Bruno the Carthusian monk

Saint Bruno, founder of the Carthusian monk

Bruno was born with Cologne, in Germany, of the family of Hartenfaust a little front 1030. He is initially canon in his birthplace which he leaves enough young person to continue his studies with Rheims, city considered at the time for its school “cathedral”. He teaches the liberal arts and theology with Rheims, then withdraws himself with six companions in desert places placed at his disposal by the bishop Hugues of Grenoble, his former student. He founds the order of the Carthusian monks, in 1084, in the Grande Chartreuse where there remained 6 years. Called in Rome by the pope Urbain II, one of its former students of Rheims, it obtains to be withdrawn in Calabria where it founds with new companions the hermitage Santa Maria del Bosco, assisted by its Lanuin right-hand man and the agreement of the count Roger Ier of Sicily which makes gift of grounds to the new Calabrian foundation. The semi-miraculous meeting of Roger driving out and Bruno in prayer is a late legend. In the same way, the diploma of foundation granted by Roger is a forgery according to a majority of historian. With the hermitage of Sainte-Marie is soon associated, a monastery of cenobitic life. As of the last decades of XIe century, the whole of the monastic complex passes to the order of Cîteaux, then fall in decline. It is necessary to await the beginning of XVIe century so that the Carthusian monks come to raise the places and to found the chartreuse one of Santo Stefano del Bosco. Before this date, the site of Calabria does not maintain any institutional bond with the monasteries brunoniens Calabria.

Formation

During about thirty years, Bruno lives Rheims. In 1057, the archbishop of Rheims, Gervais de Belleme, entrusts to him to replace Hermann, the direction of the school of which he had been the pupil. Bruno exerts this load during 20 years. After its death in 1101, the funeral titles collected by all the medieval Europe give the impression of a universal reputation which is in fact only the echo of the circular letter carried by the messenger to charge with diffusing the news. One allots to him a reputation of wisdom, softness and science. One of its pupils, Eude de Chatillon, will become the pope Urbain II (see will infra).

The driven out archbishop

The archbishop of Rheims, Gervais, dies in 1067 and is replaced by a man without scruples, Manassès de Gournay. This one is worried more by the tangible properties than by its load of archbishop. Wanting to have, despite everything, the regard of the clergy, it names Bruno chancellor of the cathedral and director of all the schools of Rheims. The attitude of Manassès becomes increasingly unbearable, so much so that a council joined together with Lyon in February 1080, pronounced its deposition. This sentence is confirmed by the pope Gregoire VII which orders to the clergy of Rheims to drive out makes indignant it archbishop and to elect new in its place.

Change of life

Many people think at once of just Bruno to replace Manassès de Gournay on the seat archiépiscopal of Rheims. But this one has other projects at the head, having formed the intention withdrawing itself in the prayer with some friends. He thus refuses the seat which had been at one time that of holy Remi, puts order in its business and gives all its goods to the poor. In 1083, with two friends, it goes in Burgundy, where holy Robert de Molesmes having gave a hermitage to him, it is withdrawn there one moment. It is there that it feels attracted by a life of hermit favourable in the search of God.

Saint Hugues de Châteauneuf, the bishop of Grenoble, suggests to him settling in the wild loneliness of the solid mass of the Grande Chartreuse, in 1084. Soon a monastery rises there from which the monks live isolated in individual residences, there carrying out an austere and hard existence, meeting only for the office. They do not intend to form an order.

Bruno is destined for Rome four years later by the pope Urbain II which solicits its councils on the reforms to be undertaken in the Église. But Bruno only thinks of taking again his life of hermit. In 1092, it leaves in Calabria where it founds other hermitages and withdraws itself in one of them. He dies in the monatère of Santo Stefano del Bosco nine years later, on October 6th 1101.

The order cartusien was built starting from its example and of the rule written by the large prior Guignes, forty years after its departure of Chartreuse.

Writings

All the writings allotted in the past to Bruno are Apocryphes, except for two short written letters in Calabria, of a great beauty and depth, and profession of faith pronounced on its bed of mort.
One allotted to him comments of the epistles of Paul saint, then Psalms which are works of the end of XIe century and beginning of XIIe S. published under its name starting from XVIe century only (Paris, 1509 for the comment of the epistles pauliniennes, and Paris 1524 for that of the Psalms, to also see Cologne 1611 and 1640). They were unknown Carthusian monk authors of the Middle Ages. It is wrongly that it is repeated still today that the comment of the Psalms was published in 1509 already. The debate is however still open… See in particular the interventions at the time of the International symposium held at the Catholic Institute of Paris in 2001: Holy Bruno and his spiritual posterity. Acts of the conference international of the October 8th and 9th 2001 at the catholic Institute of Paris - Alain Girard Daniel Blévec Nathalie Nabert (Analecta Cartusiana, 189.) Salzburg

One can find the letters of saint Bruno in the following bond

The Magister Chronicle

The showpiece of the hagiography and the historiography of Bruno saint is short notes of 121 words, contained in a catalog written by the fifth successor of Bruno (with the priorat of the monastery of Chartreuse), the Guigues prior:

The Magister Chronicle

Main Bruno, from German nationality, was born noble parents, in the famous town of Cologne. Very scholar in the letters as well secular as divine, he was canon of the Church of Rheims whose importance does not yield it to null other among the de Gaulle churches; then it was Master of teaching there. Having left the world, it founded the hermitage of Chartreuse and controlled it during six years. On the order of the pope Urbain II, of which he had been formerly the tutor, he went to the Roman curia, to help the Pontiff of his support and his councils in the ecclesiastical businesses. But it could not support the tumults and the way of life of the curia; burning love of at one time abandoned loneliness and contemplative rest, it left the curia, after having even refused the archbishop's palace of the Church of Reggio to which it had been elected by the will of the pope. It was withdrawn in a desert of Calabria whose name is the Tower. Then there, after having joined together the many laic ones and clerks, it applied as much as it lived with the vocation of the solitary life. It died there and was buried there, approximately eleven years after its departure of Chartreuse. '

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