Author Topic: Saint of the day (Read 500427 times)

Miseremini · « **Reply #5 on:** November 02, 2023, 12:50:53 PM »

In this month of November, the Church invites us to pray for the dead. After having celebrated all the saints in Heaven, we look with compassion on the souls in Purgatory. But what about Purgatory? Does it exist, where is it, what is going on?
We thank Fr. Louis-Marie Carlhian, of the Society of Saint Pius X, for answering these questions.
Is Purgatory a Theory of Medieval Theologians?
This is the classic accusation made by orthodox schismatics and rationalists ... Yet the existence of Purgatory is a dogma of faith, always believed in the Church, and traces of which can be found in Scripture. Indeed there is mention of prayers for the deceased. However, if the deceased are in Heaven, there is no need to pray for them, neither if they are in Hell, since the sojourn in these places is final! The practice of these prayers and these sacrifices is therefore a sufficient sign to establish the belief in an intermediate place between Earth and Heaven, from which one can be delivered by prayers. This point was defined by the councils of Lyon, Florence, and Trent.
Does Purgatory Appear in Sacred Scripture?
The second book of the Maccabees relates that, in the aftermath of a battle against the Syrians, Judas Maccabee discovered under the tunics of his soldiers killed during the battle, idols resulting from the plundering of Jamnia. This was a violation of the law of Moses, and Judas judged the death of these men to be a chastisement of God:
“Then they all blessed the just judgment of the Lord, who had discovered the things that were hidden. And so betaking themselves to prayers, they besought him, that the sin which had been committed might be forgotten. But the most valiant Judas exhorted the people to keep them-selves from sin, forasmuch as they saw before their eyes what had happened, because of the sins of those that were slain. And making a gathering, he sent twelve thousand drachmas of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead, thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection, (for if he had not hoped that they that were slain should rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead). And because he considered that they who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grace laid up for them. It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.” (2 Mac 12:41-46)
In the New Testament, the existence of Purgatory is nowhere explicitly stated. However, there are several allusions to a state of purification that is not hell: “And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but he that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come.” (Mt. 12:32)
Did the Early Christians Believe in Purgatory?
The first Christians celebrated the Holy Mysteries around the tombs of the martyrs. Very early on, they prayed for those who, not being martyrs, would have need of suffrages. Thus the Acta Joannis, around the year 160, speaks of St. John praying over a tomb and celebrating the fractio panis on the third day after the death of a Christian. St. Augustine saw it as a universally practiced use, St. John Damascene traces this tradition back to the Apostles, Dionysius also ensures that we pray for the deceased. Here we can apply the theological principle: “Lex orandi, lex credendi” (the law of prayer is the law of belief, because it is a sure testimony of the belief common to the whole Church).
Where is Purgatory Located?
Neither Sacred Scripture nor Tradition gives us precise information on this subject. They speak of “Hades,” a Latin expression meaning the lower places, the underworld, where pagan beliefs placed the hereafter. Christian Tradition uses this expression to oppose Heaven, which is above and Hell, which is below. They have distinguished several different places: the Hell of the damned, the Limbo of Children who died without baptism, the Limbo of the Patriarchs, and Purgatory. But are these places strictly speaking, since those who are there are deprived of their bodies? Theology is cautiously silent on this, pointing out that the answer has no bearing on our salvation.
Since we are redeemed by the superabundant merits of Our Lord, what good is a new purification?
