predication.net

Today we celebrate the canonization of „one of the greatest pontiffs who ever sat on the Roman see (…). His pontificate (v 5th century) lasted more than 21 years and was undoubtedly one of the most important in the history of the church,“ was uttered by Benedict XVI. In addition to various peaceful actions, such as defending Rome against barbarian raids, the pontiff Saint Leo the Great stood out by delivering a defense of the two natures of Jesus Christ—human and divine — at the Council of Chalcedon (451). At the time, the council fathers praised him by saying, „Peter spoke through the mouth of Lev.“

Today’s gospel is telling. The question of Jesus Christ on his own identity shows the Master’s pedagogical refinement. He wants to bring his disciples to a truth far removed from human views, comparing Jesus of Nazareth to one of the greats of Judaism. In accordance with his impulsive nature, Peter quickly answers the question: „You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.“ Simon does not speak of Jesus as a great man; that would mean he says very little and does not tell the truth. He assures the divine position of the Man he follows. And Jesus confirms it to him and, at the same time, explains to him that his answer goes beyond his human abilities: it comes from above!

In the same way, as his disciples, the same question comes to us: „And who do you think I am?“ (Mt 16,15) Pope Leo the Great said that Peter’s confession of faith is the rock on which the church rests. Likewise, without help from above, we could not simply be disciples of Christ. Jesus is undoubtedly a wonderful person, a spiritual guide, a prophetic voice… but to become his disciples, one must „believe” in him. Only then is it possible to become a disciple, based on faith. Peter and I confess the faith in Jesus because, as Pope Francis says, „He loves you, He gave his life to save you, and now he lives by your side every day, to enlighten you, strengthen and free you“.

In classical political thought, the concept of a tyrant is used (simplified) to refer to an autocrat who has betrayed his monarchical mission to manage the state and lead it towards the common good. Contrary to this mission, however, the tyrant oppresses the state’s residents and asserts his personal desires contrary to the general good, using violence whether brutal or less cruel. However, the defining feature of tyranny is not violence, which is legitimate in the interest of the public in every form of government, but rather the focus on purely personal gain at the expense of the general welfare, and the use of violence precisely for personal gain. (Of course, it should be noted that, in ancient times, the term ‘tyrant’ was not always perceived negatively, either theoretically or practically.)

Therefore, a tyrant is not a monarch who suppresses a bloody and decaying revolution by equally bloody means to preserve the communal good; rather, it is a ruler who uses similar means to satisfy their own selfish desires and gain personal profit at the expense of the general welfare. Similarly, according to this definition, a representative of a secular totalitarian regime based on a particular ideology should not be called a tyrant. He does not have to act for his own personal gain, and he may, of course, have the impression that he is working for the common good since he is an unbeliever. His removal usually has no effect because the secular ideology of gratitude to its metaphysical background endures, even after the death of the leading official.

For a Christian, an anti-Christian secular regime (or any anti-Christian mode) is basically a tyrannical system. In this case, the classic division into monarchy, aristocracy, and politea loses its meaning, because it is irrelevant whether Christians will be persecuted by an autocrat, an elite, or elected people’s representatives. The problem lies outside the political system. For a Christian, any form of suppression of Christianity is automatically tyrannical.

All scholastic thinkers assume a political situation within the Christian state. A monarch who strives to suppress Christianity or harm the natural good of the Christian state is seen as a tyrant who has abused his position. However, a global non-Christian or anti-Christian regime or state (e.g. Islamic or pagan) is generally perceived as unacceptable. Essentially, their vision of the state can be described as a dichotomy: Christian states versus missionary states (non-Christian states that consciously or unconsciously prevent people from knowing the Gospel).

This vision of reality is found in St. Augustine’s concept of two states: the spiritual and the secular. Whether they want to or not, all orthodox Christian concepts of politics must appeal to St. Augustine, unless they serve some modern-day ideology. The notion of a pluralistic, multi-religious state would have seemed absurd to the scholastics. The political conceptions of St Thomas Aquinas and John of Salisbury are only feasible within a Christian state that participates in Civitas Dei.

Whether an individual in a Christian state or a general in an anti-Christian state, tyranny is undoubtedly perceived as evil. Christian thinkers have questioned how Christians should respond to this evil. A fundamental problem for Christians is whether a tyrant can be removed by force, i.e., by killing them, either collectively or individually. Some Christian thinkers rejected such a practice (Tertullian and Lactations), while others did not exclude it (St. Augustine), but neither group dealt with the issue in much detail.

