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| St. Bernadine of Siena |
Life of
St. Bernardine of Siena
Friar Minor,
missionary, and reformer, often called the "Apostle of Italy", b. of
the noble family of Albizeschi at Massa, a Sienese town of which his father was
then governor, 8 September, 1380; d. at Aquila in the Abruzzi, 20 May, 1444.
Left an orphan at six Bernardine was brought up with great care by his pious
aunts. His youth was blameless and engaging. In 1397 after a course of civil
and canon law, he joined the Confraternity of Our Lady attached to the great
hospital of Santa Maria della Scala. Three years later, when the pestilence
revisited Siena, he came forth from the life of seclusion and prayer he had
embraced, to minister to the plague-stricken, and, assisted by ten companions,
took upon himself for four months entire charge of this hospital. Despite his
youth Bernardine proved fully equal to this task, but the heroic and
unremitting labour it involved so far shattered his health that he never
completely recovered. Having distributed his patrimony in charity, Bernardine
received the habit of the Friars Minor at San Francesco in Siena, 8 September,
1402, but soon withdrew to the Observantine convent of Columbaio outside the city.
He was professed 8 September, 1403 and ordained 8 September, 1404. About 1406
S. Vincent Ferrer, while preaching at Alexandria in Piedmont, foretold that his
mantle should descend upon one who was then listening to him, and said that he
would return to France and Spain leaving to Bernardine the task of evangelizing
the remaining peoples of Italy.
Nearly twelve
years passed before this prediction was fulfilled. During this period, of which
we have no details, Bernardine seems to have lived in retirement at Capriola.
It was in 1417 that his gift of eloquence was made manifest and his missionary
life really began at Milan at the close of that year. Thenceforth, various
cities contended for the honour of hearing him, and he was often compelled to
preach in the market places, his auditors sometimes numbering thirty thousand.
Bernardine gradually gained an immense influence over the turbulent, luxurious
Italian cities. Pius II, who as a youth had been a spellbound auditor of
Bernardine, records that the saint was listened to as another Paul, and
Vespasiano da Bisticci, a well-known Florentine biographer, says that by his
sermons Bernardine "cleansed all Italy from sins of every kind in which
she abounded". The penitents, we are told, flocked to confession
"like ants", and in several cities the reforms urged by the saint
were embodied in the laws under the name of Riformazioni di frate Bernardino.
Indeed, the success which crowned Bernardine's labours to promote morality and
regenerate society, can scarcely be exaggerated. He preached with apostolic
freedom, openly censuring Visconti, Duke of Milan, and elsewhere fearlessly
rebuking the evil in high places which undermined the Quattrocento. In each
city he denounced the reigning vice so effectively that bonfires were kindled
and "vanities" were cast upon them by the cartload. Usury was one of
the principal objects of the saint's attacks, and he did much to prepare the
way for the establishment of the beneficial loan societies, known as Monti di
Pietà . But Bernardine's watchword, like that of St. Francis, was
"Peace". On foot he traversed the length and breadth of Italy
peacemaking, and his eloquence was exercised with great effect towards
reconciling the mutual hatred of Guelphs and Ghibellines. At Crema, as a result
of his preaching, the political exiles were recalled and even reinstated in
their confiscated possessions. Everywhere Bernardine persuaded the cities to
take down the arms of their warring factions from the church and palace walls
and to inscribe there, instead, the initials I. H. S. He thus gave a new
impulse and a tangible form to the devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus which was
ever a favourite topic with him and which he came to regard as a potent means
of rekindling popular fervour. He used to hold a board in front of him while
preaching, with the sacred monogram painted on it in the midst of rays and
afterwards expose it for veneration. This custom he appears to have introduced
at Volterra in 1424. At Bologna Bernardine induced a card-painter, who had been
ruined by his sermons against gambling, to make a living by designing these
tablets, and such was the desire to possess them that the man soon realized a
small fortune.
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| The Eucharist Defeats Evil |
In spite of his
popularity — perhaps rather on account of it — Bernardine had to suffer both
opposition and persecution. He was accused of heresy, the tablets he had used
to promote devotion to the Holy Name being made the basis of a clever attack by
the adherents of the Dominican, Manfred of Vercelli, whose false preaching
about Antichrist Bernardine had combated. The saint was charged with having
introduced a profane, new devotion which exposed the people to the danger of
idolatry, and he was cited to appear before the pope. This was in 1427. Martin
V received Bernardine coldly and forbade him to preach or exhibit his tablets
until his conduct had been examined. The saint humbly submitted, his sermons
and writings being handed over to a commission and a day set for his trial. The
latter took place at St. Peter's in presence of the pope, 8 June, St. John
Capistran having charge of the saint's defence. The malice and futility of the
charges against Bernardine were so completely demonstrated that the pope not
only justified and commended the saint's teaching, but urged him to preach in Rome.
Martin V subsequently approved Bernardine's election as Bishop of Siena. The
saint, however, declined this honour as well as the Sees of Ferrara and Urbino,
offered to him in 1431 and 1435, respectively, saying playfully that all Italy
was already his diocese. After the accession of Eugene IV Bernardine's enemies
renewed their accusations against him, but the pope by a Bull, 7 January 1432,
annulled their highhanded, secret proceedings and thus reduced the saint's
calumniators to silence, nor does the question seem to have been reopened
during the Council of Basle as some have asserted. The vindication of
Bernardine's teaching was perpetuated by the feast of the Triumph of the Holy
Name, conceded to the Friars Minor in 1530 and extended to the Universal Church
in 1722.
Excerpt taken
from New Advent, Catholic Encyclopedia