The satisfaction offered by Our Lord on the Cross is of course more than sufficient to redeem all our sins. However, there are two aspects to be considered about sin: on the one hand, the disobedience to the Creator, on the other hand, the unregulated attachment to the creature. If the first aspect is fully repaired through contrition and confession, by virtue of the merits of Our Lord, the second must be by our contribution. God thus allows us to participate in our own redemption. Does not St. Paul declare: “I complete in my flesh what is lacking in the Passion of Jesus Christ”? In other words, it remains for us to expiate our attachment to the things of this earth, which prevents God from fully reigning over our soul. If we are rid of heavy faults incompatible with the love of God, there are still imperfections in our soul to be removed: venial sins not subject to confession, temporal penalties due for accused mortal sins, or remains of incompletely conquered vices. Theology readily compares this purification to a fire which cannot consume heavy material, but destroys the “straw” or “dross” remaining in the soul. This atonement takes place either on this earth, through good works, or in Purgatory.
We may add that it would be improper for God to treat all souls either as saints or as the damned. It makes sense that there is an intermediate state for those who have not atoned for all of their sins. Even some pagan peoples admitted the existence of a temporary punishment after death.
What Are the Penalties in Purgatory?
“There are two penalties in Purgatory: the pain of loss, the postponement of the beatific vision; the pain of sense, the torment inflicted by fire. The slightest degree of either surpasses the greatest pain one can endure here on earth” (St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, IIIa Pars, Q.70 A.3). Our soul, on leaving this life, feels a violent desire to be united to God, because it is no longer limited by the body and glimpses the immensity of Heaven’s happiness. The torment it feels from the pain of damnation is then terrible, and is only tempered by the certainty that it will end. As for the pain of sense, it reaches the soul directly in the sensitivity it gives to the body, and is felt all the more keenly.
However, the pains of Purgatory are very different from those of Hell, because they purify souls instead of punishing them. Souls in Purgatory have the virtues of hope and charity, unlike the damned. They therefore have a great desire to be united with God and accept the penance inflicted on them as a means of salvation. This penalty being imposed by God, the souls cannot accept it freely, because such would make it a means of merit. Charity does not increase in them, but, as the obstacles which yet prevent it from having its full effect diminish, they feel it more and more keenly as they approach salvation.
Should We Help the Souls in Purgatory?
We have a duty to help the deceased who are waiting to enter Heaven:
- it is an act of charity that touches the souls loved by God;
- these souls can pray for us once they enter Heaven;
- we are sometimes responsible for the sins committed on this earth by the deceased;
- we should especially pray for our loved ones and our family.
The Church has always addressed her supplications for the souls of the deceased in the most urgent and official manner: the Memento of the dead, in the Canon of the Mass, makes us pray every day that the deceased find “a place of refreshment, light, and peace.” Mass is therefore the first and most effective means of relieving them, by offering the Holy Sacrifice for them or simply by offering communion for them. The Church also opens the treasury of indulgences for them. Finally we can offer the great works of the Christian life, prayer, fasting, and alms. These are called the suffrages. The reason is that these souls are united to us through the Communion of the Saints, that is to say by union in Our Lord through charity. Just as members of the same body can support one another, so members of the Church can communicate some of their merits with each other.
Can We Ask for Graces from the Souls in Purgatory?
As we have just said, these souls are united to us by charity and can pray for us. God in His mercy can inform them of prayers being made for them or of the needs of those close to them, and, once in Heaven, they are certainly aware of it. However, they can no longer merit, and as St. Thomas points out to us, they are in a state where they need our prayers more than they need to pray for us. We can also add that the Church never addresses them in liturgical prayer. It is therefore possible to pray to them, but without giving them a power superior to the saints in Heaven!
Every Christian must seek to avoid Purgatory, not only to avoid its penalties, but also to accomplish the will of God: “Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt. 5:48). This is possible by preserving ourselves from the smallest faults and expiating through penance the sins for which we have obtained forgiveness.
Source: La Couronne de Marie no.45, November 2016

