The eighteenth century was not an age remarkable for depth of spiritual life, yet it produced three of the greatest missionaries of the Church, St. Leonard of Port Maurice, St. Paul of the Cross, and St. Alphonsus Liguori. The saints are not inhuman but real men of flesh and . It will be remembered that even as a young man his chief distress at his breakdown in court was the fear that his mistake might be ascribed to deceit. Then the storm subsided, and he began to see that his humiliation had been sent him by God to break down his pride and wean him from the world. When the day came the future Saint made a brilliant opening speech and sat down confident of victory. Again, we have a friendship of thirty years with the great Venetian publishing house of Remondini, whose letters from the Saint, carefully preserved as became business men, fill a quarto volume. At his General Audience, 30 March 2011, in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father presented Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church. This has recently been translated into English with additions and corrections (Dublin, 2 vols., royal SVO); DUMORTIER, Les premihres Redemptoristines (Lille, 1886), and Le Phre Antoine-Marie Tannoia (Paris, 1902), contain some useful information; as does BERRUTI, Lo Spirito di S. Alfonso Maria de Liguori, 3 ed. If any reader of this article will go to original sources and study the Saint's life at greater length, he will not find his labour thrown away. In 1950 he was named patron saint of moralists and confessors by Pope Pius XII. My email address is webmaster at newadvent.org. and reportedly performed miracles. He fell into a clairvoyant trance at Arienzo on 21 September, 1774, and was present in spirit at the death-bed in Rome of Pope Clement XIV. The Saint's mother was of Spanish descent, and if, as there can be little doubt, race is an element in individual character, we may see in Alphonsus's Spanish blood some explanation of the enormous tenacity of purpose which distinguished him from his earliest years. Vol. For three days he refused all food. To this Alphonsus by the advice of his director, Father Thomas Pagano, himself an Oratorian, agreed. On 1 April, 1733, all the companions of Alphonsus except one lay brother, Vitus Curtius, abandoned him, and founded the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, which, confined to the Kingdom of Naples, was extinguished in 1860 by the Italian Revolution. In 1723 there was a lawsuit in the courts between a Neapolitan nobleman, whose name has not come down to us, and the Grand Duke of Tuscany, in which property valued at 500,000 ducats, that to say, $500,000 or 100,000 pounds, was at stake. In December, 1724, he received minor orders, and the subdiaconate in September, 1725. Transcription. I have been mistaken. In theology Liguori is known as the principal exponent of equiprobabilism, a system of principles designed to guide the conscience of one in doubt as to whether he or she is free from or bound by a given civil or religious law. This involves expressing our faith in Christ and in His Presence in the Eucharist, and asking Him to unite Himself with us. Both of them were canonized on the same day as the Holy Doctor, 26 May, 1839. A strong defender of the Catholic Church, Liguori said: To reject the divine teaching of the Catholic Church is to reject the very basis of reason and revelation, for neither the principles of the one nor those of the other have any longer any solid support to rest on; they can then be interpreted by every one as he pleases; every one can deny all truths whatsoever he chooses to deny. As it was, he was refused the royal exequatur to the Brief of Benedict XIV, and State recognition of his Institute as a religious congregation till the day of his death. Since its publication, it has remained in Latin, often in 10 volumes or in the combined 4-volume version of Gaud. ); JOHNSTON, The Napoleonic Empire in South Italy, 2 vols. Saint Alphonsus De Liguori Usage Public Domain Topics Blessed Virgin Mary, Miracles, Apparitions, Conversion, Saints, Rosary, Sin, Repentance, Catholic Collection opensource Language English Stories from St Alphonsus De Liguori, which he culled from various sources, which can be seen in the larger work, "The Glories of Mary". He said himself that he was so small at the time as to be almost buried in his doctor's gown and that all the spectators laughed. Stay up to date with the latest news, information, and special offers. Liguori suffered from scruples much of his adult life and felt guilty about the most minor issues relating to sin. He spent several years having to drink from tubes because his head was so bent forward. Calendarium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 1969), p. 99, Appendix to his work on the Council of Trent, Saint Alphonsus Liguori, patron saint archive, St. Alphonsus 'Rock' Liguori Church (St. Louis), "St. Alphonsus Liguori, Our Founder", Redemptorists, Baltimore Province, Tannoja, Antonio. But when the question was put to the community, opposition began. Learn interesting facts and tidbits about the beloved St. Patrick. There was a considerable difference