Saint Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Saint Robert Bellarmine was born on 4 October 1542 at Montepulciano near Siena, the son of Vincenzo Bellarmino and Cinzia Cervini, sister of Pope Marcellus II. Though of noble yet impoverished stock, he received an excellent humanistic formation, knowing Virgil by heart and composing poems and hymns, one of which on Mary Magdalene entered the Roman Breviary. On 20 September 1560 he entered the Society of Jesus.

He studied philosophy at the Roman College, taught humanities at Florence and Mondovì, and pursued theology at Padua and then Louvain, centered on Saint Thomas Aquinas and the Fathers of the Church. Ordained priest on 25 March 1570, he taught theology at Louvain for several years, gaining renown as professor and preacher who drew both Catholics and Protestants. In 1576 Pope Gregory XIII called him to the Roman College to the newly founded chair of Controversies (Apologetics). Over the decade 1576–1586 his lectures grew into the monumental Disputationes de Controversiis Christianae Fidei, the first great systematic defense of Catholic doctrine against the Reformation, celebrated for its historical breadth and clarity.

From 1588 he served as spiritual father to the Jesuit students at the Roman College, among them Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, whose last years he guided and whose beatification he later promoted. He accompanied Cardinal Gaetano as theologian on the legation to France amid the civil wars, and later sat on the commission that prepared the Sixto-Clementine Vulgate, writing the preface that preserved the name of Sixtus V while correcting the text. Made rector of the Roman College in 1592 and provincial of Naples in 1595, he was recalled by Clement VIII as papal theologian, consultor of the Holy Office, and examiner of bishops. In 1597–1598 he published his Dottrina cristiana breve, a catechism that became his most popular work and a standard for centuries.

On 3 March 1599 Clement VIII created him cardinal, declaring that the Church of God had not his equal in learning, and on 18 March 1602 named him Archbishop of Capua; he received episcopal ordination on 21 April. For three years he set a bright example of Tridentine pastoral zeal: preaching in his cathedral, visiting parishes weekly, holding three diocesan synods and a provincial council. After the conclaves that elected Leo XI and Paul V he was kept in Rome, released from Capua at his own request, and became a leading member of the Congregations of the Holy Office, the Index, Rites, Bishops, and the Propagation of the Faith. He defended the rights of the Apostolic See in the Venetian interdict and against the English Oath of Allegiance, always holding the via media of the pope's indirect power in temporal affairs. In 1616, on papal orders, he notified Galileo of the decree concerning Copernican theory and received his submission, while privately counseling that unproven hypotheses must not contradict the common sense of the Fathers, yet that demonstrated truth would require careful reinterpretation of Scripture.

In his final years he composed works of spirituality—The Mind's Ascent to God, The Art of Dying Well, and meditations on the Seven Words—distilling the fruit of his annual retreats for the edification of ordinary Christians. His spirit of prayer, delicacy of conscience, humility and poverty under the cardinal's robes, lavish charity to the poor, and tireless work impressed those who knew him as already numbered among the saints. Permitted to retire to Sant'Andrea, he prepared for death and died in Rome on 17 September 1621. Buried in the Church of Saint Ignatius beside Aloysius Gonzaga as he had wished, he was beatified by Pius XI in 1923, canonized in 1930, and proclaimed Doctor of the Church in 1931.

May Saint Robert Bellarmine obtain for us a love of clear truth joined to humble charity, that we may teach the faith and serve the Church with the same detachment he showed under both the Jesuit gown and the cardinal's purple.

BENEDICT XVI

GENERAL AUDIENCE

Paul VI Hall Wednesday, 23 February 2011

Saint Robert Bellarmine

Dear brothers and sisters,

Saint Robert Bellarmine, about whom I wish to speak to you today, brings us back in memory to the time of the painful division of Western Christianity, when a grave political and religious crisis caused entire Nations to break away from the Apostolic See.

