Laurent de Brindes

Saint Laurent de Brindisi says also Saint Laurent de Brindes, 1559 - 1619, is a Capucin, Doctor of the Catholic church.

Youth and vocation

Wire of Guillaume Rossi and Elisabeth Mazella, Laurent was born on July 22nd 1559 with Brindisi, and was fore-mentioned Jules César.

Any young person, one told that he preached in front of the gate of the cathedral of the city. Its early vocation would have brought it, with died of his/her father, to ask for his mother the authorization of integrate the Capucins, order towards which it had felt attracted.

After the death of his mother, Laurent went to Venice in an uncle priest, and the following year, whereas it was just 16 years old, it entered in the capuchins of Vérone.

And it is from there that he carried on during more than forty years a profitable apostolic activity.

Apostolic activities

March 24th 1576, Laurent de Brindisi, 19 years old, pronounced its wishes, by taking the name of Laurent, in remembering the homonymous deacon martyr, Laurent of Rome.

It then left to study with Padoue crowned sciences, interpretation, patrology, theology. It became also polyglot, usually speaking seven langes (Latin, Greek, syriaque, Hebrew, Italian, German, French). He discussed readily with the Jews, and enjoyed a fantastic memory.

Laurent was ordered priest on December 18th 1582 and assumed many loads at the Capucins:

  • 1583-1586 : Reader in Theology and Scriptures with Venice

  • 1586-1588: Superior and Master of the beginners at Bassano del Grappa
  • 1590-1592: Provincial minister in Tuscany;
  • 1596-1602: Member of the Superior council (General Définiteur)
  • 1602-1605: Superior (general Minister)

Saint Laurent de Brindisi was a large thinker of the Church, with the image of Pierre Canisius and Robert Bellarmin. It left many writings, including one dogmatic Dissertation on Martin Luther and more than 800 homélies.

Diplomatic activities

Parallel to his apostolic activities and his religious loads, Laurent de Brindisi had an intense diplomatic activity:

  • In 1599 it was sent in Austria to work with the catholic reform; it established its Order with Vienna but also with Prague.

  • In 1601 - 1602 the pope Clément VIII sent it near Rodolphe II which then ordered the catholic forces against the Turks. The pope said of him that: “ This capuchin, spiritual organizer, is worth a whole army ”. So the catholic forces, carried out by the duke of Mercœur, galvanized by the spiritual support of Laurent de Brindisi, gained the victory over the Turks in Hungary.

April 27th 1602, at the time of the funeral oration of Philippe Emmanuel of Lorraine, duke of Mercœur, Saint François Dirty will say:

“ the duke of Mercoeur always had in its army of the Fathers capuchins, which, carrying a large cross, not only animated the soldiers, but as, after the general confession as all the catholics made as a sign of contrition, gave them the holy blessing. But especially it was a beautiful thing to see this general exhorting his captains with constancy, to show again to them that if they died it would be with the merit of martyrdom, and speech with each one in its own language, French, German, Italian. ”

See also: Philippe-Emmanuel of Lorraine

  • In 1606, the Pope Paul V sent it in Germany in order to work there with the businesses politico-nuns of the Empire . He will play a very important part there, and will animate the Catholic Ligue vis-a-vis the Protestant evangelic Union , with a remarkable direction of the diplomacy.

  • In 1618, SAINT LAURENT de Brindisi was charged by the Neapolitan ones with ensuring their defense against the duke of Ossuna, viceroy. He left then for Madrid, then for Lisbon in order to meet there the king Philippe III.

It is there that he died, on July 21st 1619, 60 years old.

Beatification - canonization

  • Laurent de Brindisi was béatifié on June 1st 1783 by the Pope Pie VI,
  • and was canonized on December 8th 1881 by the pope Leon XIII.
  • on March 19th 1959, the Pope Jean XXIII proclaimed it Universal Doctors of the Church :
“ Its Holiness Jean XXIII, after favorable opinion of Crowned the Congregation of the Rites, condescended to promulgate, dated March 19th, the apostolic Brief Celsitudo ex humilitate. This document proclaims SAINT LAURENT de Brindes universal Doctors of the Church, extending the office and the mass fixed at July 21st of each year. ”
  • It is celebrated the July 21st and is the owner of the town of Brindisi

Quotations

  • “ philosophy is only one simple emanation of theology. Indeed, the Lord appears as well in the Writings as in Nature ”
  • “ the three rivers of the Divinity: the river of the power, that of holiness, that of the divine benignity flow as a Marie, this sea immense. This way, the Virgin became holy and lenient between all the creatures: of a power, a holiness and a leniency which are exceeded only by those of God. Also can it operate miracles and fill us multiple benefits ”

Sources

  • the flower of the saints - Omer Englebert - 1980 - Albin Michel - Imprimatur of the 26-12-1979 - ISBN 2-226-00906-X

External bond

  • Biography and texts of Laurent de Brindisi

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