15.7.2026

‘Denying and Undermining Sainthood in the Middle Ages’ at the IMC 2026

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On July 9, a the double session ‘Denying and Undermining Sainthood in the Middle Ages’ organised by RECOGNISING SAINTS took place during the International Medieval Congress 2026.

This double session discussed the phenomenon of the denying and undermining of sainthood in Latin Christianity in the Middle Ages, its various manifestations and aspects. Its first part focused on the Early and High Middle Ages and addressed the issue of the rejection, denial or marginalisation of some saints, as opposed to others, who were recognised. The second part, chronologically covering the High and Late Middle Ages, focused on the problem of the rejection or denial of sanctity for doctrinal or theological reasons, and the place that undermining sanctity holds in debates concerning faith and the Church.

Grzegorz Pac presented the paper ‘Denying Sainthood?: Failed Canonisation Investigations in the 13th Century’ in which he asked what determined the failure of some canonisation investigations at the time when the canonisation procedure was already established.

Gabriele Bonomelli presented the paper ‘Endorsing or Undermining Sainthood?: The Case of Medieval Devil’s Letters’ in which he discussed the case of two Late Antique saints – Sergius and Bacchus – and the undermining of their sanctity in an exceptionally unusual source: the so-called Devil’s Letters.

Cezary Jasiński presented the paper ‘The ‘Unworthy Abbot’: The Case of Pons of Melgueil and the Veneration of Cluny’s Abbots – or the Lack Thereof’ in which he investigated why some very prominent figures amongst the abbots of Cluny where never recognised as saints.

We would like to thank all the others who presented papers, Filippo Forlani (Dipartimento di Storia della Chiesa, Pontificia Università della Santa Croce, Roma) and James White (Department of History, Classics & Religion, University of Alberta), the moderators, Sari Katajala-Peltomaa (Department of Cultural History, University of Turku) and Gábor Klaniczay (Department of Historical Studies, Central European University, Budapest/Wien), as well as all the participants for their attendance and vivid discussion.

The sessions were funded by the National Science Centre (Narodowe Centrum Nauki).