1139 CE - St. Malachy's Complaint

by Larry Chamberlin

Ireland most likely would have faced the expansionist energies of the Norman families regardless of individual events, but the legal pretense had its genesis in 1139 with the complaints of the Bishop of Armagh, Máel Sechnaill [St. Malachy] that the Irish Church was not practicing Roman Catholicism. Malachy poured out his soul to the famous Cistercian abbot, Bernard of Clairvaux [St. Bernard]. It seems that the monasteries that comprised the Irish Church were run as extensions of the tuatha: each monastery was typically headed by a lay abbot (coarb), rather than a Bishop. The position of Abbot was hereditary to a priestly family, and elective from among eligible members of that family, similar to that of most Irish poets and brehons. The church did not as a rule preach or instruct its flock in the vein of mainland churches. Irish marriages were rather lax and divorce was fairly common. Brehon Law ruled, even where it conflicted with Cannon Law.

The strongest contributions of the Irish Church came from its role as a cultural center for the preservation of knowledge. (See the Book of Leinster, the Annals of the Four Masters). Moreover, the arts that came out of the monasteries were the most advanced of all Europe. (See the Books of Durrow, Kells, Armagh). But the level of fervor for the practice of religion that emanated from these same monasteries was far less than that desired from Rome. Consequently, as the news of St. Malachy's complaints spread to the Vatican, the Hierarchy of the Church took steps to bring the Irish institution into line with the Vatican. St. Bernard helped by sending a delegation of Cistercian monks to Ireland in 1142; these monks built an abbey at Mellifont which, in turn, gave rise to a string of Cistercian abbeys. St. Malachy worked to revive the Catholic spirit tirelessly until his death in 1148.

Sources:

Oxford History of Ireland, ed. R. F. Foster, Oxford University Press, (c)1989, ISBN 0-19-285271-X

A History of Ireland, Peter & Fiona Somerset Fry, Rutledge, (c)1988 & Barnes & Noble [reprint] 1993, ISBN: 1-56619-215-3

Chronicles of the Celts, Iain Zaczek, Collins & Brown, London, (c)1996, ISBN: 1-85585-407-4

The Geraldines, an Experiment in Irish Government, 1169 - 1601, Brian Fitzgerald, The Devin-Adair Company, New York, 1952; Staples Printers Ltd., Rochester, Kent, (c)1951

The World of the Celts, Simon James, Thames and Hudson Ltd., 1993, ISBN 0-500-0567-8

The People of Ireland, ed. Patrick Loughery, New Amsterdam Books, N.Y., (c)1989, ISBN: 0-941533-55-7

***The Celts, Jean Markale (orig. publ. as "Les Celts et la Civilsation Celtique" by Payot, Paris, 1976; U.S. ed. publ. by Inner Traditions, Rochester, Vermont, 1993, ISBN: 0-89281-413-6)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: *** = These tracts deal with mythical legends and historical events, without clearly distinguishing between the two. Markale, while presenting the historical texts of the contemporary writers in great detail and with a fine critical analysis, nonetheless includes events from Irish legend without properly disclaiming their authenticity. Despite this shortcoming, if one is cautious enough to note the sources, the books is excellent.

prepared by Larry Chamberlin

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