in age between the two men, for Falcoia, born in 1663, was now sixty-six, and Alphonsus only thirty-three, but the old priest and the young had kindred souls. He is the patron of confessors, moral theologians, and the lay apostolate. Alphonsus Liguori. Alphonsus, like so many saints, had an excellent father and a saintly mother. For thirteen years Alphonsus fed the poor, instructed families, reorganized the seminary and religious houses, taught theology, and wrote. In his new abode he met a friend of his host's, Father Thomas Falcoia, of the Congregation of the "Pii Operarii" (Pious Workers), and formed with him the great friendship of his life. His writings on moral, theological, and ascetic matters had great impact and have survived through the years, especially his Moral Theology and his Glories of Mary. Description [ edit] The book was written at a time when some were criticizing Marian devotions, and was written in part as a defense of Marian devotion. Clarence F. Galli. Raised in a pious home, Alphonsus went on retreats with his father, Don Joseph, who was a naval officer and a captain of the Royal Galleys. According to him, those were paths closed to the Gospel because "such rigour has never been taught nor practised by the Church". In 1725, while still a novice, she had a series of visions in which she saw a new order (apparently of nuns only) similar to that revealed to Falcoia many years before. Saint Alphonsus Liguori. His infirmities were increasing, and he was occupied a good deal with his writings. The "Glories of Mary", "The Selva", "The True Spouse of Christ", "The Great Means of Prayer", "The Way of Salvation", "Opera Dogmatica, or History of the Council of Trent", and "Sermons for all the Sundays in the Year", are the best known. The Saint had four houses, but during his lifetime it not only became impossible in the Kingdom of Naples to get any more, but even the barest toleration for those he had could scarcely be obtained. But how was Alphonsus to grow in this so necessary virtue when he was in authority nearly all his life? But before he called a witness the opposing counsel said to him in chilling tones: "Your arguments are wasted breath. The difficulty about strong wills and strong passions is that they are hard to tame, but when they are tamed they are the raw material of sanctity. He often writes as a Neapolitan to Neapolitans. Alphonsus was what we call a "gifted" student today. Alphonsus the Patron. He had a tender charity towards all who were in trouble; he would go to any length to try to save a vocation; he would expose himself to death to prevent sin. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. St. Alphonsus Liguori Opening Prayer My Lord Jesus Christ, you have made this journey to die for me with infinite love. (London, 1904). He felt as if his career was ruined, and left the court almost beside himself, saying: "World, I know you now. [19], His Mariology, though mainly pastoral in nature, rediscovered, integrated and defended that of St Augustine of Hippo, St Ambrose of Milan and other fathers; it represented an intellectual defence of Mariology in the 18th century, the Age of Enlightenment, against the rationalism to which contrasted his fervent Marian devotion.[20]. a special feature of his method was the return of the missionaries, after an interval of some months, to the scene of their labours to consolidate their work by what was called the "renewal of a mission.". This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Alfonso-Maria-de-Liguori, The Catholic Encyclopedia - Biography of St. Alphonsus Liguori. He became very popular because of his plain and simple preaching. Catholic Encyclopedia. A pure and modest boyhood passed into a manhood without reproach. Raised in a pious home, Alphonsus went on retreats with his father, Don Joseph, who was a naval officer and a captain of the Royal Galleys. [5] He founded the Evening Chapels, which were managed by the young people themselves. Daily Readings for Friday, March 03, 2023, St. Katharine Drexel: Saint of the Day for Friday, March 03, 2023, Lenten Prayer: Prayer of the Day for Monday, February 27, 2023. The Saint's own letters are of extreme value in supplementing Tannoia. Alphonsus Liguori, CSsR (27 September 1696 1 August 1787), sometimes called Alphonsus Maria de Liguori or Saint Alphonsus Liguori, was an Italian Catholic bishop, spiritual writer, composer, musician, artist, poet, lawyer, scholastic philosopher, and theologian. He had a love for the lower animals, and wild creatures who fled from all else would come to him as to a friend. He knew that trials were before him. He knew how to reach ordinary people who had limited education and very real needs. He said: "I have never preached a sermon which the poorest old woman in the congregation could not understand". [15] The church did not bestow this unique privilege lightly but was due to the extraordinary combination of exceptional knowledge and understanding of church teachings combined with the great precision in which he wrote. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more all for only $19.99 Born at Marianella, near Naples, 27 September, 1696; died at Nocera de' Pagani, 1 August, 1787. Other personal friends of Alphonsus were the Jesuit Fathers de Matteis, Zaccaria, and Nonnotte. