#Robert Bellarmine

[fairfieldthinkspace]

St. Robert Bellarmine’s Timeless Inspiration

Fr. Paul K. Rourke, S.J.

Vice President for Mission and Ministry

Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Italian, 1598-1680) Bust of Cardinal Roberto Bellarmino, 1623-24 Marble 30 ⅞ x 27 ½ x 19 ¾ in. (76.5 x 70 x 50 cm) Church of the Gesù, RomePhoto: ©Zeno Colantoni.

This Sunday at Egan Chapel we will celebrate the Feast of St. Robert Bellarmine, S.J., the patron of Fairfield University and the namesake of our new Bridgeport campus. Recognizing the special place of this great Jesuit theologian and Doctor of the Church in the history of the Church and our institution, Bishop Caggiano graciously allowed us to celebrate the mass for the feast in lieu of the normal Sunday liturgy.

In his own time Bellarmine was a towering figure who responded forcefully and intelligently to what was perceived as the greatest threat to the Church of his time: Protestantism. He remained one of the most influential theologians until the twentieth century. In our ecumenical times his theology can appear dated, but his example of learned and zealous engagement on behalf of the Church remains a timeless inspiration. He was not afraid of controversy, though he never sought it for its own sake.

Once seen as a reactionary and enemy of science for his role in the Galileo case, more nuanced assessments have somewhat salvaged, if not entirely restored, his reputation.  Saints are not canonized for being right about everything during their lives, and Bellarmine was no exception to this rule. 

Photo credit: Owen B. Photography

While it may seem strange to name our new Bridgeport campus after a man who died more than four hundred years ago, the choice is very appropriate. St. Robert marshaled all of the resources of faith and reason at his disposal to respond to the pressing need of his time. In founding the Bellarmine program we do the same: we draw from all of the best resources of our Jesuit tradition to respond to one of the most pressing needs of our own time: access to affordable and excellent education for traditionally underserved and underrepresented communities. The zeal and professionalism of our Bellarmine faculty and staff, and enthusiasm and talent of our new students would make our patron proud.    

As we celebrate his feast, may St. Robert Bellarmine bless and protect Fairfield always!

[cruger2984]

THE DESCRIPTION OF SAINT ROBERT BELLARMINE The Patron of Down Syndrome Patients Feast Day: September 17

St. Robert Bellarmine, SJ, was one of the most important cardinals of the Catholic Reformation and became a Doctor of the Church.

Robert Bellarmine was born to an impoverished noble Italian family. His early intellectual accomplishments gave his father hope that Bellarmine would restore the family’s fortunes through a political career. His mother's wish that he enter the Society of Jesus prevailed.

On completion of his studies, Bellarmine taught first at the University of Louvain in Belgium. In 1576 he accepted the invitation of Pope Gregory XIII (1572-1585) to teach polemical theology at the new Roman College.

Robert Bellarmine spent the next 11 years teaching and writing his monumental Disputations on the Controversies, a three-volume defense of the Catholic faith against the arguments of the Protestant reformers. A confidant to the popes, Bellarmine held a number of positions, including rector of the Roman College, examiner of bishops, Cardinal Inquisitor, archbishop of Capua, and bishop of Montepulciano.

Through his writings Bellarmine was involved in the political, religious, and social issues of the time. He argued with King James I of England and was a judge at the trial of Giordano Bruno. Bellarmine also communicated the decree of condemning the Copernican doctrine of the movements of the earth and sun, issued by Congregation of the Index to Galileo Galilei in 1616.

Although he was one of the most powerful men in Rome, Bellarmine lived an austere life. He gave most of his money to the poor. Once he gave the tapestries from his living quarters to the poor, saying that the walls wouldn't catch cold. While he took little regard for his own comforts, he always saw to it that his servants and aides had everything they needed.

St. Robert Bellarmine was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1930 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1931.