Born on 4 October 1542 in Montepulciano, near Siena, he was the nephew, on his mother's side, of Pope Marcellus II. He received an excellent humanistic formation before entering the Society of Jesus on 20 September 1560. His studies in philosophy and theology, which he completed between the Roman College, Padua and Louvain, centred on Saint Thomas and the Fathers of the Church, were decisive for his theological orientation. Ordained a priest on 25 March 1570, he was for some years a professor of theology in Louvain. Subsequently, called to Rome as a professor at the Roman College, he was entrusted with the chair of "Apologetics"; in the decade during which he held that post (1576-1586) he worked out a course of lectures that later flowed into the Controversiae, a work that immediately became famous for its clarity and richness of content and for its predominantly historical approach. The Council of Trent had only recently concluded and for the Catholic Church it was necessary to strengthen and confirm its own identity also in relation to the Protestant Reformation. Bellarmine's action fitted into this context. From 1588 to 1594 he was first spiritual father of the Jesuit students at the Roman College, among whom he met and directed Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, and then religious superior. Pope Clement VIII appointed him pontifical theologian, consultant to the Holy Office and rector of the College of Penitentiaries of the Basilica of Saint Peter. To the two-year period 1597-1598 belongs his catechism, the Short Christian Doctrine, which was his most popular work.

On 3 March 1599 he was created cardinal by Pope Clement VIII and, on 18 March 1602, he was appointed archbishop of Capua. He received episcopal ordination on 21 April of the same year. In the three years in which he was a diocesan bishop, he distinguished himself for his zeal as a preacher in his cathedral, for the visitation he made weekly to the parishes, for the three diocesan synods and a provincial council that he brought to life. After participating in the conclaves that elected Popes Leo XI and Paul V, he was recalled to Rome, where he was a member of the Congregations of the Holy Office, the Index, Rites, Bishops and Propagation of the Faith. He also had diplomatic assignments, with the Republic of Venice and England, in defence of the rights of the Apostolic See. In his last years he composed various books of spirituality, in which he condensed the fruit of his annual spiritual exercises. From the reading of these the Christian people still draws great edification today. He died in Rome on 17 September 1621. Pope Pius XI beatified him in 1923, canonized him in 1930 and proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church in 1931.

Saint Robert Bellarmine played an important role in the Church of the last decades of the sixteenth century and the early years of the following one. His Controversiae constituted a point of reference, still valid, for Catholic ecclesiology on questions concerning Revelation, the nature of the Church, the Sacraments and theological anthropology. In them the institutional aspect of the Church appears accentuated, because of the errors that were then circulating on these issues. Nevertheless Bellarmine also clarified the aspects

However, his legacy lies in the way he conceived his work. The burdensome offices of government did not prevent him, in fact, from striving daily toward holiness through fidelity to the demands of his state as a religious, priest and bishop. From this fidelity flows his commitment to preaching. Being, as a priest and bishop, first and foremost a pastor of souls, he felt the duty to preach assiduously. There are hundreds of sermones – homilies – delivered in Flanders, Rome, Naples and Capua on the occasion of liturgical celebrations. No less abundant are his expositiones and explanationes to parish priests, religious, and students of the Roman College, which often take as their subject Sacred Scripture, especially the Letters of Saint Paul. His preaching and catecheses present that same character of essentiality which he had learned from his Ignatian education, entirely directed toward concentrating the forces of the soul on the Lord Jesus, intensely known, loved and imitated.

In the writings of this man of government one perceives very clearly, despite the reserve with which he conceals his feelings, the primacy he assigns to the teachings of Christ. Saint Bellarmine thus offers a model of prayer, the soul of every activity: a prayer that listens to the Word of the Lord, that is satisfied in contemplating his greatness, that does not fold in on itself, but is glad to abandon itself to God. A distinctive sign of Bellarmine's spirituality is the vivid and personal perception of God's immense goodness, by which our Saint truly felt himself a beloved son of God and found great joy in gathering himself, with serenity and simplicity, in prayer, in contemplation of God. In his book De ascensione mentis in Deum – Elevation of the Mind to God – composed on the model of the Itinerarium of Saint Bonaventure, he exclaims: "O soul, your model is God, infinite beauty, light without shadow, splendor that surpasses that of the moon and the sun. Raise your eyes to God in whom are found the archetypes of all things, and from whom, as from a source of infinite fruitfulness, derives this almost infinite variety of things. Therefore you must conclude: whoever finds God finds everything, whoever loses God loses everything."