John of Salisbury (1115–1180)

Was the first scholastic to deal with the problem of the tyrant in detail in his writing Polycrates. He was an English priest and later bishop of Chartres, as well as a diplomat and secretary to St Thomas Becket. As a direct participant in Thomas Becket’s dispute with King Henry II. Plantagenet, who initiated the murder of St Thomas Becket, had ample incentive to think about tyrants. The result was the work above.

John determined that the fundamental difference between a monarch and a tyrant is that the former obeys the law, while the latter does not. However, we must also consider that the monarchical system assumes the possibility of a monarch creating statutes, not just complying with them. This means that he can pass a law against natural law, observe it, and still be tyrannical. Therefore, it is perhaps better to stick to the definition of a tyrant as someone who acts against the general welfare, as the criterion of compliance with the law is not authoritative.

Moreover, laws can be anti-Christian, as we know today. Therefore, their observance by the ruler will not necessarily be beneficial for a Christian state. This confirms the assumption that the scholastics did not consider systems or laws other than those based on Christian principles. By ‘general welfare’, they understood a state of public affairs that corresponded to Church teaching within the framework of a Christian state, rather than primarily to some natural and material goods. The first Christians who perceived emperors such as Diocletian as tyrants can serve as an example. They achieved success in economic, organisational, and military terms, supporting the general well-being in the pagan sense. They were tyrants to the Christians because they persecuted them.

Emperor Nero and the execution of Christians, with Rome burning in the background. Image source: Wikimedia Commons
John of Salisbury writes about the qualities of a good Christian monarch:

The monarch is a servant of the Church and a helper of the priestly status, performing those duties that are not fit for consecrated hands. ‘The monarch receives the sword from the Church.’
The monarch is subject to the law of justice.
The monarch should be morally blameless and must not be greedy.
The monarch must be pious and educated.
The monarch must be humble.
The monarch must never think of himself, but of others.
A monarch who lacks these qualities opposes the laws of God and the world, and may be considered a tyrant. John distinguishes between two types of tyrant: the tyrant-ruler and the tyrant-usurper. The former came to power through legitimate means, while the latter did so through illegitimate means. In the second case: ‘It is not only permissible to kill a tyrant, but also just and right. Whoever usurps power belittles the law and subjects it to his will. The situation with the legitimate monarch is more complicated, but John of Salisbury does not consider this to be an obstacle. He agrees that it is permissible to kill a legitimate monarch, and even considers it a ‘blessed’ act. He only adds that an oath against the tyrant should not bind the perpetrator and, if the tyrant is a priest, he must be suspended before execution. He supports his arguments with examples from the Old Testament and adds: ‘Tyranny is therefore not only a public crime, but something more. The tyrant, this embodiment of perversion, is undoubtedly to be killed in most cases.’

However, John of Salisbury’s radical approach was not widely understood. In the following centuries, especially when queens became more common, the horrified Church officially rejected this theory, and the attitude of St. Thomas Aquinas remained prevalent.

St. John’s attitude. However, Thomas is not clear. In theory, he admits to the removal of a tyrant, but makes several reservations. He fundamentally rejects individual action by ordinary people in this regard. He reserves the right to execute the tyrant for a legitimate authority, specifically a lower branch such as the monarch’s family, successors, the council of ministers, or another body involved in state administration.

St. Thomas Aquinas left us with several instructions for resolving this situation in his theological and philosophical works, as well as in works directly addressing forms and methods of governance, such as ‘De regimine principum’. It seems that, over time, St. Thomas abandoned more radical positions on this issue and leaned towards moderation.

In his comments on Peter Lombard’s statements, he asks himself the question: ‘Are Christians supposed to obey worldly power, especially tyrants?’ Here, however, St. Thomas does not cite the answer as his own, but invokes Cicero: ‘Cicero talks about the case when someone appropriates power by force, against the will of the subjects, or by forcing their consent, and when there is no possibility of turning to a superior power that could judge the usurper.’ Then, he who kills a tyrant to rid his country of the yoke is praised and rewarded.’

Despite this potentially positive opinion, there is a difference with John of Salisbury: St. Thomas only discusses a tyrannical usurper who seizes power by force. When considering the removal of a legitimate ruler who has become a tyrant, St. Thomas cites the first Christian martyrs and their relationship with the emperor as an example to follow: they submitted and did not rebel.