Source: Ignatian Spirituality (ignatianspirituality.com)

[locustheologicus]

The school of Christ is the school of charity. On the last day, when the general examination takes place, there will be no question at all on the text of Aristotle, the aphorisms of Hippocrates, or the paragraphs of Justinian. Charity will be the whole syllabus.

The quote from St. Robert Bellarmine, SJ connects with me as a Professor of theology and ethics. I think this will be a quote that I incorporate from now on in my own syllabus. This will be a reminder to me that our academic pursuits cannot simply fulfill theoretical concepts but they must be rooted in praxis, the practical reality of our lived experience, what we in Latinx Theology call Lo Cotidiano. Famed social theorist Paulo Friere would say this about the radical nature of those who enter into the praxis of one's lived reality.

The more radical the person is, the more fully he or she enters into reality so that, knowing it better, he or she can transform it. This individual is not afraid to confront, to listen, to see the world unveiled. This person is not afraid to meet the people or to enter into a dialogue with them. This person does not consider himself or herself the proprietor of history or of all people, or the liberator of the oppressed; but he or she does commit himself or herself, within history, to fight at their side.

This also reminds me of a hard lesson that I had to learn when I went through my own Spiritual Exercises. A lesson about learning to not just believe in the love of God but to actually know it. My Spiritual Director would cite the quote below almost every week.

You will find this quote in every one of my journals.

[fictionadventurer]

It's St. Hildegarde's feast day. I wish I could make cookies to celebrate.

[portraitsofsaints]

 Happy Feast Day

Saint Robert Bellarmine

Doctor of the Church

1542 - 1621 Feast day: September 17 Patronage: canonists, canon lawyers, catechists, catechumens, Archdiocese of Cincinnati

Saint Robert Bellarmine was an Italian Jesuit and a Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was one of the most important figures in the Counter-Reformation. He was canonized in 1930 and named a Doctor of the Church. Bellarmine is also widely remembered for his role in the Galileo affair.

Prints, plaques & holy cards available for purchase here: (website)

[anastpaul]

(via Quote/s of the Day – 25 November – Our Lamps are going out – Matthew 25:8 – AnaStpaul)

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (September 17)

On September 17, the Catholic Church celebrates the Italian cardinal and theologian St. Robert Bellarmine.

One of the great saints of the Jesuit order, St. Robert has also been declared a Doctor of the Church and the patron of catechists.

Robert Bellarmine was born on 4 October 1542 in the Tuscan town of Montepulciano.

His uncle was a cardinal who later became Pope Marcellus II. As a young man, Robert received his education from the Jesuit order, which had received written papal approval only two years before his birth.

In September of 1560, Robert entered the Jesuit order himself.

He studied philosophy for three years in Rome, then taught humanities until 1567, when he began a study of theology that lasted until 1569.

The final stage of his training emphasized the refutation of Protestant errors.

Robert received ordination to the priesthood in Belgium, where his sermons drew crowds of both Catholics and Protestants.

In 1576, he returned to Italy and took up an academic position addressing theological controversies.

The resulting work, his “Disputations,” became a classic of Catholic apologetics.

Near the end of the 1580s, the esteemed theologian became “Spiritual Father” to the Roman College.

He served as a guide to St. Aloysius Gonzaga near the end of the young Jesuit's life.

He also helped produce the authoritative Latin text of the Bible called for by the recent Council of Trent.

Around the century's end, Robert became an advisor to Pope Clement VIII. The Pope named him a cardinal in 1599, declaring him to be the most educated man in the Church.

Robert played a part in a debate between Dominicans and Jesuits regarding grace, though the Pope later decided to appoint and consecrate him as the Archbishop of Capua.

The cardinal archbishop's three years in Capua stood out as an example of fidelity to the reforming spirit and decrees of the Council of Trent.

He was considered as a possible pope in two successive elections, but the thought of becoming pope disturbed him and in the end he was never chosen.

In the early years of the 17th century, the cardinal took a public stand for the Church's freedom when it came under attack in Venice and England.