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York. He lived his first years as a priest with the homeless and the marginalized youth of Naples. Then God called him to his life work. The Fathers in the Papal States, with too precipitate zeal, in the very beginning denounced the change of Rule to Rome. Nov 2012. He founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, known as the Redemptorists, in November 1732. In the year 1747, King Charles of Naples wished to make Alphonsus Archbishop of Palermo, and it was only by the most earnest entreaties that he was able to escape. said Alphonsus somewhat piqued. Shop St. Alphonsus Marie Liguori. Castle, Harold. In February, 1775, however, Pius VI was elected Pope, and the following May he permitted the Saint to resign his see. The wine had changed into blood; clotted and separated into 5 different sized clots. [7] At 27, after having lost an important case, the first he had lost in eight years of practising law, he made a firm resolution to leave the profession of law. Alphonsus was not sent to school but was educated by tutors under his father's eye. He remained thunderstruck for a moment; then said in a broken voice: "You are right. Dedicated to Fr. The priest was Alphonsus. The English translation in the Oratory Series is also rather inadequate. The family was an old and noble one, though the branch to which the Saint belonged had become somewhat impoverished. Here he discovered more than thirty thousand uninstructed men and women and four hundred indifferent priests. The chapels were centres of prayer and piety, preaching, community, social activities, and education. He first addressed ecclesiastical abuses in the diocese, reformed the seminary and spiritually rehabilitated the clergy and faithful. Alphonsus was a devoted friend of the Society of Jesus and its long persecution by the Bourbon Courts, ending in its suppression in 1773, filled him with grief. His works have gone through several thousand editions and have been translated into more than 60 languages. He was named the patron of confessors and moral theologians by Pope Pius XII on 26 April 1950, who subsequently wrote of him in the encyclical Haurietis aquas. Suddenly he found himself surrounded by a mysterious light; the house seemed to rock, and an interior voice said: "Leave the world and give thyself to Me." He was fervent about using common words in . He called his system Equiprobabilism. His masterpiece was The Moral Theology (1748), which was approved by the Pope himself[5] and was born of Liguori's pastoral experience, his ability to respond to the practical questions posed by the faithful and his contact with their everyday problems. St. Alphonsus Liguori was an Italian Catholic bishop, spiritual writer, composer, musician, artist, poet, lawyer, scholastic philosopher, and theologian. If we except a few poems published in 1733 (the Saint was born in 1696), his first work, a tiny volume called "Visits to the Blessed Sacrament", only appeared in 1744 or 1745, when he was nearly fifty years old. [4] He was ordained on 21 December 1726, at the age of 30. Corrections? Although there are many modern . He is said never to have refused absolution to a penitent. St. Alphonsus Liguori, in full Saint Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori, Alphonsus also spelled Alfonso, (born September 27, 1696, Marianella, Kingdom of Naples [Italy]died August 1, 1787, Pagani; canonized 1839; feast day August 1), Italian doctor of the church, one of the chief 18th-century moral theologians, and founder of the Redemptorists, a [5] He remarked later that he was so small at the time that he was almost buried in his doctor's gown and that all the spectators laughed. A star preacher, he called his fellow sermonizers on the carpet for sermons of "empty, rumbling rhetoric" or "flashy . March 1, 1907. He was helped in this by his turn of mind which was extremely practical. Updates? Furthermore, St. Alphonsus was a great theologian, and so attached much weight to intrinsic probability. Most were in favour of accepting, but the superior objected and appealed to Filangieri, Falcoia's colleague in establishing the convent, and now, as General of the "Pii Operarii", his superior. He spent the next few years in recasting this work, and in 1753 appeared the first volume of the "Theologia Moralis", the second volume, dedicated to Benedict XIV, following in 1755. In the last years of his life, he suffered a painful sickness and bitter persecution from his fellow priests, who dismissed him from the Congregation that he had founded. Yet, to take anger alone, though comparatively early in life he seemed dead to insult or injury which affected himself, in cases of cruelty, or of injustice to others, or of dishonour to God, he showed a prophet's indignation even in old age. He was beatified in 1816 and canonized in 1839. So the Saint was cut off from his own Order by the Pope who was to declare him "Venerable". It was comparatively late in life that Alphonsus became a writer. The immediate author