Clavis Libri

Term

Contumacy

Contumacy, in canto III, is dying in disobedience to the Church, excommunicated. Whoever dies this way, even if they repent at the end, must wait outside the gate thirty times as long as the time they were presumptuous, unless good prayers shorten the term. Manfred is the case, and his wait shows that last-minute repentance saves, but does not dispense with the delay.

Where It Appears