7 November, commemoration
Position: Archbishop
Death: 739
Patronage: Netherlands, Luxembourg; dioceses of Utrecht, Haarlem, and Echternach. Invoked for convulsions, epilepsy, and skin diseases.
Attributes: bishop’s staff, child, book, church model, barrel, and spring. Occasionally depicted with idols.
Biography:

He was raised in a Benedictine monastery in Ripon, England, under Abbot Wilfrid. He became a monk at the age of 15, travelled to Ireland at 20, and was ordained as a priest at 30. Furthermore, he then went on a missionary journey to Friesland. In 695, he became the Archbishop of Utrecht. He founded the Echternach monastery and built temples, proving himself as a missionary in Holland, Luxembourg, Denmark, the Rhineland, Thuringia, and the island of Heligoland. He died in Echternach, in eastern Luxembourg.
BIOGRAPHY FOR MEDITATION

HAPPY IN GOD’S NAME
He was born on the 6th. November 11 658 in Northumbria, on the border of England and Scotland. His father, Williams, was an Anglo-Saxon nobleman who became a monk after his wife’s death and later lived as a hermit. He also sent his seven-year-old son to a Benedictine monastery in Ripon, in the English county of North Yorkshire, to be brought up and educated. Here, Wilibrord was in the care of Abbot Wilfrid (d. 24 April), who was later appointed Bishop of York.

At the age of 15, Wilibrord took religious vows and donned a Benedictine robe. Five years later, he left for the Rathmelsigi monastery in the kingdom of Connaught in the northwest or west of Ireland, having become embroiled in a dispute about Iroscot customs. This allowed him to avoid church-political disputes and meet his Anglo-Saxon compatriots, Egbert and Wilbert. It was here that he began planning missionary work with the Frisians, receiving priestly ordination in 688.

The following year, Pippin II defeated the pagan Frisian king Radbod, and the Frankish Empire gained control of southern Friesland, a province in the north of the Netherlands. In 690, Wilibrord arrived in this territory with eleven companions and began spreading Christianity in Antwerp with the consent of Pippin the Butler. Evangelising the population was difficult and slow in these circumstances. Part of the territory was under the influence of Radbod, who tried to maintain pagan cults and combat Christianity. At Pippin’s suggestion, Wilibrord went to Rome for the second time in 695, where he was consecrated Archbishop of Utrecht on 21 November by Pope Sergius I, who also gave him the new name Clement (meaning ‘benevolent’, ‘kind’, ‘gentle’, ‘mild’). However, Wilibrord preferred his original name.

He returned to Utrecht with a pallium, relics, liturgical books, and clothing. With papal authorisation and the support of the nobility, he began establishing temples. After restoring the damaged church of St. Martina, he built a cathedral dedicated to the Holy Saviour. In Echternach, near Trier, he founded an abbey to educate Frisian heralds. He stayed here from 697 to 698. Thanks to him, the monastery of Susteren, near Maastricht, became another centre for spreading the gospel. He extended his missionary work to Luxembourg and Danish territory. He travelled and preached personally along the Rhine, reaching Denmark. His courage won over many pagans; he did not hesitate to eat from dishes intended for deities, thereby demonstrating their powerlessness.

After Pippin II died in 714, Duke Radbod defied Franconian rule, which had unfortunate consequences for Willibrord’s work. Willibrord was only able to continue his work in Friesland after Radbod’s death. 719. During this period, he worked alongside Boniface for approximately three years, blending the Anglo-Saxon and Roman Catholic traditions and serving as a missionary in Hesse and Thuringia. At around the age of 70, Willibrord is said to have written a summary of his tenure: ‘In Dei nomine feliciter’ (‘happily in God’s name’). Around this time, he was involved in the establishment of the Murbach monastery in Alsace, located in a valley at the foot of the Grand Balloon in the French Vosges mountains.

After fifty years of missionary efforts, Willibrord died in Echternach at the age of 81. In 1031, his remains were collected and placed in a white marble sarcophagus in the crypt under the main altar of the monastery temple.

RESOLUTION, PRAYER

I will seek the happiness that comes from a life anchored in God and in service to His kingdom. I will begin with a prayer in which I entrust my life to God’s guidance.
Merciful God, you called St Willibrord to proclaim the indescribable riches of your love to those who had not yet known Christ. Grant that our knowledge of you may continue to grow, and let us bear the fruit of good deeds. We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever.

