Saint of the day September 17: Saint Robert Bellarmine. Catholic Saints

Every September 17, the Church remembers Saint Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621), archbishop and cardinal, a man of great apostolic zeal and wisdom, who faced with singular firmness some of the most difficult moments that the Church has gone through throughout its history. of its history.

Only a few years ago, in 2021, the fourth centenary of his death was celebrated, which occurred on September 17, 1621; as well as the 90 years since he was included in the list of Doctors of the Church, on September 17, 1931.

On the narrow road

“Consider what is truly good for you that brings you to your goal, and what is truly evil that prevents you from reaching it,” Bellarmine once wrote, hinting at the importance of always seeking God’s plans for one’s own life, so that the soul can follow the path laid out by God to achieve happiness, plenitude and holiness.

Saint Robert was a brave defender of the Catholic Church against those who wanted to destroy or harm it. These were the times of the Protestant Revolt, and, contrary to what is generally thought, the most dangerous enemies may not have been “outside the Church” but within. A profound crisis of the clergy and a good part of the hierarchy weakened Catholicism from its very center.

There is no greater treasure than Christ

Roberto was born in Tuscany (Italy) in 1542, and since he studied at the Jesuit college he stood out for his intelligence. A little later he would discover himself called to serve God as his priest and, therefore, he requested his definitive incorporation into the Society of Jesus.

Once ordained, he served as a teacher and trainer of novices. Bellarmino felt very comfortable as a Jesuit because it allowed him to dedicate himself to his two great passions: prayer and study. He thought, deep down, that this way he could avoid heavy ecclesial or hierarchical positions; although, as would later become evident, God had already planned another path for him.

The young Father Bellarmine deeply loved knowledge and greatly enjoyed preaching. Given his natural gifts for these tasks, he strove to make his writings and homilies authentic pieces of erudition – he handled the classics very well and was a great connoisseur of the Bible – until he discovered that the richness of the Church’s message does not lie in the ornaments or rhetorical exuberances, but in showing the person of Christ with simplicity and depth. Precisely, with that humble spirit he wrote some of the most finished versions of the catechism that exist.

Against error, charity

Saint Robert fought several heresies and became one of the strongest promoters of the Counter-Reformation movement. His was not precisely what we would call today “political correctness”: he simply treated Protestants as “heretics”; while his efforts to make the right doctrine known did not spring from contempt for others, nor from a false superior consciousness. Bellarmine only had one “problem”: he called error “error”, without ambiguity or scruples.

Among other responsibilities, Father Bellarmine served in the Roman Curia as a consultant and prefect in various dicasteries. In fact, due to his charges, he took part in the trials that followed Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) and Giordano Bruno (1548-1600), in which he acted with prudence, charity and zeal for the truth.

Good son, good servant of the Church

His mother’s teachings about humility and simplicity had an impact on his way of being, especially when Roberto truly understood that his treasure was in Christ and not in the recognition or applause of people.

If from a human point of view it could be said that his talents placed him in an ‘ascending’ or ‘expectant’ position – trained by Saint Francis of Borja himself, then quickly ordained and, at the request of the Pope, placed in charge of the preparation of the priests of Rome so that they could learn to face the enemies of the faith -, his mother’s invocations always weighed more heavily on his heart so that he would put all of himself at the service of those who need it most.

With an eye on Rome

As a result of the papal commission, Bellarmine published Controversiesa book that became mandatory reading for apologists and theologians eager to clarify the doctrinal confusions that the expansion of the Protestant Churches brought with it. Among those who recognized themselves as influenced by this notable text was none other than Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622).

Saint Robert directed a revised edition of the Bible (Vulgate) and wrote two versions of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: the Summary catechism and the catechism explained. Both texts were translated into several languages ​​and were considered in common use until the 19th century. Likewise, the saint served as a spiritual director for years serving different types of people. Perhaps the most famous of those directed by him was Saint Louis Gonzaga (1568-1591).

For reasons like this, Saint Robert Bellarmine, despite belonging to the Society of Jesus and having promised not to aspire to ecclesiastical positions, was named archbishop; and not only that, but years later he would be created a cardinal.

Pope Clement VIII, on March 3, 1599, declared in front of the curia: “We have chosen this man because there is no one in the Church of God who is equal to him in desire to learn.”

Bellarmine had begged his superiors to prevent the papal wishes from being carried out, but the Pope was not persuaded and ordered him – legend has it, under threat of excommunication – to remain silent during the ceremony in which he was created cardinal.

“I have fought the good fight” (2 Tim 4, 7)

Shortly before dying, the saint wrote in his will that his belongings should be distributed among the poor; Although the truth was that he had so little that in the end what he left was only enough to pay for his funeral. At the time of his death, Saint Robert was retired in the novitiate of Saint Andrew in Rome. From there he left for the Father’s House on December 17, 1621.

Pope Pius

Intellectual legacy

The work of Saint Robert Bellarmine is very extensive, only comparable to that of saints such as Saint Augustine of Hippo or Saint Thomas Aquinas.

However, apart from such striking consideration, the saint wrote in his book On the ascent of the mind to God (On the elevation of the mind to God): “The wise man should neither seek prosperous or adverse events, riches and poverty, health and sickness, honors and outrages, life and death, nor flee from them of their own accord. They are good and desirable only if they contribute to the glory of God and your eternal happiness; “They are bad and you have to flee from them if they hinder you.”

Saint Robert Bellarmine, pray for us!

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If you want to know more about Saint Robert Bellarmine, we recommend this article from the Catholic Encyclopedia: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/San_Roberto_Bellarmine.

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