A Vision of Love: Catherine of Siena and Holy Anorexia

By: Christine Morgan

Welcome back for the latest installment in this limited series about incredible women in history who are referred to as “holy anorexics.” Today’s topic is perhaps a lesser known woman in the popular history realm but based on her life story I honestly think you’re going to love her. It’s my pleasure to introduce you to Catherine of Siena. This woman’s story has everything from political and religious influence to a mystical marriage, and yes, holy anorexia.

As a quick recap, many cases (both male and female) of holy anorexia present as the modern-day illness, anorexia nervosa and symptoms include sleeplessness, inability to eat, and hyperactivity. The primary difference in these illnesses is its purpose. For religious figures like Catherine of Siena, self-starvation was a way to feel closer to God. Regardless of various attempts to justify their harmful practice, the end game was the same: internal and psychological intimacy with God. In many cases, the public also formed obsessions with these women who were wasting away in God’s name. Catherine of Siena’s case is no different.

From the day she was born in 1347, Catherine was told she was special. She was the 23^rd child of Sienese (Siena) parents and she was also born with a twin sister. You may be wondering how kid #23 can possibly feel special, but Catherine’s mother made an interesting choice with her new twin girls. Instead of breastfeeding both, she only breastfed Catherine. The twin was given to a wet nurse and did not live past infancy. On the other side of the nursery, Catherine thrived. She was the chosen one and her tendencies through life are reflective of this early imprint. At the age of 6 Catherine began to see visions of God and was known in her community as a mystic. She befriended the whole town, and everyone welcomed the child who could see God into their homes where she would give them words of wisdom or advice.

“the public also formed obsessions with these women who were wasting away in God’s name”

Catherine’s most famous mystical vision was of her marriage to Christ (a vision of love, if you will). Her perceived wedding band was instead made of the foreskin of her groom, Jesus Christ. I have to give it to her with this one, a ring like that would be the talk of the town; diamonds need not apply!

I’m sorry, did you say foreskin?

Regardless of Catherine’s mystical marriage, her parents still sought a husband for her and in response, Catherine made every effort to remove her “beauty.” She cut off her hair, burned her skin in hot baths, and at one point contracted the pox and made no effort at all to cure herself. Puberty is always a bit rough, but Catherine gets all of the awards for that performance. As a result of her rebellion, she was allowed to join a group of religious women who did not live in a convent, but rather continued to engage with their communities and families.

Catherine’s holy anorexia had just a few exceptions. Similarly to Joan of Arc (Part I), she would take communion or a “eucharist,” consisting of consecrated bread and wine several times a day. This surely staved off some of her hunger and was a clever loophole. She would also suck on herbs and early in her fasting practices she ate raw vegetables, a model of holy anorexia she’d seen in other powerful women and religious groups. Although Catherine did not eat, her role in the community and her own visions were very food-centric. She saw food as a punishment for herself but a healing entity for others and took it upon herself to feed people wherever she could. Just like her “husband” Jesus, Catherine is recorded as being able to conduct food miracles like the multiplication of food and wine!

There is an element of what Freud would call an oral fixation embedded in Catherine’s starvation practices, which generally manifested in her mystic visions. In her youth she considered cross-dressing as a man, but felt God discouraged that. Instead, she presented as a woman but when she had visions of Christ, she often described their interactions in such a way that Jesus became the feminine, nurturing figure. For example, visions of her nursing from Jesus or even visions of her drinking the blood from his crucifixion wounds were common. Her letters and stories included blood so often that the significance and metaphoric value of blood became a hallmark of her personal theology. Whereas Catholic considered blood as a means of cleansing sin, Catherine argued in her own theology that blood was for consuming and could help believers become one with Christ. She felt fed and edified by Jesus in the way she was fed and edified by her mother. Freud would have had an absolute field day.

Between the mystic visions, community service, food miracles, and self-starvation, Catherine became an absolute superstar. Her circle of influence grew as she traveled from town to town preaching about God and converting men and women alike!

#SuperstarLife

In a reflection of her earlier desire to cross-dress as a man, she referred to herself as an apostola or, apostle. She behaved much like the apostles of Jesus, even writing hundreds of letters to bureaucrats, religious leaders, and communities similar to the letters of Paul (Corinthians, Ephesians, etc.).

“Although Catherine did not eat, her role in the community and her own visions were very food-centric. She saw food as a punishment for herself but a healing entity for others”

By her 1375/76, her popularity and influence were so great that she was called to visit Pope Gregory XI at the new papal seat in Avignon, France (basically the Pope and Florence had a fight, so the Pope moved out). There she worked to convince the Pope to return to Rome and in return, she was tasked with convincing her followers that a crusade to convert the Infidels would be super fun. In her lifetime, Catherine of Siena would see the papal seat return to Rome and she supported Pope Urban VI in the infamous 2-pope fiasco.

Catherine’s life was influential but short. Her struggle with anorexia coupled with a surprisingly active life were too much for her to handle. In 1380 she passed away in Rome and her deathbed words were “Blood! Blood!” (so on brand)

Though she was considered a “living saint,” following her death her confessor immediately appealed to Rome to have Catherine officially venerated as a Catholic saint. At the time of her death she was 33 years old, the same age her “husband,” Jesus, when he was crucified. Saint Catherine of Siena’s beliefs and religious style are now known as the “Catherinian model” and her practice of holy anorexia was adopted by many women who followed her.