He also attempted, though not successfully, to negotiate peace between the Vatican and his personal friend Galileo Galilei, over the scientist's insistence that not only the earth, but the entire universe, revolved around the sun.

Cardinal Bellarmine retired due to health problems in the summer of 1621.

Two years before, he had set out his thoughts on the end of earthly life in a book titled “The Art of Dying Well.”

In that work, the cardinal explained that preparing for death was life's most important business, since the state of one's soul at death would determine the person's eternal destiny.

Robert Bellarmine died on 17 September 1621.

Pope Pius XI beatified him on 13 May 1923 and canonized on 29 June 1930.

[eternal-echoes]

“Whoever finds God finds everything, whoever loses God loses everything.”

- St. Robert Bellarmine

[catholic-saint-tournament]

I'm so sorry, I have not seen anyone post anything about Elizabeth Ann Seton nor Robert Bellarmine and that was my friend's and my patron saint so I have to go to the bat for them. Also if you're allowing Orthodox saints I have to mention Mary of Egypt who is just iconic.

IT WAS A CRIME WE DIDN'T HAVE EITHER OF THEM ON THE LIST

They're now on the list!!!!! St Elizabeth Ann Seton, the reason for American Catholic schools! St Robert Bellarmine, a DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH.

They are both going to need a TON MORE PROPAGANDA. Their brackets are going to be fierce!

[a-girly-catholic]

“The Head of the Catholic Church is Christ, and Mary is the neck which joins the Head to it's Body. . .God has promised that all the gifts, all the graces, and all the heavenly blessings which proceed from Christ as the Head, should pass through Mary to the Body of the Church.”

~ Saint Robert Bellarmine

[cissypc]

[jh-newman-opn]

did the blessed Virgin Mary see the apostles martyred

A question that occurred to me during my daily rosary, and which I am now going to attempt to answer.

According to Hippolytus of Thebes, our blessed mother was assumed around the year 41AD. The 18thC mystic Catherine Emmerich says she was aged around 64 at the time of the Dormition (source: a vision), which would put the date between 45-49AD. Based on these two extremely accurate and definitely not questionable dates, I will now show how many of her children Our Lady had to watch die (while on earth). Edited upon being reminded from "she did not see this" to "she saw this from heaven", because. well. she did.

Jesus: 33AD. Obviously.

Judas: 33AD. She did not see this bc she was a bit busy with our boy JC but she was around and in the area.

James (the Greater) son of Zebedee: killed by Herod Agrippa in 44AD. Our Lady apparently bilocated to see him on his mission (ur mum could never) so maybe she did that for his death as well.

Andrew: Crucified on an X-shaped cross in Achaia (Greece) in the year 60-61AD. She saw this from heaven.

James (the Lesser) son of Alphaeus: stoned to death in the AD60s. She saw this from heaven.

Philip: Crucified upside down in Hierapolis in 62AD. She saw this from heaven.

Matthew: martyred in Ethiopia in 65AD. She saw this from heaven.

Matthias (replaced Judas): martyred in 65AD, either hacked to death or crucified. She saw this from heaven.

Peter: crucified upside down during the Neronian persecutions of 67-68AD. She saw this from heaven.

Paul: beheaded in Rome on the same day (BFF goals). She saw this from heaven.

Bartholomew/Nathaniel: skinned alive in Armenia in 72AD. She saw this from heaven.

(Doubting) Thomas: was in Persia and India (VERY funny story about this in the gnostic Gospel of Thomas) but was teleported back to Jerusalem three days after Our Lady's Dormition, and was there to see that her body had been assumed. He was later stabbed to death in India in 74AD. She saw this from heaven.

John: Probably died of natural causes at the end of the 1st century. He's winning. St Robert Bellarmine thinks his body was assumed into heaven so they even reunited on the same day (side note: John's conviction that he is Jesus's specialest little apostle is consistent with the favourite child syndrome he clearly also has from Our Lady, and this cannot have helped. Who is the greatest disciple? Doesn't matter, mummy loves John most). She saw this from heaven and then immediately they had a touching reunion :))))))

Simon the Zealot/Jude and Jude/Thaddeus: unknown but probably martyred together. We assume she saw this from heaven, because the alternative would make me sad.

