Robert Bellarmin

Roberto Francesco Romolo Bellarmino (francized in Robert Bellarmin ), born with Montepulciano in Tuscan the October 4th 1542, died with Rome the September 17th 1621, Jesuit Theologist, apologist and inquisitor recognized like Holy by the Catholic church.

Formation and teaching in Leuwen

His/her father was Vincenzo Bellarmino, his mother Cinthia Cervini, sister of the Cardinal Marcello Cervini, future pope Marcel II. After having joined the very new college opened by the Jesuits with Montepulciano and to be themselves asked whether he would not become doctor, Robert Bellarmin chooses to enter the Society of Jesus on September 20th, 1560.

He studied philosophy with the Collège Romain the three following years, then Humanities initially with Florence, then in Mondovì. In 1567 it began its theology with Padoue but was sent in 1569 in Leuwen to finish its course, or it could be made familiar with the Protestantisme. Large admiror of Saint Thomas d' Aquin, it introduced successfully theology thomist with the faculty of theology of Leuwen where it taught of 1570 to 1576. Ordered priest, it quickly acquired there a good reputation of ensignant and preacher.

He insisted later so that the Thomisme is at the base of the theological training of the young Jesuits ( Ratio Studiorum approved by the fifth General Congregation of 1593).

Role in Rome

The art of the Controversy

Invited with Rome (1576) to hold the pulpit of “Controversies to with it” with the College Romain, it was characterized by its theological competence put at the service from defense from the catholic faith and more still by its courtesy with respect to the Protestants, at one time when the “debates” turned quickly to the insults and personal attacks: refutation of the erroneous doctrines, but respect of the people. Master in the art of the controversy (today: debate ) it left a famous body of controversies ( Disputationes of controversiis fidei, adversus hereticos Débats on the controversies of the Christian faith) between 1586 and 1593. This work had a very great success and knew twenty editions of alive sound. Theodore de Bèze, one of the Protestant leaders of the time, will say: " It is the book which lost us! "

In Rome, Robert Bellarmin becomes acquainted with Saint Louis of Gonzague of which he will become the spiritual father.

Cardinal and theologist of the pope

He accompanied Henri Caietan, sent in France like Légat by Sixth-Quint. He was theologist of the pope Clément VIII which ordered with the parishes to use the catechism of Bellarmin Doctrina christiana breve (1597).

The same Clement VIII created it cardinal in 1599.

Named archbishop of Capoue in 1601, the curialist and large theologist also felt at ease in pastoral work: it organized regular Synode S in its diocese and visited all the parishes systematically of them. Without the veto of Spain Bellarmin had been elected pope with the conclave of 1605.

Near the pope Paul V

Paul V, the new pope, immediately recalled it to Rome where it was influential into varied Congregation Romans (Index, the Holy Office, Propagation of the faith, etc). He was extremely engaged in the defense of the temporal rights of papacy.

The writings of the last years of Bellarmin are rather of type Ascétique and Spirituel. Several times he asked the pope to be able to withdraw businesses of the Vatican. This was refused to him because, Paul V said: the Church cannot do without him! completely deaf Devenu it could finally finish the few months which remained to him of its life to the noviciate Jesuit of St Andre of Quirinal (Rome) where it died on September 17th, 1621.

One will remember him like somebody who, by love of the Church employed all his life to defend the catholic Doctrine against the Hérétique S and wrote with force in favor it temporal power of the popes ( Of potestate summi Pontificis in rebus temporalisbus , 1610). However it as did not go far as other theologists from his time, so that it was regarded at the same time as too moderate (in Rome), and was condemned like Ultramontain (1610) by the Parliament of France.

The inquisitor

Robert Bellarmin took an active part in the two lawsuits which most seriously sullied the reputation with the Catholic church:

It is with him that Clément VII entrusted the instruction of the lawsuit of Giordano Bruno of which it obtained the judgment like Hérétique. During seven years of this lawsuit which was to lead to the setting with dead of the marked burned alive in 1600, the cardinal Robert Bellarmin proceeded to a score of interrogations.

In 1616, Bellarmin ordered with Galileo to cease teaching like truth the heliocentric Système of Nicolas Copernic, which was to remain, according to him, a simple mathematical assumption and not a philosophical assertion (what was also the solution of the theologist Lutheran Andreas Osiander in its foreword with Copernic). This prohibition of Bellarmin (deceased in 1621) was recalled at the time of the lawsuit of Galileo in 1633, who was to lead to the abjuration of this last.

Posthumous dedication

Robert Bellarmin is béatifié in 1923, canonized in 1930 at the end of a long lawsuit and finally named Doctors of the Church in 1931 by the Pape Pie XI.

Works

Of scriptoribus ecclesiasticis (going until 1612);
Catechism , very widespread;
3 folio volumes of various Works (Cologne, 1619).

He addressed the Histoire of his life to the Jésuite Andreas Eudaemon-Joannes.

Its complete Œuvres appeared with Naples in 1857 - 1860, in 7 volumes in-4.

Notes and references of the article

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