Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.31192/np.16.3.4
Authorship of the Prayer Paša duhovna /Spiritual Pasture/
Pavao Knezović
; Centar for Croatian Studies, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
While in Rome due to the dispute he had with the authority of the province Bosnia Argentum, bishop friar Rafo Barišić had collected a few booklets in Italian and Latin (primarily, he collected booklets containing prayers for which different popes were giving forgiveness) and with the assistance of his secretary friar Marko Kalamut compiled a booklet of prayers entitled Spiritual Pasture (Rome, 1842), which was popularly referred to as Bishop’s book. In the foreword (p 5-15) Barišić elaborated upon the entire programme of the Illyrian Movement. However, this paper will propose the solid reasoning on why Spiritual Pasture has been considered one of Barišić’s main works by many biographers, even though some of them have referred to it as a translation. Nevertheless, only a dozen shorter and longer poems, approximately 640 verses, were composed by friar Rafo Barišić. Having in mind that his congregation/people liked poems, he made an attempt to create sacral poetry. Thereto, it is worth noting that any literate person had to read aloud so that illiterate people could learn things from the Bishop’s book. It is definitely more appropriate to recite verses than prose. Barišić was a weak poet and it seems that he put all his strength into making up rhymes (which are perfect) and delivering theologically exact content. None the less, it should be pointed out that Barišić’s octameter poems are comprised of numerous solid couplets.
Keywords
friar Rafo Barišić; Spiritual Pasture; Barišić’s poems; perfect rhyme and theological exactitude
Hrčak ID:
209164
URI
Publication date:
21.11.2018.
Visits: 1.194 *