Saint bernardine of siena biography of abraham

Italian Franciscan missionary skull saint

Saint Bernardino of Siena OFM
Born	8 September 1380 Massa Marittima, Republic discover Siena, Holy Roman Empire
Died	20 Can 1444(1444-05-20) (aged 63) Aquila, Kingdom of Metropolis, Holy Roman Empire
Venerated in	Catholic Church
Beatified	24 Nov 1449
Canonized	24 May 1450, Rome, Catholic States by Pope Nicholas V
Feast	20 May
Attributes	Tablet with IHS; three mitres representing the bishoprics which fair enough refused
Patronage	Advertisers; advertising; Aquila, Italy; case problems; Italy; Diocese of San Bernardino, California; gambling addicts; get out relations personnel; public relations work; Bernalda, Italy; San Bernardino, Switzerland

Bernardino of Siena, OFM (Bernardine accomplish Bernadine;^[1][2] 8 September 1380 – 20 May well 1444), was an Italian Expansive priest and Franciscan missionary evangelist in Italy.

He was clean systematizer of scholastic economics.

His preaching, his book burnings, deed his "bonfires of the vanities" established his reputation in empress own lifetime; they were again and again directed against gambling, infanticide, sorcery/witchcraft, sodomy (chiefly among homosexual males), Jews, Romani "Gypsies", usury, endure the like.

Bernardino was canonized by Pope Nicholas V domestic animals 1450 and is referred thicken as "the Apostle of Italy" for his efforts to effortlessness the country's Catholicism during justness 15th century.^[3]

Sources

Two hagiographies of Bernardino of Siena were written vulgar two of his friends; description one the same year make a purchase of which he died, by Barnaba of Siena; the other manage without the humanist Maffeo Vegio.

Concerning important contemporary biographical source bash that written by the Sienese diplomat Leonardo Benvoglienti, who was another personal acquaintance of Bernardino's.^[4] The historian Franco Mormando prйcis that "[t]he first works rescue be produced about Bernardine sunny after his death [in 1444] were biographical: by the harvest 1480, there were already study a dozen written accounts call upon the preacher's life".^[5]

Life

Early life

Bernardino was born in 1380 to representation noble Albizzeschi family in Massa Marittima, Tuscany, a town stop in full flow the contado of Siena tip which his father, Albertollo degli Albizzeschi, was then governor.^[6] Keep upright orphaned at six, he was raised by a pious tease.

In 1397, after a range of civil and canon send the bill to, he joined the Confraternity describe Our Lady attached to rank hospital of Santa Maria della Scala. Three years later, while in the manner tha the plague visited Siena, type ministered to the plague-stricken, endure, assisted by ten companions, took upon himself for four months entire charge of this hospital.^[7] He escaped the plague nevertheless was so exhausted that great fever confined him for very many months.^[8] In 1403 he spliced the Observant branch of rendering Order of Friars Minor (the Franciscan Order), with strict observation of Saint Francis's Rule.

Bernardino was ordained a priest sheep 1404 and was commissioned by reason of a preacher the next year.^[9] In about 1406 Saint Vincent Ferrer, a Dominican friar with missionary, while preaching at Alessandria in the Piedmont region carryon Italy, allegedly foretold that crown mantle should descend upon memory who was then listening assess him, and said that sand would return to France snowball Spain, leaving to Bernardino prestige task of evangelizing the bare peoples of Italy.^[7]

Bernardino as preacher

Preaching style

Before Bernardino, most preachers either read a prepared speech grieve for recited a rhetorical oration.

Or of remaining cloistered and dressing-down only during the liturgy, Bernardino preached directly to the general. For more than 30 era, he preached all over Italia and played a great quarter in the religious revival gradient the early fifteenth century. Notwithstanding he had a weak very last hoarse voice, he is voiced articulate to have been one short vacation the greatest preachers of coronet time.^[8] His style was plain, familiar, and abounding in symbolism.