[apesoformythoughts]

the dilemma illustrated:

This fb page with which I mostly sympathize but where people are prone to doubt the canonization of St. John Paul II because post-Vatican II

vs.

This guy with whom I agreed in the thread of a tired, easy mischaracterization by said fb page, but who in turn has posts on his profile calling for the rejection of St. Robert Bellarmine’s canonization because he presided over the process against Giordano Bruno

[bylagunabay]

Works of Mercy

AT THE END OF OUR LIFE, WE SHALL ALL BE JUDGED BY …

1 St. John of the Cross: “At the end of our life, we shall all be judged by charity.”

2 Saint Vincent de Paul: “Extend your mercy towards others, so that there can be no one in need whom you meet without helping. For what hope is there for us if God should withdraw His Mercy from us?”

3 St. Robert Bellarmine: “The school of Christ is the school of charity.  On the last day, when the general examination takes place … charity will be the whole syllabus.”

4 St. Peter Chrysologus: “if you want your petition to be heard, hear the petition of others. If you do not close your ear to others, you open God’s ear to yourself.”

5 St. John Chrysostom: “Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.”

6 Saint Augustine: “God has no need of your money, but the poor have. You give it to the poor, and God receives it.”

7 St. Mary MacKillop: “People should never see a need and do nothing to help.”

8 St. Katharine Drexel: “If we wish to serve God and love our neighbor well, we must manifest our joy in the service we render to Him and them. Let us open wide our hearts. It is joy which invites us. Press forward and fear nothing.”

9 St. Philip Neri: “Do not let a day pass without doing some good in it.”

10 St. Thérèse of Lisieux: “A word or smile is often enough to put fresh life in a despondent soul.”

11 St. Francis de Sales: “Never miss an opportunity to do good.”

12 Saint Gregory the Great: “The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.”

13 St. Ignatius of Loyola: “Love ought to show itself in deeds more than words.”

[catenaaurea]

It is unsuitable, however, if we use the vernacular. This is clear firstly because it would be it would impede the common use of Churches. They could not come together in the churches of the Germans, English, Italians, Polish, French, Spanish, nor vice versa. It would do much harm to the unity and communication which should exist between the members of one body. Besides, Christians would be compelled to go without the divine offices outside of their regions.

Secondly, the Sacraments require a certain majesty and reverence, which is certainly better preserved if we use a language that is not the common vernacular. In the same way it is proper that in the administration of the Sacraments we use a house, garments, instruments, all other than what we use in ordinary and daily life, so it seems proper that we use another language. It is not that we dream up, as Chemnitz supposes, that the Latin language is more sacred than others, but in this matter we say that which is not common has more veneration.

Thirdly, it is expedient that the words of the Sacraments be professed in the same way by all, so that the danger of change or deviation would be avoided. It will easily be preserved if everyone were to use the same language; very difficult if they use different ones.

Fourthly, if the Sacraments were administered in the vernacular, the gates of ignorance would be opened wide, for the ministers would be content if they knew how to read. Therefore, little by little, the Latin language would be forgotten, and as a result they will not read the Fathers, and hence they would not understand the Scriptures.

Cardinal Saint Robert Bellarmine, On the Sacraments in General

[portraitsofsaints]

Saint Robert Bellarmine

Doctor of the Church

1542 - 1621 Feast day: September 17 Patronage: canonists, canon lawyers, catechists, catechumens, Archdiocese of Cincinnati

Saint Robert Bellarmine was an Italian Jesuit and a Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was one of the most important figures in the Counter-Reformation. He was canonized in 1930 and named a Doctor of the Church. Bellarmine is also widely remembered for his role in the Galileo affair.

Prints, plaques & holy cards available for purchase here: (website)