Paul VI described her as “a light for her people and her time.” Benedict XVI, who had been familiar with her works since his youth, highlighted her remarkable ability to “read the signs of the times.” She is Saint Hildegard of Bingen—an extraordinary figure of the Middle Ages: mystic, Benedictine nun, philosopher, naturalist, musician, poet, healer, and theologian. 

It was Benedict XVI who canonized her and later declared her a Doctor of the Church in 2012, recognizing her exceptional legacy. 

“An important female figure of the Middle Ages,” the Pontiff said at a General Audience in September 2010, “distinguished by her spiritual wisdom and holiness of life.”

Born in 1098, in Bermersheim, near Bingen, Hildegard entered a Benedictine monastery at the age of eight. She experienced visions from childhood, which she began to record in adulthood through theological and cosmological treatises. Around 1150, she founded her own convent at Rupertsberg, near Bingen in the Rhineland region of Germany. 

She did not hesitate to leave the monastery to confer with bishops and abbots, nobles and princes. During the Investiture Controversy, she fiercely challenged Emperor Frederick Barbarossa—until then her protector—when the emperor supported two antipopes against Pope Alexander III. Though Frederick did not retaliate, she ended the friendship that had long bound them. 

Faithful to the Church, she willingly submitted all of her works for formal approval, and Pope Eugene III granted her official permission to write and speak of her visions—an extraordinary privilege for a woman of that era.    

Carmelo Pandolfi, full professor of philosophy at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, is well-versed in Hildegard’s life and work, having also organized a dedicated study day on her legacy. 

“Mystic, musician, philosopher,” Pandolfi described Hildegard. “Let’s start with mystic—not in the sense of something incomprehensible, because “mystic” doesn’t mean that; it means “mysterious” in Greek, and “mystic” means profound. So, it’s about depth—a depth that is not reserved for a select few. As the Lord says in the Gospel, “What you have heard whispered in your ear, proclaim from the rooftops.” 

Here, then, is a dimension that is theological in nature, but also philosophical. In the Catholic tradition, it is impossible to separate reason from faith. They are like two streams, as Saint Thomas teaches, flowing from the same source.

Hildegard enjoyed great fame during her lifetime as both a scholar and a saint. She wrote extensively, often with the help of others, covering topics such as theology, asceticism, exegesis, music, medicine, poetry, and especially natural history. 

“Hildegard is a multifaceted figure—an abbess and thus a woman of power, as well as a mystic, philosopher, pharmacist, and physician. Above all, she is a holy woman,” Pandolfi noted, “and that is how we are primarily called to see her. I would say that, in hindsight, what she developed in her visions represents the finest part of her legacy. It is not so much in the written Liber civitas but rather in the Manuscript of Lucca.” 

These iconological works are iconography capable of conveying meaning through colors and shapes—because we are embodied spirits, and often we understand much more through images than through words. What Hildegard saw, she truly saw. 

Her mystical visions were highly complex, focusing on the relationship between God, humanity, and the cosmos. 

Pandolfi described one depiction of her visions, “the ‘Ancient of Days,’ with a slightly graying beard, and below him, a younger, ruddy figure holding a lamb. The Father. In faith, we can imagine an act—an action—that is the generation of perfect life, the perfect life generated. The Son, the Son who from all eternity accepts, in the face of evil, to become the sacrificed Lamb.”

A famous miniature depicts one of her visions, showing man at the center of the universe, embraced by the fire of the Trinity and the fatherhood of the Father. This representation illustrates how the centrality of man, later affirmed by humanism, had always been present in Christian theology. 

Pope Benedict XVI emphasized the enduring relevance of Hildegard’s thought, especially in an era marked by ecological crisis, spiritual confusion, and the search for meaning:

“This great ‘prophetess’ speaks to us with great relevance even today, through her courageous ability to discern the signs of the times, her love for creation, her medicine, her poetry, and her music, which is now being revived.” 

As part of the Jubilee 2025 celebrations, one of the most fitting places to honor Hildegard of Bingen in Rome is the Church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. Saint Cecilia, patroness of musicians, recalls Hildegard of Bingen, who developed music among her many arts. Indeed, both recognized music as an artistic expression capable of speaking about God and serving to glorify Him more fully among humanity. 

This story was written by Giada D’Ottavi and adapted by Jacob Stein. Produced by Alexey Gotovsky; Camera by Sergio Natoli; Video edited by Giada D’Ottavi; Special thanks & Credits to Università Regina Apostolorum