In this text one hears the echo of the famous contemplatio ad amorem obtineundum – contemplation to obtain love – of the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Bellarmine, who lived in the sumptuous and often unhealthy society of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, draws practical applications from this contemplation and projects onto it the situation of the Church of his time with a lively pastoral spirit. In the book De arte bene moriendi – the art of dying well – for example, he indicates as a sure norm for living well, and also for dying well, the frequent and serious meditation that one must render an account to God of one's actions and one's way of living, and seek not to accumulate riches on this earth, but to live simply and with charity so as to accumulate goods in Heaven. In the book De gemitu columbae – The Groan of the Dove, where the dove represents the Church – he strongly calls the clergy and all the faithful to a personal and concrete reform of their own lives by following what Scripture and the Saints teach, among whom he cites in particular Saint Gregory Nazianzen, Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Jerome and Saint Augustine, as well as the great Founders of religious Orders such as Saint Benedict, Saint Dominic and Saint Francis. Bellarmine teaches with great clarity and by the example of his own life that there can be no true reform of the Church if there is not first our personal reform and the conversion of our heart.

From the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, Bellarmine drew advice for communicating in a profound way, even to the simplest people, the beauties of the mysteries of the faith. He writes: "If you have wisdom, understand that you are created for the glory of God and for your eternal salvation. This is your end, this is the center of your soul, this is the treasure of your heart. Therefore, consider as true good for you that which leads you to your end, true evil that which makes you miss it. Prosperous or adverse events, riches and poverty, health and sickness, honors and outrages, life and death, the wise man must neither seek them nor flee them for their own sake. But they are good and desirable only if they contribute to the glory of God and to your eternal happiness; they are bad and to be avoided if they hinder it" (De ascensione mentis in Deum, grad. 1).

These, of course, are not outdated words, but words for us to meditate on at length today in order to orient our journey on this earth. They remind us that the goal of our life is the Lord, the God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ, in whom he continues to call us and to promise us communion with him. They remind us of the importance of trusting in the Lord, of devoting ourselves to a life faithful to the Gospel, of accepting and illuminating with faith and prayer every circumstance and every action of our life, always reaching out toward union with him. Thank you.

Greetings:

I welcome you with joy, dear French-speaking pilgrims. I greet in particular the seminarians of Nantes and the novices of the Monastic Fraternity of the Brothers of Saint John, as well as the many young high school students and altar servers! May you understand ever better that the goal of our life is the Lord Jesus who calls us to communion with him! A good pilgrimage to all! May God bless you!

A new and powerful earthquake, even more devastating than the one last September, has struck the city of Christchurch, in New Zealand, causing considerable loss of life and the disappearance of many people, to say nothing of the damage to buildings. At this time, my thoughts turn especially to the people there who are being severely tested by this tragedy. Let us ask God to relieve their suffering and to support all who are involved in the rescue operations. I also ask you to join me in praying for all who have lost their lives.

Finally, I would like to greet the English-speaking visitors and pilgrims present at today’s Audience, especially those from England, Ireland, Sweden, Japan and the United States. I also thank the choirs for their praise of God in song. Upon you and your families I cordially invoke God’s abundant blessings.

From my heart I greet all the German-speaking pilgrims, today especially Bishop Ludwig Schwarz with the deans from the Diocese of Linz. The saints are people who have lived a completely normal life, a demanding professional life like that of Saint Bellarmine, but who have remained inwardly with God in it and have therefore also managed their professional lives better. So we should learn this from Saint Robert Bellarmine: to maintain the inner contact with God, with Christ, and thus to be slowly formed and enlightened by him. He says explicitly: Every reform of the Church begins with the reform of myself. Only if I allow myself to be reformed do I truly contribute to the renewal of the Church. May the Lord grant us all his graces for this.

I greet with affection the Spanish-speaking pilgrims, in particular the Discalced Carmelite Allies and the other groups from Spain, Mexico, Chile and other Latin American countries. May the teaching and the witness of life of Saint Robert Bellarmine also illuminate our path toward God in the Church. Many thanks.

