Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop
“Saint Charles! How many times have I thought about his life, contemplating the great figure of this man of God and servant of the Church, the cardinal and bishop of Milan, a man of the Council. He was one of the great authors of the reform of the Church in the sixteenth century by the Council of Trent. He was also one of the founders of the institution of theological seminaries, confirmed in all its essence by the Second Vatican Council. Moreover, he was an intimidating servant of souls, a servant of the suffering, the sick and condemned to death. My patron! In his name, my parents, my parish, my homeland, wanted to prepare me from the very beginning for this special service to the Church.” (Saint John Paul II)
Saint Cardinal Charles Borromeo - a Model of a Shepherd
"Let everything you do be done in love" - said St. Charles Borromeo. Without a shadow of a doubt, it can be said that this sentence expresses the entire Gospel of Christ. At the same time, it is the motto of the life and activity of St. Charles Borromeo, whom the Church remembers liturgically on November 4.
The Young Cardinal
He happened to live in difficult times for the Church: moral corruption among the clergy and the reaction to this situation - the Reformation and the fight against it. Charles Borromeo was born in 1538 at Arona Castle in Longobardia. He graduated from law studies. He was an art connoisseur. At the age of 23, by the will of his uncle - Pope Pius IV, he became a cardinal and archbishop of Milan, but he was ordained bishop 2 years later. This appointment, as it turned out later, was "blessed". When the young Charles Borromeo became a cardinal and was consecrated bishop, the Council of Trent (1545-63) entered the final phase of deliberations. It marked a definite turn in the history of the Christian world. At that time, numerous issues of science and discipline were specified, including the appointment of bishops was reformed, the often neglected priestly formation was taken care of (mainly through the command to create seminaries), and a catechism for teaching the people of God, which was not systematically instructed, was prepared. This council had many beneficial effects. Allowed, among others to tighten the bonds that should bind the Pope with all members of the Church.
However, for decisions to be effective, they must be put into practice. The young cardinal Borromeo dedicated his life mainly to this task. From the moment he took over the diocese, his motto was summed up in two words: prayer and mortification. Despite his young age, he did not lack dignity.
At the age of 23, he did not succumb to the temptation of power and money, he lived like a monk. Cardinal Borromeo was an example of a reformer bishop - one that the Council wanted. In order to realize the enormity of the tasks that Charles Borromeo had to undertake, it should be mentioned that his diocese consisted of 53 parishes, 45 collegiate churches, over 100 monasteries - a total of 3,352 diocesan priests and 2,114 religious and approximately 560,000 faithful. 740 schools and 16 shelters were serviced there. The cardinal experienced numerous conflicts with secular authorities as well as with priests and religious. One of the monks even wanted to kill him while he was praying in a private oratory.Cardinal Borromeo was a true shepherd of the Lord's flock, therefore he got to know it very thoroughly. He made numerous pastoral journeys with a modest escort. In parishes he looked for contact with the people, he confessed for hours, preached the Word of God, celebrated Holy Mass. His simplicity and sanctity allowed him to win more souls.
Conciliar Reformer
In implementing the reforms of the Council of Trent, Cardinal Borromeo conducted a total of 13 diocesan and 5 provincial synods. One of the great shortcomings of the diocesan clergy at that time was their ignorance. Hence, in 1564, Cardinal Borromeo opened the Major Seminary in Milan, and in several places’ minor seminaries. They were commissioned by the Oblates of St. Ambrose. He supported religious orders and founded brotherhoods for lay people. He especially supported the Brotherhood of Christian Science; whose aim was to educate children (it was the nucleus of modern catechists).
When he took over the diocese as Archbishop of Milan, its religious condition was pitiful, both for the clergy and for the laity. When he died, the diocese was already a model for the entire Christian world. His work shone with such brilliance that it could be said: "The Church Reform was the daughter of the Milanese reform."
Model of a Bishop Shepherd
The cardinal was not only concerned about the formation of the lay faithful, but also placed great emphasis on the proper formation of the clergy. He reminded his fellow priests: “Are you a pastor? Do not want to neglect yourself for this, and do not go too far with your activities, that there will be nothing left for you. You must remember the souls you lead, but not forget your own. "
Feeling deeply responsible to God for the flock entrusted to him, in one of the sermons he said: “The bishop is a man who should deny himself, mortify his body and his will. Fulfill only what is the subject to him by the will of God, worship Him and stay for the interests and benefit of his sheep.The mortification of his life will attract those he will lead and thus overcome the dangerous enemy we constantly carry within us. If the bishop is the first to bear the cross, then he will be able to say to them with Christ: "Do what I do" ... "(From the homily of Saint Charles, July 15, 1584)
When the plague broke out in Milan in the fall of 1575, Charles Borromeo, regardless of the risk of contracting the infection, devoted himself entirely to the poor, providing them with care and serving the sacramental service. In winter, at the turn of 1575/76, he stripped his palace of all fabrics so that it could serve as coverings for the unfortunate. He commanded constant prayers and penances to end the plague. In January 1576, when the epidemic seemed to end, the Archbishop organized a great thanksgiving procession, walking barefoot presided over this procession. In the spring of 1577, the plague ceased. In Milan alone, 13,000 people died, and in its vicinity - 8 thousand
Death from exhaustion
Superhuman work, unusual mortifications, insufficient nutrition, lack of sleep - all these exhausted the body of Cardinal Borromeo. As a result, in October 1584, the Archbishop of Milan was attacked by a fever. On November 2 of that year, he visited the Swiss mountain canton in the Diocese of Tessin, where he wanted to open a seminary. Unfortunately, during this visit he fainted and had to return to Milan. The next night, November 3, 1584, he died, completely exhausted, at the age of 46.The body of St. Charles is buried in the crypt of the Milan cathedral in a crystal coffin under the main altar. In 1610, Pope Paul V proclaimed Charles a saint. In iconography, he is depicted in a cardinal or bishop's dress.
Karol Wojtyla's name day - St. Charles Borromeo
Both, Saint John Paul II - Charles Joseph Wojtyla and Saint Charles Borromeo, although they happened to live in distant, and thus very different epochs, in a similar way became an eloquent sign and undoubtedly difficult model to follow for his contemporaries - for each of us, for all of us struggling with the problems of human nature similar for centuries, which the ongoing technological progress has little or no influence on.
The figure of St. Charles Borromeo can also inspire a man living on the threshold of the third millennium, just as he overwhelmingly inspired St. John Paul II - the pope of the turn of the millennium. They both shared the thought of the inevitability of passing from which many consciously run away. This does not change the relevance to reflect on the warning placed on the graves, read by the visitors: Quod es, antea fui. Quod sum, eris ("What you are now, I was once. What I am now, you will be one day").
Saint John Paul II said in Milan in 1983: “Charles Borromeo left from here four hundred years ago, and his departure was the beginning of the fullness of life that the saints find in God Himself. After four hundred years, the whole Church glorifies the Most Holy Trinity and gives thanks to God, remembering the life and death of St. Charles, because "the glory of God is the living man" - man in the fullness of the life that he only achieves in the living God."
Until Tomorrow
fr. george