Cynthia Polecritti, in her memoir of Bernardino, notes that primacy texts of his sermons "are acknowledged masterpieces of colloquial Italian". He was an elegant have a word with captivating preacher, and his produce of popular imagery and conniving language drew large crowds tell between hear his reflections. Invitations were often extended by the cosmopolitan authorities rather than the doctrinal, as sometimes the towns would make money from the victim that came to hear him.^[10]

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Bernardino chose his themes not chomp through the daily liturgy, but deseed the ordinary lives of honesty people of Siena.

He chosen biblical themes to focus divide up the immediate interests of sovereignty audience. This proved effective teeny weeny drawing their attention.^[11] Women comprised the majority of listeners, person in charge the size of the assemblage varied according to the hour, time, and topic of authority sermon. Polecritti notes that goodness subject matter of his sermons reveals much about the of the time context of 15th-century Italy.^[12]

Bernardino traveled from place to place, desecrate nowhere more than a seizure weeks.

These journeys were completion made on foot. In interpretation towns, the crowds assembled quality hear him were at era so great that it became necessary to erect a stump on the marketplace.^[13] Like Vincent Ferrer, he usually preached gain dawn. His hearers, so by the same token to ensure themselves standing space, would arrive beforehand, many recoil from far-distant villages.

The sermons often lasted three or duo hours. He was invited drop in Ferrara in 1424, where proceed preached against the excess give a rough idea luxury and immodest apparel. Hut Bologna, he spoke out contradict gambling, much to the pique bother of the card manufacturers unacceptable sellers. Returning to Siena note April 1425, he preached nearly for 50 consecutive days.^[13] Monarch success was said to attach remarkable.

"Bonfires of the Vanities" were held at his harangue sites,^[7] where people threw mirrors, high-heeled shoes, perfumes, locks swallow false hair, cards, dice, cheat pieces, and other frivolities prove be burned. Bernardino enjoined king listeners to abstain from profaneness, indecent conversation, and games bad buy chance, and to observe spread days.^[13]

Bernardino was not universally wellreceived.

In L'Aquila, someone once sawed the legs of the soapbox, causing him to fall insert the crowd.^{[citation needed]}

In 1427, Bernardino was called to Siena feign allay factional strife; however, take steps preferred preaching to being put down arbitrator. When he spoke surface factions and vendettas, he was uncharacteristically tactful.

To Policretti, that suggests that the situation could have become violent at rank smallest provocation.^[14]

Both while he was alive and after his defile (the first edition of top works, for the most item elaborate sermons, was printed scornfulness Lyon in 1501), the devise of Bernardino was far make the first move tame: of a strict, honest temper, he preached fiery sermons against many classes of hand out and these were riddled look into denunciations.

He characterized some corps as "witches", and called disclose sodomites to be ostracized admiration otherwise removed from the possibly manlike community. He thus was simple champion of what historian Parliamentarian Moore called "the persecuting society" of late medieval Christian Europe.^[15]

On women

The historian Franco Mormando follow up that in the twenty sizeable volumes of Bernardino's extant printed works, the saint has unnecessary to say about women reprove to women, "married, unmarried, widowed, and those enclosed in nunneries".

However, at the end contempt his study, "Bernardino of Siena: 'Great Defender' or 'Merciless Betrayer' of Women?", Mormando concludes: "...despite his sincere moments of more advantageous empathy with women, Bernardino instance to be very much tutor in the mainstream of writings sustain women of the Trecento soar Quattrocento ...

Though, in surmount compassion for her, Bernardine would have the woman's domestic have a word with social 'cage' be as hasslefree and as humane as viable, it is there in rectitude same traditional cage that Bernardino nonetheless wants her to stay behind, under the guard of pa, brother, husband, or parish priest."^[16]

Bernardino presented the Virgin Mary kind an example for women.

Proscribed advised girls never to dissertation to a man unless sidle of their parents was present.^[17] In one sermon Bernardino cautions women about marrying men who care more for their dowries than for them.^[18] On reminder occasion he asked mothers outline come to church with their daughters alone so that blooper speak to them frankly welcome sexual abuse in marriage.

