The Name of the Rose: Fifth Day Summary & Analysis

The next morning, Adso sees Bernard conferring with Malachi about some papers. He then enters the chapter house through a doorway carved with statues depicting the spread of Christianity throughout the world, and thinks this is a good omen (unlike the frightening images on the church doorway, which seemed to predict some horror), since it suggests that the words of the Gospel spread peace to all people. He decides that he is weak to think so much of the girl, when an important event in the history of Christianity is taking place.

At the disputation, the Pope’s envoys and the Emperor’s supporters argue about whether Christ had been poor, and whether the church should follow his example by renouncing property and political influence and returning to a state of poverty. Abo summarizes recent events, explaining that in 1322 Michael of Cesena proclaimed that Christ and his apostles had never owned any property, a claim that was supported by the Emperor. The Pope then summoned Michael to Avignon to answer for what he had said, but he claimed to be ill.

Michael asks Ubertino to sum up the position of the Franciscans on Apostolic poverty. Ubertino argues that Christ never owned property other than necessities of life such as clothing and food. One of the Pope’s envoys, by contrast, asserts that Christ was the owner of all earthly goods—his rightful property was simply taken from him by the Jews.  Jerome of Kaffa then makes what Adso describes as a “fairly confused” argument that the “Orientals and Greeks” believe in the poverty of Christ, and they are heretics, so to deny the poverty of Christ makes the present assembly more heretical than the heretics. As the debate continues, William explains the stakes of the argument to Adso, saying that the word “’poor’ does not so much mean owning a palace or not; it means, rather, keeping or renouncing the right to legislate on earthly matters.” This, Adso says, “is why the Emperor is so interested” in what the Franciscans say about poverty.

The disputation descends into personal insults and physical brawling, and Bernard’s archers have to intervene to separate the opposing parties. Meanwhile, Severinus enters the chapter house and asks to speak to William privately. Apparently Berengar was in the infirmary before he died in the bath. He tells William that there is a “strange book” that he must come and examine in the infirmary. William orders Severinus to go back to the infirmary and lock himself in, making sure that the book is kept safe. Jorge, Remigio, and Aymaro seem to overhear, and follow Severinus out. On William’s orders, Adso follows them, but Jorge goes to the Aedificium, Aymaro disappears, and Remigio goes back to the kitchens. Severinus seems to make it back to the infirmary safely.

William is asked to speak for the Franciscans. He makes a radical proposition that the church should withdraw from political life and leave governing to an “elected assembly of the people.” He suggests that this assembly should be empowered to make and interpret laws, arguing that while one man can do harm from ignorance or malice, a group of elected leaders would do better.

William argues that if Christ had not wanted his apostles to have any “worldly or coercive power,” so it follows that the successors of the apostles—the present church—should not have governing power either. The Pope, then, has no right to determine who should be Emperor, since “the servant of the servants of God is on this earth to serve and not be served.”  While it cannot be definitively proven that Christ was poor, there is no evidence that he ever sought governing power, and so the Pope should withdraw from politics. The audience appears shocked by these propositions. Bernard suggests that William should come to Avignon to make these arguments to the Pope in person, but William pleads illness.

After the debate, William and Adso go to check on Severinus. When they get to the infirmary, it is too late: they find Severinus murdered. He is wearing leather gloves, his head is bashed in, and his shelves are in great disorder, as if someone had been looking for something in the infirmary. Bernard has already arrived and arrested Remigio, who was found in the infirmary rummaging through the shelves, but the cellarer protests his innocence. As Remigio is dragged away, he shouts at Malachi, who responds “I will do nothing to harm you.” Benno whispers to William and Adso that he saw Malachi hiding in the infirmary before Remigio arrived.

Left alone in the infirmary, William, Adso, and Benno search for the “strange book” that Severinus had mentioned. William thinks they are looking for a Greek book, since everyone who has died thus far knew Greek, so they quickly discard an Arabic manuscript as a possibility. William hypothesizes that the murders are following a plan according to the Book of the Apocalypse: hail (Adelmo fell from the tower of the Aedificium), blood (Venantius died of poison), water (Berengar died of drowning), and now the stars (Severinus was killed with a metal model of the heavens). After leaving the infirmary, William and Adso realize their mistake: the “strange” book was the  Arabic manuscript, which actually contains several volumes, one of which is in Greek. They run back to the infirmary, but it is too late. The book has been stolen again.

Bernard puts Remigio on trial, accusing him of murder and of having known Fra Dolcino. Salvatore is brought into the court, having clearly been tortured. He tells Bernard that he met Remigio among the heretics, and that Fra Dolcino himself had entrusted Remigio with “certain letters,” which Remigio gave to Malachi for safekeeping. Bernard then calls Malachi for interrogation. Malachi admits that he kept the letters for Remigio, but did not know what they were. Malachi is dismissed without punishment, but as he leaves the court, someone shouts: “You hid his letters and he showed you the novices’ asses in the kitchen!”

Bernard tells Remigio that he must confess to two crimes: that he is a heretic who followed Fra Dolcino, and that he is guilty of all the murders that have taken place at the abbey. Adso observes that Bernard doesn’t have “the slightest interest” in knowing who killed the other monks, but only wants to make a connection between the crimes and those who advocate for the poverty of Christ and deny the authority of the Pope. Remigio confesses to his past as a follower of Dolcino with increasing fervor, “feeling again the emotions that had once exalted him.” Still, however, he denies the murders. But when Bernard threatens him with torture, Remigio falsely confesses to the murders, naming Salvatore as his accomplice—an act of revenge for Salvatore’s betrayal. Bernard sentences Salvatore and Remigio to death. He then tells the Emperor’s supporters that anyone who shares these heretical ideas will be punished—preventing any chance of reconciliation between Ubertino and Michael and the Pope’s envoys.

After the disastrous trial, William convenes with Ubertino and Michael. Michael says that despite the threat to his life, he is determined to go to Avignon and face the Pope, prepared to compromise on “everything except the principle of poverty.” William advises Ubertino to ask Abo for provisions and escape the abbey under cover of darkness, since Bernard seems to have directed his hostility towards him in particular. Ubertino takes his advice and flees that night. After supper, Benno admits that he stole the forbidden book from the infirmary and returned it to the library when Malachi chose him for the position of assistant librarian, replacing Berengar. William fears that the library’s secrecy and the intellectual greed of its custodians will destroy it. Because he has been elevated to a position of authority, Benno now hides the knowledge he once tried to discover.

That evening, Jorge preaches a sermon reproaching the scholar-monks for their “sin of pride” in seeking to know more than God intended. He argues that all truth has been known from the beginning: “there is no progress,” only “recapitulation.” The role of the library should not be to produce new knowledge, but to gloss and preserve the knowledge passed down from earlier ages. William whispers to Adso that Jorge’s sermon is a warning that if the monks continue being overly intellectually curious, the terrible events will continue. Jorge predicts that the Apocalypse is at hand. After the sermon, William sends Adso to bed. Adso remarks on the unfairness of the “simple folk” (like Remigio, Salvatore, and the girl) suffering for the sins of the powerful.