of what was practically a lifelong persecution of the Saint was the Marquis Tanucci, who entered Naples in 1734. It survived a catastrophic fire and was completed refurbished. You have overlooked a document which destroys your whole case." Fearful temptations against every virtue crowded upon him, together with diabolical apparitions and illusions, and terrible scruples and impulses to despair which made life a hell. He was born Alphonsus Marie Antony John Cosmos Damien Michael Gaspard de Liguori on September 27,1696, at Marianella, near Naples, Italy. Here with 30,000 uninstructed people, 400 mostly indifferent and sometimes scandalous secular clergy, and seventeen more or less relaxed religious houses to look after, in a field so overgrown with weeds that they seemed the only crop, he wept and prayed and spent days and nights in unremitting labour for thirteen years. For six years he laboured in and around Naples, giving missions for the Propaganda and preaching to the lazzaroni of the capital. St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori, Doctor of the Church . In 1871, Alphonsus was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX. In April 1729, the Apostle of China, Matthew Ripa, founded a missionary college in Naples, which became known colloquially as the "Chinese College". This Novena for the Holy Souls in Purgatory was written by St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787), a bishop and founder of the Redemptorist order, and one of the Doctors of the Church. That legacy is the participation in the redemptive mission of Jesus. The English translation of the work is projected to be around 5 volumes. So many times I have sinned, but I repent sincerely because I love you. In old age he was more than once raised in the air when speaking of God. "I follow my conscience", he wrote in 1764, "and when reason persuades me I make little account of moralists." Could he have been what an Anglo-Saxon would consider a miracle of calm, he would have seemed to his companions absolutely inhuman. The question as to what does or does not constitute a lie is not an easy one, but it is a subject in itself. [6], He became a successful lawyer. At all events, it proved disastrous in the result. In 1780, Alphonsus was tricked into signing a submission for royal approval of his congregation. He was the eldest of seven children and the hope of his house. Whenthey had withdrawn into another room, the appearance of the youth changed, and Heshowed Himself crowned with thorns, His flesh torn, and said to her: Prayers in Times of Sickness Disease & Danger, True Devotion to Mary (St. Louis de Montfort), The Glories of Mary (St. Alphonsus Liguori), A young nobleman was reading one day, while at sea, an obscene book, in which he. He was somewhat worldly and ambitious, at any rate for his son, and was rough tempered when opposed. There is a somewhat unsatisfactory French translation of Tannoia's work. In the end a compromise was arrived at. He was also a poet and musician. She became known in religion as Sister Maria Celeste. In addition, he published many editions of compendiums of his larger work, such as the "Homo Apostolicus", made in 1759. Feast day: August 1. The suffering which this brought on Alphonsus, with his sensitive and high-strung disposition, was very great, besides what was worse, the relaxation of discipline and loss of vocations which it caused in the Order itself. In September of the next year he received the tonsure and soon after joined the association of missionary secular priests called the "Neapolitan Propaganda", membership of which did not entail residence in common. But Alphonsus's director, Father Pagano; Father Fiorillo, a great Dominican preacher; Father Manulio, Provincial of the Jesuits; and Vincent Cutica, Superior of the Vincentians, supported the young priest, and, 9 November, 1732, the "Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer", or as it was called for seventeen years, "of the Most Holy Saviour", was begun in a little hospice belonging to the nuns of Scala. It would be a sacrilege to say otherwise." St. Alphonsus likened the conflict between law and liberty to a civil action in which the law has the onus probandi, although greater probabilities give it a verdict. by S. HORNER (Edinburgh, 1858); VON REUMONT, Die Carafa von Maddaloni (Berlin, 1851, 2 vols. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. Liguoris extensive works fall into three genres: moral theology, best represented by his celebrated Theologia moralis (1748); ascetical and devotional writings, including Visits to the Blessed Sacrament, The True Spouse of Jesus Christ (for nuns), Selva (for priests), and The Glories of Mary, the latter of which became one of the most widely used manuals of devotion to the Virgin Mary; and dogmatic writings on such subjects as papal infallibility and the power of prayer. The Saint only wept in silence and tried in vain to devise some means by which his Order might be saved. At the age of sixteen, on 21 January, 1713, he took his degree as Doctor of Laws, although twenty was the age fixed by the statutes.
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