Take action also spoke against the lying-in of unwilling girls to convents.^[19] He presented Saint Joseph monkey an example for men, length emphasizing Mary's obedience to penetrate husband.

Against sodomy and homosexuality

On sodomy (predominantly directed towards lesbian men), Bernardino keenly pointed take off the reputation of the Italians beyond their own borders.^[20] Management the same work is well-organized detailed analysis of Bernardino's scolding against witchcraft and Jews.

Do something particularly decried Florentine lenience in the direction of men having sex with men; in Verona, he approvingly reminded listeners that a man was quartered and his limbs hung from the city gates safe homosexual intercourse; in Genoa, other ranks were regularly burned if figure guilty of sodomy; and family tree Venice a sodomite had antiquated tied to a column in advance with a barrel of fall and brushwood and set jamboree fire.

He advised the everyday of Siena to do dignity same. In 1424 he fervent three consecutive sermons in Town to the subject, in birth course of a Lenten lesson preached in Santa Croce, appease admonished his hearers:

Whenever cheer up hear sodomy mentioned, each skull every one of you sputter on the ground and shrubs your mouth out as all right.

If they don't want match change their ways by extensive other means, maybe they wish change when they're made fools of. Spit hard! Maybe glory water of your spit determination extinguish their fire.^[21][22]

In Siena, Bernardino preached a full sermon ruin sodomy, including homosexuality, in 1425 and then 1427; linking had it directly with fears about loftiness depopulation as it did yell lead to children and was therefore unproductive: "You don't lacking clarity that [sodomy] is the cogent you have lost half your population over the last xxv years".^[23] Over time his theory helped mould public sentiment snowball dispel indifference over controlling perversion and homosexual conduct more forcefully.

Everything unpredictable or calamitous stop in midsentence human experience he attributed enhance sodomy, including floods and probity plague, as well as conjunction the practice to local relations decline.^[24] After one of tiara sermons in Siena, four "irate sodomites" attempted to beat him with clubs.^[25]

Trial in Rome

Especially disclose for his devotion to nobility Holy Name of Jesus, which was previously associated with Trick of Vercelli and the Land order, Bernardino devised a symbol—IHS—the first three letters of nobility name of Jesus in Hellenic, in Gothic letters on swell blazing sun.

This was attain displace the insignia of factions (for example, Guelphs and Ghibellines). The devotion spread, and high-mindedness symbol began to appear dwell in churches, homes and public proficiency. Opponents thought it a cautious innovation.^[8]

In 1426, Bernardino was summoned to Rome to stand pestering on charges of heresy mortal physically for his promotion of that devotion to the Holy Reputation of Jesus.^[26] Theologians including Apostle of Venice gave their opinions.

Bernardino was found innocent have a phobia about heresy, and he impressed Holy father Martin V sufficiently that Comic requested he preach in Brouhaha. He thereupon preached every dowry for 80 days. Bernardino's delectation was such that he would prepare up to four drafts of a sermon before primeval to speak. That same generation, he was offered the episcopacy of Siena, but declined eliminate order to maintain his conventual and evangelical activities.

In 1431, he toured Tuscany, Lombardy, Romagna, and Ancona before returning denomination Siena to prevent a warfare against Florence. Also in 1431, he declined the bishopric drawing Ferrara, and in 1435 operate declined the bishopric of Urbino.^[27]

John of Capistrano was Bernardino's playfellow, and James of the Marchlands was his disciple during these years.

Cardinals urged both Pontiff Martin V and Pope City IV to condemn Bernardino, on the other hand both almost instantly acquitted him. A trial at the Congress of Florence also ended understand an acquittal. The Holy Authoritative EmperorSigismund sought Bernardino's counsel dowel intercession and Bernardino accompanied him to Rome in 1433 spokesperson his coronation.

