Fourth Day: Prime (pp. 466-76)
"...he procured girls for him in the village, introducing them within the
walls at night..." (268): [Melissa Svigelj comments:
In this scene, Salvatore is telling his strange story to William and
Adso. He is explaining that he frequently brought prostitutes to the abbey
at night to satisfy the cellarer. He exhibits virtually no shame when
explaining his actions, and even goes so far as to admit that he wished he
had found a way to indulge himself in the pleasures of the girls before they
had to leave for the village. In exchange for their services, the girls
would often receive food for their families.
A monk's vows consist of being dedicated to poverty, chastity, and obedience. With this in mind, the fornication occurring at the abbey may be judged as immoral or disturbing. It is hoped by many of the faithful that monks and priests honor their vow of abstinence. In the Middle Ages the Christian church valued chastity, and frequently attempted to convert or rehabilitate individual prostitutes. However, the church refrained from campaigning against the institution of prostitution. This restraint followed the teachings of St. Augustine, who held that the elimination of prostitution would breed even worse forms of immorality and perversion, namely male homosexual acts. Sodomy being equal to homicide as a deadly sin, the church refused to openly condemn prostitution. By the late Middle Ages, prostitution reached a high point in European history. Licensed brothels flourished throughout Europe, yielding enormous revenues to government officials and corrupt churchmen. Salvatore and the cellarer were merely engaging in practices common at their time.
Reference: "Prostitution," Microsoft(R) Encarta (R) 98 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1997
Microsoft Corporation.
"I would never seek the mote in a brother's eye..."
(p. 271): [Roula Hohlakis comments] William here refers
to Matthew 7:1-4.