Miseremini · « **Reply #6 on:** November 04, 2023, 01:49:56 PM »

Charles Borromeo

Charles Borromeo (Italian: Carlo Borromeo; Latin: Carolus Borromeus; 2 October 1538 – 3 November 1584) was the Archbishop of Milan from 1564 to 1584 and a cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was a leading figure of the Counter-Reformation combat against the Protestant Reformation together with Ignatius of Loyola and Philip Neri. In that role he was responsible for significant reforms in the Catholic Church, including the founding of seminaries for the education of priests. He is honoured as a saint by the Catholic Church, with a feast day on 4 November.
Early life[edit]
Borromeo was a descendant of nobility; the Borromeo family was one of the most ancient and wealthy in Lombardy, made famous by several notable men, both in the church and state. The family coat of arms included the Borromean rings, which are sometimes taken to symbolize the Holy Trinity. Borromeo's father Gilbert was Count of Arona. His mother Margaret was a member of the Milan branch of the House of Medici. The second son in a family of six children, he was born in the castle of Arona on Lake Maggiore 36 miles from Milan on 2 October 1538.^[1]
Borromeo received the tonsure when he was about twelve years old. At this time his paternal uncle Giulio Cesare Borromeo turned over to him the income from the rich Benedictine abbey of Sts. Gratinian and Felin, one of the ancient perquisites of the family. Borromeo made plain to his father that all revenues from the abbey beyond what was required to prepare him for a career in the church belonged to the poor and could not be applied to secular use. The young man attended the University of Pavia, where he applied himself to the study of civil and canon law. Due to a slight speech impediment, he was regarded as slow but his thoroughness and industry meant that he made rapid progress. In 1554 his father died, and although he had an elder brother, Count Federico, he was requested by the family to take the management of their domestic affairs. After a time, he resumed his studies, and on 6 December 1559, he earned a doctorate in canon and civil law.^[2]
Rome period[edit]
On 25 December 1559 Borromeo's uncle Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Medici was elected as Pope Pius IV. The newly elected pope required his nephew to come to Rome, and on 13 January 1560 appointed him protonotary apostolic.^[3] Shortly thereafter, on 31 January 1560, the pope created him cardinal, and thus Borromeo as cardinal-nephew was entrusted with both the public and the privy seal of the ecclesiastical state.^[4] He was also brought into the government of the Papal States and appointed a supervisor of the Franciscans, Carmelites and Knights of Malta.^[2]
During his four years in Rome, Borromeo lived in austerity, obliged the Roman Curia to wear black, and established an academy of learned persons, the Academy of the Vatican Knights, publishing their memoirs as the Noctes Vaticanae.^[5]
Borromeo organized the third and last session of the Council of Trent, in 1562–63.^[4] He had a large share in the making of the Tridentine Catechism (Catechismus Romanus). In 1561, Borromeo founded and endowed a college at Pavia, today known as Almo Collegio Borromeo, which he dedicated to Justina of Padua.^[2]
On 19 November 1562, his older brother, Federico, suddenly died. His family urged Borromeo to seek permission to return to the lay state (laicization), to marry and have children so that the family name would not become extinct, but he decided not to leave the ecclesiastic state.^[6] His brother's death, along with his contacts with the Jesuits and the Theatines and the example of bishops such as Bartholomew of Braga, were the causes of the conversion of Borromeo towards a more strict and operative Christian life, and his aim became to put into practice the dignity and duties of the bishop as drafted by the recent Council of Trent.^[5]
Archbishop of Milan[edit]
Borromeo was appointed an administrator of the Archdiocese of Milan on 7 February 1560. After his decision to put into practice the role of bishop, he decided to be ordained priest (4 September 1563) and on 7 December 1563 he was consecrated bishop in the Sistine Chapel by Cardinal Giovanni Serbelloni.^[7] Borromeo was formally appointed archbishop of Milan on 12 May 1564 after the former archbishop Ippolito II d'Este waived his claims on that archbishopric, but he was only allowed by the pope to leave Rome one year later. Borromeo made his formal entry into Milan as archbishop on 23 September 1565.^[6]
Reform in Milan[edit]

Intercession of Charles Borromeo supported by the Virgin Mary by Rottmayr (Karlskirche, Vienna)
After the death of his uncle, Pius IV (1566), Borromeo sent a galley to fetch Cardinal Ugo Boncompagni, the Nuncio in Spain, but he did not arrive in time to be considered at the conclave. Borromeo then reached an agreement with Alessandro Farnese, who held a significant number of votes, to support Antonio Ghislieri, who was rumored to have the support of Philip II of Spain. Ghislieri was elected and took the name Pius V.^[8]
Before Borromeo went to Milan, while he was overseeing reform in Rome, a nobleman remarked that the latter city was no longer a place to enjoy oneself or to make a fortune. "Carlo Borromeo has undertaken to remake the city from top to bottom," he said, predicting that the reformer's enthusiasm "would lead him to correct the rest of the world once he has finished with Rome."^[9]
Subsequently, he devoted himself to the reformation of his diocese which had deteriorated in practice owing to the 80-year absence of previous archbishops.^[10] Milan was the largest archdiocese in Italy at the time, with more than 3,000 clergy and 800,000 people. Both its clergy and laity had drifted from church teaching. The selling of indulgences and ecclesiastical positions was prevalent; monasteries were "full of disorder"; many religious were "lazy, ignorant, and debauched".^[9]
Borromeo made numerous pastoral visits and restored dignity to divine service. He urged churches to be designed in conformity with the decrees of the Council of Trent, which stated that sacred art and architecture lacking adequate scriptural foundation was in effect prohibited, as was any inclusion of classical pagan elements in religious art.^[11] He divided the nave of the church into two compartments to separate the sexes at worship.^[2] He extended his reforms to the collegiate churches, monasteries and even to the Confraternities of Penitents, particularly that of St. John the Baptist. This group was to attend to prisoners and those condemned to death, to give them help and support.