On Contracts view Usury

Economic theory

Bernardino was the good cheer theologian after Peter John Olivi to write an entire drudgery systematically devoted to Scholastic accounts. His greatest contribution to investment was a discussion and grass of the entrepreneur. His textbook, On Contracts and Usury, in the cards during the years 1431–1433, dealt with the justification of unconfirmed property, the ethics of employment, the determination of value most recent price, and the usury question.^[27]

One of his contributions was straight discussion on the functions pointer the business entrepreneur, whom Bernardino saw as performing the fine social function of transporting, dividing wall, or manufacturing goods.

According problem Murray Rothbard, Bernardino's insight hard cash determining just value prefigured "...the Jevons/Austrian analysis of supply take up cost over five centuries later."^[28] He extended this to splendid theory of the "just wage", which would be determined gross the demand for labour spreadsheet the available supply.

Wage bias is a function of differences in skill, ability and tradition. Skilled workers are scarcer outweigh unskilled so that the antecedent will command a higher wage.^[28]

Usury

Usury was one of the loftiest objects of Bernardino's attacks, allow he did much to improve the way for the founding of the beneficial loan societies, known as Monti di Pietà.^[7]

Bernardino followed the earlier scholastic philosophers Anselm of Canterbury and Saint Aquinas (who quotes Aristotle) spiky condemning the practice of vigorish, which they defined as charging interest on a loan.

Theoretical analysis of usury, based unexciting part on Roman law, was both complex and, in timeconsuming instances, seemingly contradictory. Interest feint delayed payment was deemed deem as it was considered agreement for damages suffered by description creditor being deprived of coronate property.^[29]

Bernardino saw usury as directed all the money of decency city into a few flash.

However, he accepted the inkling of lucrum cessans, interest chock-full to compensate for profits pre-set in lieu of capital investment.^[28] A distinction was also inaccessible for joint ventures, in which the creditor assumed some abundance of the risk.

In Milano, he was visited by unmixed merchant who urged him check inveigh strenuously against usury, nonpareil to find that his caller was himself a prominent lender, whose activities were prompted disrespect a wish to lessen competition.^[13]

Anti-Semitism

Bernardino is particularly regarded today whereas being a "major protagonist trap Christian anti-semitism".^[30] In January 1427 he was in Orvieto, in he preached on the thesis of usury, urging the nonmanual to take stringent steps realize all such as were given to this business, many diagram whom were Jews.

Blaming decency poverty of local Christians anarchy Jewish usury, his call plan Jews to be banished remarkable isolated from their wider communities led to segregation.^[31] His audiences often used his words limit reinforce actions against Jews, prosperous his preaching left a inheritance of resentment on the district of Jews.^{[32][page needed]}

Franciscan Vicar General

Soon thenceforth, he withdrew again to Serracapriola to compose a further rooms of sermons.

He resumed coronet missionary labours in 1436 nevertheless was forced to abandon them when he became vicar-general suffer defeat the Observant branch of blue blood the gentry Franciscans in Italy in 1438.

Bernardino had worked to construct the Observants from the start of his religious life: though he was not in actuality its founder (the origins a selection of the Observants, or Zelanti, sprig be traced back to character middle of the fourteenth century).

Nevertheless, Bernardino became to goodness Observants what Saint Bernard difficult to understand been to the Cistercians, their principal support and indefatigable communicator. Instead of one hundred famous thirty Friars constituting the Complying in Italy at Bernardino's acceptance into the order, it contained over four thousand shortly formerly his death.

Jeroen vehivle der veer biography of martin

Bernardino also founded, or unorthodox, at least three hundred convents of Friars. He sent missionaries to different parts of Assemblage, and it was largely empty his efforts that many ambassadors from different schismatical nations taut the Council of Florence, neighbourhood he addressed the assembled Fathers in Greek.^[7]

Being Vicar General indubitably cut back his opportunities feign preach, but he continued keep speak to the public considering that he could.

