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The formal papal declaration of Hildegard's sanctity was made on May 10, 2012, followed a few months later, on October 7, 2012, by a similar declaration of her being a "Doctor of the Church". In fact, what had lasted for centuries was the longest canonization process in the history of the Church precisely, the process to canonize Hildegard. That this surprise should be followed so quickly by the decision to grant Hildegard the title of Doctor indicates the great interest in the magistra 's image, character, teaching, and impact over the course of over eight centuries. This chapter traces the interest demonstrated by the papacy and the curia in the cult of Hildegard, culminating with its 2012 apotheosis. The canonization and doctorization of Hildegard of Bingen were not simply the acts of a German Pope recognizing a German holy woman, but rather the culmination of centuries of efforts in that direction. Keywords: Bingen; canonization; Church; doctorization; German Pope; Hildegard; magistra

This chapter is a brief presentation of one of Hildegard's more unique gifts: the reception of a divinely provided alphabet and language. Mysteries abound regarding Hildegard's "unknown language" and "unknown alphabet". Much attention has been given to Hildegard's lingua and littera by linguists. Wilhelm Grimm is the first scholar of the modern period to have examined Hildegard's writings in this regard; he was primarily interested in the German equivalents for the language's vocabulary. Of the tiny number of witnesses to the manuscript tradition of Hildegard's language, the most important is the manuscript Wiesbaden, Hessische Landesbibliothek. It is best known by its nickname, the Riesenkodex, and it serves as the fundamental collection of Hildegard's non-scientific works. In the early texts of Hildegard and her followers and devotees, this linking of her music and her language is significant, as both were seen as divine gifts that together reached the world through Hildegard. Keywords: divinevocabulary; Hildegard; Riesenkodex; unknown language; Wilhelm Grimm