Our ancestors held Saint Leonard in high regard. He was a wise mountain man and cheerful hermit from the sixth century who was “raised” by Saint Benedict. They called him Linhart. Although he was French, he is buried in Inchenhofen, Bavaria, which was the fourth-largest pilgrimage site after Rome, Jerusalem, and Santiago de Compostela for centuries. Several chains crafted by the saint can also be found there. Saint Leonard frees us from the snares of our foolishness and bad habits. This saint also demonstrates the excellent attitude of a child of God, someone who lies down in the grass, enjoys the scent of blooming meadows, and understands the importance of freedom — freedom that the chains of today’s world, including advertising, can never take away.

Examining Leonard makes us realize the importance of animals and ecological issues in human life.Our ancestors held Saint Leonard in high regard. He was a wise mountain man and cheerful hermit from the sixth century who was “raised” by Saint Benedict. They called him Lin Hart. Although he was French, he is buried in Inchenhofen, Bavaria, which was one of the four largest pilgrimage sites in Europe after Rome, Jerusalem, and Santiago de Compostela for centuries. Several chains crafted by the saint can also be found there. Saint Leonard frees us from the snares of our foolishness and bad habits. This saint also demonstrates the excellent attitude of a child of God, someone who lies down in the grass, enjoys the scent of blooming meadows, and understands the importance of freedom — freedom that the chains of today’s advertising world can never take away. Examining Leonard makes us realize the importance of animals and ecological issues in human life. From the royal court to the forest…

In which area did Leo XIV correct Pope Francis’ decision?
What communication channel is the Pope creating with the media,
and what impression did the new bishop Pavol Šajgalík make?
Pope Leo XIV has already made a series of his first serious decisions, correcting his predecessor in one matter. In Slovakia, the Church was busy with the episcopal ordination of the new bishop of the ordinary, Pavol Šajgalík, as well as with legislative proposals concerning church and private schools. 

These and other topics were discussed in Vatican Seven, which resumed its video format after a month.

The Pope’s horse. Although in television news, the so-called “animal at the end” usually appears at the end of the news block, in our case, we devoted it to the beginning. It is a white Arabian stallion named Proton, which Pope Leo XIV received as a gift from a Polish breeder.

“It may have been a bizarre event from our point of view, but it caught the attention of Catholic internet users around the world. It was really very nice to see the Pope leading him by the reins,” who recalled that after the conclave, photos of missionary Robert Prevost sitting on a horse in the Peruvian mountains had already been circulated.

The deputy editor-in-chief of the daily Post added that horses were once essentially the papal Popemobile. “Pope Pius IX, for example, was a passionate rider in the 19th century. Simply put, popes and horses somehow go together. So we’ll see if, in addition to tennis, the pope will have a new hobby in Castel Gandolfo, namely riding Proton,” 

If we could describe the first months of Leo’s pontificate as a cautious trot, the last month looked like a brisk gallop.

Just look at the events surrounding the new pope’s first serious steps. 

The first significant document, the Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te (I Have Loved You), was published. The first crucial episcopal appointment concerns Vienna, where the Pope has appointed Josef Grünwidl, who has served as the apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Vienna for the past few months, as Cardinal Schönborn’s successor.

The Pope also had his first meeting with victims of abuse, and his first foreign apostolic journey was announced, which will take him to Turkey and Lebanon at the end of November. At the same time, we saw the Pope’s first apostolic visit to the Apennines Peninsula, accompanied by Italian President Sergio Mattarella. And we could go on.

Francis’s first correction. In addition to the events mentioned above, there were at least two that deserve special attention. The first is the fact that Leo XIV corrected his predecessor, Pope Francis. “This is a specific matter of an economic nature,”

During the reform of the Roman Curia, Pope Francis decided that all investment activities should be the responsibility of the Institute for Religious Works, also known as the Vatican Bank. Leo XIV has now overturned this decision with the issuance of the motu proprio Coniuncta cura on the investment activities of the Holy See, and he has decided that responsibility in this area should be shared. 

“In other words, the Vatican Bank will no longer have a privileged position in investments, but several Vatican offices will decide on investments. Simply put, responsibility will be spread more widely and will be shared.” 

The Durbin case. The second event resonated particularly in the United States, as the American pope unexpectedly entered into a sensitive controversy that was being debated in the US church.

Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich decided to award Chicago Democratic Senator Dick Durbin a prize for his life’s work, especially for his contribution to the care of migrants, which was met with intense criticism not only from some lay people and priests, but also from some American bishops, who pointed out that Durbin is a well-known pro-choice politician, i.e., he supports abortion. 

Journalists asked the Pope about this case, and he pointed out that it is necessary to consider not only the issue of abortion, but also the senator’s entire life context, as he helps migrants and thus also protects human life, and is also against the death penalty. 

Among the critical reactions to the Pope’s statement was that there is a hierarchy of truths in the sense that defenseless children in their mother’s womb cannot defend themselves and must be protected, simply because they are the most vulnerable. “So you could see what a controversy erupted around the Pope’s statement,”

“Ex Gandolfo.” The Pope’s statement on the American case took place during a format that was unfamiliar to us under Pope Francis. Since the beginning of September, Pope Francis has been spending Tuesdays at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, returning to the Vatican on Tuesday evenings. A group of television reporters awaits him in front of Villa Barbering, asking him questions mostly about current events.

“It is possible that the Pope was looking for a way to stay in touch with journalists. We will see if the tradition of statements on board the plane will continue, as he will not be going on his first foreign trip until the end of November,” , who recalled that this type of statement was also called “ex aereo” under Francis, meaning from the air, from the plane. These were the Pope’s answers, which also made the headlines in the media. “I took the liberty of playing with words a little and saying that in the case of Leo XIV, we are seeing something like ‘ex Gandolfo’ for now.”

Film highlight. In Vatican Seven, you will also learn why the series Task on the MAX platform (formerly HBO) about a motorcycle gang intrigued you and how spiritual life is related to the main character of the series—the head of the FBI unit, played by the well-known actor Mark Ruffalo. 

4 November
Monument
Position: bishop
Death: 1584
Patron of: Borromeo; bishops; spiritual advisors; catechists; the sick; priestly seminaries; Diocese of Lugano
Invoked against: plague; digestive diseases
Attributes: cardinal’s clothing; Eucharist; sick; rope around the neck; cross; skull; prominent curved nose
Biography:

He came from a critical Lombard family. He studied law, and after his uncle became Pope Pius IV, he called him to Rome. There, at the age of 21, he made him his secretary and appointed him cardinal-deacon. After three years, he received priestly and episcopal ordination. He played a key role in completing the Tridentine Council and implementing its reforms. At the age of 25, he became archbishop of Milan. He led an ascetic, determined, and selfless life. He convened synods and held pastoral visitations, during which he showed interest in everyone. He revived the spiritual life of the diocese and took extraordinary care of the poor and sick, especially during plagues, without contracting the disease himself. He died exhausted at the age of 46.
BIOGRAPHY FOR MEDITATION

A REFORMER WHO STARTED WITH HIMSELF
He was born on the 2^(nd. 10. October 1538 in the castle above the town of Arona, on the southwestern bank of Lake Maggiore in northern Italy. He was the second son of Count Gilbert and Margaret of Medici.

At the age of seven, at his father’s request, the Archbishop of Milan accepted him into the clerical order, and at 12 he was given his first benefice — the permanent right to the office of abbot, from which his pension, known as a ‘brow’, immediately flowed. However, Charles declared that he would donate the benefice to the poor.

At that time, he was studying Latin in Milan, which his father had sent him to after his mother’s death. She died when he was nine. In 1552, aged 14, he began studying law at the University of Pavia, although he was expected to study theology. In August 1558, his father died and was buried in Milan. Charles devoted himself to his studies with great care, but had to interrupt them more than once due to exhaustion. He finished on the 6th. 12. 1559, obtaining a doctorate in both civil and ecclesiastical law with excellent results. That same year, his maternal uncle, Pope Pius IV, summoned him and his older brother, Federico, to Rome. He appointed Federico commander of the papal army and entrusted him with statesmanship. Karl was appointed on the 31^(st). Cardinal and Deacon of Santa Prassede, as well as Administrator of the Archbishopric of Milan, with the duty to remain in Rome, where he held the position of Secretary. At the same time, he became involved in the most crucial church matters. Karl proved himself to be exceptional, excelling in perseverance and modesty. He contributed to the reconvening of the interrupted Council of Trent in January 1562, as well as to the prompt approval and implementation of the Pope’s council decisions within the Church. The importance of bringing the council to a conclusion is better understood when considering its duration: it lasted 18 years, interrupted by the 13th. 12. 1545 to 4. 1563.
In November 1562, Charles was affected by the death of his brother Federico, marking the beginning of a new chapter in his life. He decided to receive the sacrament of the priesthood, conscientiously preparing for it the following year with spiritual exercises under the guidance of Fr. Ribera (TJ), who remained his spiritual leader. It is said that he received the sacrament in private on 4 December 9 1563. In the same year, on 7 July, he was ordained a bishop in the Sistine Chapel and was subsequently appointed Archbishop of Milan on 23. On January 3, 1564, he received the pallium, and in June, he was appointed to the titular church of Santa Prassede. The Pope allowed him to leave Rome to fulfill his duties in the Curia until January 1st. 9. 1565 and 23rd September. A ceremonial inauguration took place on 9 September 1565 for the archbishopric in Milan.