Beloved Portuguese-speaking pilgrims, I cordially greet you all, wishing that this meeting of ours may bear fruit in interior renewal that may consolidate concord in Christian families and communities, for the good of justice and peace in the world. As a pledge of divine grace and peace for you and your loved ones, I gladly grant you the Apostolic Blessing.

Greeting in Polish:

I cordially welcome the Polish pilgrims. Robert Bellarmine taught that the goal of our life is communion with God, who revealed himself in Jesus Christ. To achieve it, one must place trust in the Lord, be faithful to the Gospel and accept with faith the daily situations, discerning in prayer their deepest meaning. This is the vocation and task of each one of us believers. May God's blessing support you on the paths of holiness. Praised be Jesus Christ.

Italian translation:

I cordially welcome the Polish pilgrims. Robert Bellarmine teaches us that the goal of our life is communion with God who revealed himself in Jesus Christ. To achieve it one must trust in the Lord, be faithful to the Gospel and accept with faith every daily circumstance, reading in prayer their deepest meaning. This is the vocation and task of each one of us believers. May God's blessing support you on the paths of holiness. Praised be Jesus Christ.

Greeting in Czech:

I cordially welcome the students of the Gymnasium of Vodňany and Strakonice! Beloved, I wish you that your studies may always be enlivened by the effort to attain true spiritual values. To this end, I impart the Apostolic Blessing to you and to your dearest ones! Praise be to Christ!

Italian translation:

A cordial welcome to the students of the Secondary Schools of Vodňany and Strakonice. Dearest ones, I wish you that your studies may always be animated by commitment to authentic spiritual values. With these wishes I impart the Apostolic Blessing to you and to your loved ones. Praised be Jesus Christ!

Greeting in Slovak:

With love I welcome the Slovak pilgrims, especially those from the Parish of the Holy Family in Bratislava-Petržalka. Brothers and sisters, yesterday we celebrated the feast of the Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle. I thank you for the prayers with which you accompany my service as Successor of Peter and I cordially bless you and your loved ones. Praised be Jesus Christ!

Italian translation:

With affection I welcome the Slovak pilgrims, particularly those from the Parish of the Holy Family of Bratislava-Petržalka. Brothers and sisters, yesterday we celebrated the feast of the Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle. I thank you for your prayers with which you accompany my service as Successor of Peter and I cordially bless you and your loved ones. Praised be Jesus Christ!

* * *

I extend a cordial welcome to the Italian-speaking pilgrims. In particular I greet the faithful who have come with the "Benedictine Torch", which in the coming days will reach London for an ecumenical celebration; they are accompanied by the Archbishop of Spoleto-Norcia, Mons. Renato Boccardo, and by the Abbot of Montecassino, Dom Pietro Vittorelli. Dear friends, while I thank you for today's visit, I express the hope that this traditional initiative may help to rekindle the light of faith, especially in Europe, and be a bearer of concord and reconciliation. I affectionately greet the representatives of the Mountain Community and of the Matese Park and the editors of the periodical "Clarus", accompanied by their Bishop Mons. Valentino Di Cerbo, and I willingly invoke upon each one the continued assistance of the Lord, so that they may bring into society the leaven of Christian values, thus contributing to the civil and moral progress of the territory, by responding to the true spiritual and material needs of their fellow citizens. I then greet the faithful of the parish of St. Polycarp in Rome and those of Maria Santissima del Rosario di Pompei, in Salerno, who are commemorating the 50th anniversary of the foundation of their respective communities and I wish them to lead a Christian existence that may always be a generous witness of faith.

Finally, I extend an affectionate thought to the young people, the sick and the newlyweds. Today we celebrate the liturgical memorial of Saint Polycarp. May his example of fidelity to Christ arouse in you, dear young people, resolutions of courageous evangelical witness. May it help you, dear sick people, to offer your daily sufferings, so that the civilization of love may spread in the world. May it sustain you, dear newlyweds, in the commitment to place intimate union with God as the foundation of your family.