Charles Borromeo intercedes during the plague; painting by Jacob Jordaens (1655)
Borromeo believed that abuses in the church arose from ignorant clergy. Among his most important actions, he established seminaries, colleges, and communities for the education of candidates for holy orders.^[12] His emphasis on Catholic learning greatly increased the preparation of men for the priesthood and benefited their congregations. In addition, he founded the fraternity of Oblates of St. Ambrose, a society of secular men who did not take orders, but devoted themselves to the church and followed a discipline of monastic prayers and study. They provided assistance to parishes when so directed.^[10] The new archbishop's efforts for catechesis and the instruction of youth included the initiation of the first "Sunday School" classes and the work of the Confraternity for Christian Doctrine.
Borromeo's diocesan reforms faced opposition from several religious orders, particularly that of the Humiliati (Brothers of Humility), a penitential order which, although reduced to about 170 members, owned some ninety monasteries. Some members of that society formed a conspiracy against his life, and a shot was fired at him with an arquebus in the archepiscopal chapel. His survival was considered miraculous.^[12]
In 1576 there was famine at Milan due to crop failures, and later an outbreak of the plague. The city's trade fell off, and along with it the people's source of income. The Governor and many members of the nobility fled the city, but the bishop remained, to organize the care of those affected and to minister to the dying. He called together the superiors of all the religious communities in the diocese and won their cooperation. Borromeo tried to feed 60,000 to 70,000 people daily. He used up his own funds and went into debt to provide food for the hungry. Finally, he wrote to the Governor and successfully persuaded him to return.^[13]^[4]
Influence on English affairs[edit]
Borromeo had also been involved in English affairs when he assisted Pius IV. Many English Catholics had fled to Italy at this time because of the persecutions under Queen Elizabeth I. He gave pastoral attention to English Catholics who fled to Italy to escape the new laws against the Catholic faith.^[12] Edmund Campion, a Jesuit, and Ralph Sherwin visited him at Milan in 1580 on their way to England. They stayed with him for eight days, talking with him every night after dinner. A Welshman, Grudfydd Robert, served as his canon theologian and an Englishman, Thomas Goldwell, as vicar-general. The archbishop carried on his person a small picture of John Fisher, who with Thomas More had been executed during the reign of Henry VIII and for whom he held a great veneration. During the 19th century Catholic restoration in England, Nicholas Wiseman was to institute an order of Oblates of St Charles, led by Henry Edward Manning, as a congregation of secular priests directly supporting the Archbishop of Westminster.^[14]
Persecution of religious dissidents[edit]

Painting by Francesco Caccianiga showing an angel tending to Charles Borromeo
Though the Diet of Ilanz of 1524 and 1526 had proclaimed freedom of worship in the Three Leagues, Borromeo repressed Protestantism in the Swiss valleys. The Catholic Encyclopedia relates: "In November [1583] he began a visitation as Apostolic visitor of all the cantons of Switzerland and the Grisons, leaving the affairs of his diocese in the hands of Monsignor Owen Lewis, his vicar-general. He began in the Valle Mesolcina; here not only was their heresy to be fought, but also witchcraft and sorcery, and at Roveredo it was discovered that 'the provost or rector, was the foremost in sorceries'".^[15] During his pastoral visit to the region, 150 people were arrested for practicing witchcraft. Eleven women and the provost were condemned by the civil authorities to be burned alive.^[16]
Reacting to the pressure of the Protestant Reformation, Borromeo encouraged Ludwig Pfyffer in his development of the "Golden League" but did not live to see its formation in 1586. Based in Lucerne, the organization (also called the Borromean League) linked activities of several Swiss Catholic cantons of Switzerland, which became the centre of Catholic Counter-Reformation efforts and was determined to expel heretics. It created severe strains in the Swiss civil administration and caused the break-up of Appenzell canton along religious lines. ^[17]
Controversy and last days[edit]