Cardinal Archbishop Charles Borromeo, acting as papal legate, had the authority to hold episcopal synods. The first was immediately convened at his request. Borromeo appointed Ormaneto vicar general soon after becoming archbishop, preventing him from going to his diocese, and entrusted him with establishing a seminary.

Archbishop Card. Charles reportedly had fifteen bishoprics in Lombardy, Liguria, and Piedmont in his ecclesiastical province. The archdiocese comprised over 750 parishes, with more than 2,000 diocesan priests, 1,200 religious priests, 1,000 religious brothers, and 3,400 nuns. There were also 886 religious associations and 740 catechetical schools. Furthermore, 24 charity centers assisted more than 100,000 of the poor, 16 shelters for those in the greatest need, and homes for abandoned and fallen women, helping them to lead better lives. These data concern the tenure of Cardinal Karl. Karl are included in the time period of his tenure, during which they changed somewhat.

Before O. Kard. He became acquainted with the state of his diocese, but was then called back to Rome to be with the seriously ill Pope. The pope died in his presence on the 9th. 12. 1565. Charles was only able to return to Milan after the election of Pope Pius V and the settlement of necessary matters in Rome. According to some records, this occurred on 5 April 1566, after which he immediately began implementing reforms. While familiarising himself with the diocese, he witnessed desolate churches and a decline in faith and morals among the people, as well as some of the clergy. It was clear that Milan had been without a bishop for 80 years.

Cardinal Charles Borromeo tirelessly won the trust of the people. He began to reduce the size of his residence. He allegedly obtained 30,000 thalers by selling expensive cutlery and other equipment, which he gave to needy families. He began by making a visitation of the diocese. He established a seminary and entrusted its administration to the Jesuits. He reformed the organization of the pastoral ministry by dividing the archbishopric into twelve districts: six in the city and six in the countryside. He abolished some redundant parishes and established new ones. At the same time, he took care of all church facilities, such as schools, associations, and charity centers, to ensure they fulfilled their purpose as effectively as possible, and established new ones. He undertook visitation trips on foot or on horseback more than once, visiting parishes in distant Alpine valleys. He took an interest in the order of baptisms and marriages, and the deposition of unworthy priests, as well as the recovery of believers who had converted to Protestantism.

He preached from the pulpit every Sunday and on public holidays. He had to overcome a speech impediment he had had since childhood. Even when his father sent him to Milan as a child, some believed that this defect was related to his speech impediment. Nevertheless, he is considered one of the greatest preachers of the 16^(th century. He also preached during Masses at St. Peter’s, which he celebrated during his visits, and administered the Blessed Sacrament. He had an extraordinary respect for her, which he encouraged others to share.

Among other things, Archbishop Card. Charles Borromeo reformed the nunneries and convened six diocesan assemblies. He was particularly concerned with implementing the Tridentine reform. Those against this reform included the Humiliati from the monastery in Brera, a semi-religious organization that was abolished in 1571. Four of them were involved in a plot to assassinate the archbishop. On 10 November 1569, they attempted to assassinate Archbishop Borromeo in the archbishop’s chapel. From this group, Girolamo Farina Donati shot at him from behind while dressed as a layman during prayers. Although the bullet penetrated the archbishop’s clothes, he was not injured.

Under Pope Gregory XIII, who declared the Holy Year of 1575, Cardinal Charles Borromeo is said to have canceled all Vatican expenses for the carnival, dedicating the saved money to the hospital for pilgrims instead. Four years later, he quarreled with the governor over the carnival in Milan because he was promoting it even during Lent. The dispute was also brought before the Pope and King Philip II. (to whom the Duchy of Milan was subject). Both agreed with Borromeo.

