Order of Preachers
- Catholics interested in authentic reform, sanctity, and fidelity under trial
- Readers of Fr. O’Neil’s companion work, Jerome Savonarola: A Sketch
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Contents
Was Savonarola Really Excommunicated?
An Inquiry · James L. O’Neil, O.P.
Project Introduction iScheme of Works iiiEditor’s Preface viiiA Word to the Reader xIntroduction xiiMain TextI. Facts, Briefs, and Letters 1i. 1495 1ii. 1496 33iii. 1497 41iv. Christmas, 1497—February 11, 1498 71II. The Question of Censures 77III. Did the Friar Really Incur the Censure of Excommunication? 87IV. Did the Friar Give Scandal? 105V. Conclusion 117AppendicesI. The Question of Obedience 127II. Some Original Letters 133III. A List of Works to Which Special Reference is Made in This Volume 145IV. A Sermon of the Great St. John Henry Newman Delivered to his Brothers of the Birmingham Oratory 155 -
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The Savonarola Project
Was Savonarola Really Excommunicated?
An Inquiry · James L. O’Neil, O.P. · Edited and revised by Jules Samuels
Heretic or saint? Excommunicate or martyr? These questions have been central to the discourse around the person of Girolamo Savonarola since his tragic martyrdom on May 23, 1498. Now, after a century out of print, Fr. JL O’Neil’s excellent canonical defence of Savonarola and his actions has been made available.
Fr. O’Neil brilliantly examines the documentation surrounding the tragic falling out between Pope Alexander VI and the friar, providing a stalwart defence of Fra Girolamo’s actions in the face of tremendous pressure.
A Canonical and Historical Defence
This inquiry is not simply a biography of Savonarola, nor merely a devotional vindication of his character. Rather, Fr. O’Neil approaches the controversy from a canonical and theological standpoint, examining the briefs, letters, censures, and historical circumstances surrounding the alleged excommunication of the great Dominican reformer.
Carefully argued and deeply Catholic in spirit, this volume asks whether the common narrative surrounding Savonarola’s condemnation can withstand a close reading of the facts. It is a work for readers interested in Church history, canon law, Dominican spirituality, Renaissance Florence, and the perennial question of true reform within the Church.
The Question of Excommunication
Fr. O’Neil examines whether Savonarola truly incurred the censure attributed to him, considering the precise canonical and historical circumstances of the case.
Pope Alexander VI and the Friar
The book studies the tragic breakdown between Pope Alexander VI and Savonarola, while remaining attentive to both ecclesiastical authority and historical evidence.
A Dominican Witness
Written by a Dominican priest in defence of a fellow son of St. Dominic, this work stands within a long Catholic tradition of seeking truth with both fidelity and courage.
Part of the Savonarola Project
Companion Volume to Jerome Savonarola: A Sketch
This volume forms part of the broader Savonarola Project, which seeks to make available important works concerning Fra Girolamo’s life, writings, preaching, doctrine, and historical reputation. Fr. O’Neil’s Was Savonarola Really Excommunicated? should be read alongside his biographical study, Jerome Savonarola: A Sketch, also republished as part of this effort.
Recommended For
A long-unavailable Dominican defence of one of the most contested figures in Catholic history.
Published by Arouca Press in cooperation with Studio Fratesco and The Savonarola Society.