Crypt of Charles Borromeo, in the Duomo di Milano
Charged with implementing the reforms dictated by the Council of Trent, Borromeo's uncompromising stance brought him into conflict with secular leaders, priests, and even the Pope.^[9] He met with much opposition to his reforms. The governor of the province and many of the senators addressed complaints to the courts of Rome and Madrid.^[2]
In 1584, during his annual retreat at Monte Varallo, he fell ill with "intermittent fever and ague", and on returning to Milan grew rapidly worse. After receiving the Last Rites, he quietly died on 3 November at the age of 46.^[13]
Veneration[edit]
Following his death, popular devotion to Borromeo arose quickly and continued to grow. The Milanese celebrated his anniversary as though he were already a saint, and supporters in a number of cities collected docuмentation to support his canonization. In 1602 Clement VIII beatified Borromeo. In 1604 his case was sent to the Congregation of Rites. On 1 November 1610, Pope Paul V canonized Borromeo. Three years later, the church added his feast to the General Roman Calendar for celebration on 4 November.^[15] Along with Guarinus of Palestrina and perhaps Anselm of Lucca, he is one of only two or three cardinal-nephews to have been canonized.
Charles Borromeo is the patron saint of bishops, catechists and seminarians.^[18]
Iconography[edit]
Borromeo's emblem is the Latin word humilitas (humility), which is a portion of the Borromeo shield. He is usually represented in art in his robes, barefoot, carrying the cross as archbishop, a rope around his neck, one hand raised in blessing, thus recalling his work during the plague.^[15]
Sources[edit]
Borromeo' biography was originally written by three of his contemporaries: Agostino Valerio (afterwards cardinal and Bishop of Verona) and Carlo Bascape (General of the Barnabites, afterwards Bishop of Novara), who wrote their contributions in Latin, and Pietro Giussanno (a priest), who wrote his in Italian. Giussanno's account was the most detailed of the three.^[19]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Borromeo

Miseremini · « **Reply #7 on:** November 09, 2023, 12:45:46 PM »

Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran

We celebrate the dedication of particular churches and take joy and pride in that of our cathedrals, and it is only fitting that every year we should celebrate throughout the entire world the Dedication – or consecration – of the “Mother Church” of all the churches in the Eternal City and the world: the pope’s cathedral.
It is traditionally in this basilica that the official possession of the Roman Pontiffs takes place; ever since the 4th century, it is there that the great ceremonies of the blessing of Holy Oils on Holy Thursday and the blessing of the baptismal fonts two days later are held; it is there that thousands of catechumens were baptized, and thousands of seminarians ordained for centuries.
The Lateran is first mentioned in history in the year 313, when, according to Optatus of Mileva, a council against the Donatists was held within its walls under Pope Melchiades. This Council of Rome was held in the ancient palace of the Laterani that the Emperor Constantine had given to the Church. Constantine had probably received this residence as a part of the dowry of his wife Fausta, sister of the Emperor Maxentius.
The Lateran then became the habitual residence of the Popes, and as such, we can consider it as a living monument, a pious relic of the long series of holy pontiffs who lived in it for nearly ten centuries.
It was there, explains Dom Guéranger, that at Pope Sylvester’s suggestion Constantine built the first basilica that was dedicated to the Savior on November 9, 324. As such, it is the mother of all churches.
It was thus that the bathroom of the old palace of Plautius Lateranus, who died a victim of Nero’s cruelty, was transformed into a Christian baptistry. The irony of history is that it only took three centuries for Nero’s loot to become the property of the successors of St. Peter, who died a martyr under this emperor who persecuted the Christians. A glorious revenge for Christ and His Church over obscurantism and paganism.

Source: fsspx.news

Miseremini · « **Reply #8 on:** November 10, 2023, 12:09:11 PM »

The holy priest Andrew was first a member of the ecclesiastical court of Naples. He entered the congregation of Clerks Regular, called the Theatine Order. He died in 1608 at the foot of the altar, while saying: “Introibo ad altare Dei”. ~Roman Catholic Daily Missal

Miseremini · « **Reply #9 on:** November 11, 2023, 12:14:43 PM »

St. Martin, Bishop of Tours in France, was at first a soldier, then a monk under the direction of St. Hilary. Famous for his boundless charity to the poor, he died in 397.

~Roman Catholic Daily Missal

CathInfo.com

Author Topic: Saint of the day (Read 500427 times)

Miseremini

Re: Saint of the day

Miseremini

Re: Saint of the day

Miseremini

Re: Saint of the day

Miseremini

Re: Saint of the day

Miseremini

Re: Saint of the day