In August 1576, while the archbishop was away on visits, an epidemic of plague broke out in Milan. While the governor and other high officials fled the city, the archbishop hastily returned upon learning of the calamity to help the victims. Without fear of contagion, he administered the sacraments, comforted the victims, and sought assistance from various sources. He also had a hospital hastily built and provided everything necessary. The epidemic claimed 18,000 lives in Milan. However, despite the long-term strain of constant contact with the sick, Cardinal Borromeo did not contract the disease.

He saw the epidemic as a warning and took it more seriously. Although he had led a fairly ascetic life before, from 1577 onwards, except during holidays, he was said to eat only once a day: bread, water, fruit, and vegetables. He continued his pastoral mission zealously. In 1580, during a visit to Brescia, he stopped about 30 km from Castiglione delle Stiviere to prepare for the first reception of the Eucharist by the twelve-year-old Alois Gonzaga (memorial day 21 June).

Cardinal Karel Boromejský celebrated the occasion on 10th November 1584, when he was 46 years old. The effects of many years of hard work were already evident in his health, although he did not outwardly show it, and he felt that his time on earth was coming to a close. From 20th October, he was at Sacro Monte di Varallo. On the 10th, he held exhaustive spiritual exercises, and on the 28th… He still traveled to Ascona, Switzerland, on the 10th for the opening of the new college. Only then did he return to Milan. Due to health problems, he stayed in a monastery in Arona, after which he visited the church in his hometown. On the 11th, he celebrated his final Mass. He traveled to Naples by boat and died on the evening of 3 November, surrendering to God’s will.

At the funeral, 7. On the 11th, great multitudes of those he had served came to say goodbye to him. Many believers went to his grave bearing gifts. During the preparation of the canonization process, his coffin was opened in the presence of two bishops on 3 March 1606, and his body was found to be intact. After temporary storage, on March 3, 1607, it was placed in the original coffin and returned to its original place.

He was beatified in 1602 by Pope Clement VIII and canonized on 1 November 1610 by Pope Paul V.

RESOLUTION, PRAYER

If I want to reform, for God’s sake, I will begin with my own sacrifices, as Bishop Charles did. For now, I will help those in greatest need according to my means.
God, you filled St Bishop Charles with the riches of your grace. At his intercession, look upon your Church and renew it constantly, so that it may be a living image of Christ and show the world the way to salvation through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and for ever.

He was born around 690. Rome, the British Isles, and Spain are considered likely places of birth, so his origin is unknown. However, we know that he became a missionary bishop and abbot in the diocese of Guntur (Latin: Dioecesis Aguntiensis). He was active in Argentoratum, the ancient name for Strasbourg. He preached the Gospel in regions where Alemannic dialects were spoken, as well as in Bavaria. Furthermore, he is primarily remembered as the superior of the monastery in Hornbach, Germany, and as the founder of monasteries in the Upper Rhine region.
Legends tell us that, as early as 711, he restored a monastery in Dissentis, Switzerland, which had been vandalized by the Avars, and then founded an abbey in Players. He began working as a missionary Bishop around this time. 720. He had previously been in Rome, where he had received the Pope’s approval and blessings for his missionary work, as well as recommendations for King Theodoric. In 724, he founded a monastery on the island of Rathenau (at the western end of Lake Constance, near the Swiss border) and equipped it with a library. Karl Martel gave him the island. Pirmín’s association with snakes as a symbol of paganism, which he had to combat, relates to his initial work on the island. After some time, he was reportedly expelled from the island by Duke Theobald and traveled to Alsace, where he founded a monastery in Murdoch in 727. He travelled to the Strasbourg area via the right bank of the Rhine. His activities in Ragaz, Switzerland, as well as in Niederaltaich, Bavaria, are also documented. He was abbot of Hornbach, located 10 km south of Saarbrücken, until his death at the age of over ninety. It is said that this was the last monastery he founded.

He left a manual for educating the people to his followers.

Miracles and healings at his grave in Hornbach led to a growing respect for him, and people began making pilgrimages. It is said that his remains were later transferred to Speyer, and then, in 1576, during the Reformation, to the Jesuit church in Innsbruck.