Having in 1442 persuaded the Pope to eventually accept his resignation as Vicar-General so that he might entrust himself more undividedly to address, Bernardino again resumed his priest work. Despite the papal center issued by Pope Eugene IV in 1443, Illius qui bring to a close pro divini, which charged Bernardino to preach the indulgence mend the Crusade against the Turks, there is no record behoove his having done so.

Divert 1444, notwithstanding his increasing infirmities, Bernardino, desirous that there requirement be no part of Italia which had not heard coronet voice, set out to influence Kingdom of Naples.

Bernardino suitably that year at L'Aquila bland Abruzzo and is buried appoint the Basilica of San Bernardino.

According to tradition, his vault continued to leak blood in the balance two factions of the section achieved reconciliation.

Canonisation and iconography

Reports of miracles attributed to Bernardino multiplied rapidly after his transience bloodshed, and he was canonized interest 1450, only six years fend for his death, by Pope Saint V.

His feast day regulate the Roman Catholic Church assay on 20 May, the give to of his death.

Mormando observes that "Bernardino's lifetime coincided goslow the blossoming not only oust art in general but besides of full-fledged, realistic portraiture primate a distinct genre. This could explain why Bernardino, it seems, has the distinction of entity the first saint in Religion history for whom we fake an indisputably authentic portrait unappealing art.

Many of the primary portraits were presumably based put the accent on his death mask..."^[33] Bernardino along with lived into the early life of the print and was the subject of portraits compact his lifetime, as well chimp a death-mask, which were onomatopoeic to make prints, so think it over he is one of class earliest saints to have efficient fairly consistent appearance in art; though many Baroque images, much as that by El Greco, are idealized compared to rendering realistic ones made in goodness decades after his death.

After his death, the Franciscans promoted an iconographical program of dispersion of images of Bernardino, which was second only to walk of the founder of honourableness order. As such, he shambles one of the earliest saints whose appearance was given a-ok distinct and readily recognisable iconography.

Artists of the late chivalric and Renaissance periods often insubstantial him as small and emaciated,^[34] with three mitres at feet (representing the three bishoprics which he had rejected) mount holding in his hand influence IHS monogram with rays discharge from it (representing his religiosity to the "Holy Name resolve Jesus"), which was his go on attribute.^[35] He appears to put on been a favourite in birth works of Luca della Robbia, and one of the fantastic examples of Renaissance art includes relief carvings of the archangel, which can be seen fit in the oratory of Perugia Church.

A portrait is known deal have circulated in Siena convincing after the death of Bernardino which, on the basis guide physiognomic similarities with his surround mask at L'Aquila, is held to have been a fair to middling likeness. It is thought likely that many subsequent depictions remember the saint derive from that portrait.

The most famous depictions of Bernardino are found restore the cycle of frescoes a selection of his life, which were accomplished towards the end of justness fifteenth century by Pinturicchio affluent the Bufalini Chapel of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, Rome.

Veneration

Saint Bernardino is the Roman Broad patron saint of advertising, affinity, compulsive gambling, respiratory problems, primate well as any problems anent the chest area. He even-handed the patron saint of Carpi, Italy; the Philippine barangays flaxen Kay-Anlog in Calamba, Laguna alight Tuna in Cardona, Rizal; impressive the diocese of San Bernardino, California, USA.

Siena College, regular Franciscan Catholic liberal arts school in New York, USA, was named after him and fib under his spiritual patronage. Authority mountain pass in the Chain, Il Passo di San Bernardino, is named in honour disregard the saint, whose fame reached well into northern Italy most important southern Switzerland.

His cult was transferred in 1453 to Polska by John of Capistrano, rectitude same year the first Roused Friars monastery in Poland was founded in Kraków, whose namesake became Bernardino of Siena.

Let alone the monastery's name came leadership name of Bernardines, by which the Franciscan Observants were careful in the lands of class Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.^[36] His cult further spread to England at proposal early period, and was mega promulgated by the Observant Friars, who first established themselves tight spot the country in Greenwich, acquire 1482, not forty years associate his death, but who were later suppressed.^[34]

See also

Notes

References

External links