Unforgettable are the words of Jesus, with which he expressed what prepares the coming of God’s kingdom.  After all, the beatitude of Jesus praises the happy poor, because the kingdom of God belongs to them. For the poor and suffering, the first beatitude brings a source of hope. These people are mostly inaccessible to the values of the world and history, which they were either deprived of or did not have access to. The image of the poor is represented in the psalms: You protect a humble people from extinction and humiliate the eyes of the proud (Ps 18, 28). Blessed is he who remembers the poor man; in the day of calamity, the Lord will deliver him. The Lord will protect him, keep him alive, and make him happy on earth. (Ž 41, 2-3). Well, I am a wretch and a poor man; God, hurry to me. You are my help and my liberator, Lord, do not delay! (Ž 70, 6). 

The term „poor ghost“ is also ambiguous in itself. Definitely not „poor in spirit! That is, people with intellectual weakness, because the Lord apparently did not come to call only fools and primitives to the kingdom of God – we see this from his preaching and in his first disciples. The poor in spirit are Christians who are humble before God; that is, they know they are poor, needy, small before the Lord, and therefore feel like beggars before God in every life situation, whether they are socially high or low, healthy or sick, learned or uneducated. The poor in spirit are Christians of a simple life view, that is, people who have achieved internal independence from property, honor, and power, whether they are socially significant or not, rich or poor, powerful or weak. 

Saint John of the Cross says in the book Ascent to Mount Carmel that it is necessary to burn and cleanse oneself from everything created by the fire of love for God, so that all things are lost sight of, any pleasure arising from lust for any things. It is necessary to overcome the darkness of the night and come to light to see and mortify lust, such as curiosity and the desire for unnecessary things. For when a man takes pleasure in lust for any things, he remains in darkness and without anything. Therefore, as visual power is nourished and satisfied through light by objects that can be seen, which when the light goes out are not visible, and thus a person is satisfied and nourished by all things through desire, which he can try with his powers; when this lust is subdued, or somewhat mortified, one ceases to indulge in any things, and thus remains as far as lust is concerned, in the dark and without anything. 

During this purification, an evil spirit that has power in a person’s soul is banished when a person clings to carnal and temporal things. When a person gets rid of all sensory objects, hobbies, and everything that can please the senses of sight, his soul remains even in this power of darkness, and without anything. And when he gets rid of the hobbies of all the pleasant smells that a person can enjoy with the sense of smell, no less remains even in this power of darkness and without anything. And when he denies himself the pleasures of all foods that can please the tongue, the soul of a person will remain equally dark and without anything. And finally, when a person is deadened in all the pleasures and satisfactions that the meaning of touch could reach, his soul will remain in the same way in this power of darkness, and without anything. So, about a person who would deny and reject his hobbies in anything and mortify his lust for them, we will be able to say that he is like at night, in the dark. And this is nothing but that he is emptied of all things and then ascends higher and remains alone in faith, without excluding love or other knowledge of reason, which is a thing that is not subject to sensory perception. In this way, the soul of man opens itself to God’s grace; God divides himself to man so covertly and intimately that, for him, this is union with God’s wisdom and bliss. The soul of man is not occupied or harmed by the things of this world when they do not consume it.   In this beatitude, Christ speaks of the spiritual life and the new knowledge of God. God is the loving, wisest, and almighty Father to whom a creature can entrust itself with complete surrender. Christian piety, therefore, means above all a child’s personal relationship with the Father, personally understood trust, living intimate prayer, and life, by no means, only formal agreement to the message of heaven, with fear of the Almighty. Even in the Old Testament, God is sometimes called the Father. Still, he is always the Father of the nation as a whole, or the Father as the representative of the country, as the king of Israel – but never as the Father of man, individual. In the Old Testament, God is the relatively infinite Yahweh, before whom it is necessary to cover his face and take off his shoes, as Moses did. Christ does not speak of a social issue in this beatitude; among the disciples of the Lord, there were also rich people, such as Lazarus of Bethany, Joseph of Arimathea, rich women Mary Magdalene, John, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuz, Suzana, and many others, and the Savior did not ask them to give up their property. Only from the narrowest circle of disciples did the Lord ask them to free themselves from worries about property management and follow him with complete freedom (Lk 18, 22), and the Savior could rightly ask these at the end of his life whether they lacked something they needed to live and whether God’s providence took care of them (Lk 22, 35). He can also ask every bishop, priest, religious, and every believer why they take such careful care of their material security. Do they lack poverty of spirit? Do they lack faith in God’s care? Don’t they have little trust in God?