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Charles Borromeo

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Charles Borromeo ( Italian : Carlo Borromeo ; Latin : Carolus Borromeus ; 2 October 1538 – 3 November 1584) was an Italian Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Milan from 1564 to 1584. He was made a cardinal in 1560.

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43-614: Borromeo founded the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine and was a leading figure of the Counter-Reformation together with Ignatius of Loyola and Philip Neri . In that role, he was responsible for significant reforms in the Catholic Church, including the founding of seminaries for the education of priests. He was canonized in 1610 and his feast day is 4 November. Borromeo was a descendant of nobility;

86-441: A family of six children, he was born in the castle of Arona on Lake Maggiore 36 miles from Milan on 2 October 1538. Borromeo received the tonsure when he was about twelve years old. At this time his paternal uncle Giulio Cesare Borromeo turned over to him the income from the rich Benedictine abbey of Sts. Gratinian and Felin, one of the ancient perquisites of the family. Borromeo made plain to his father that all revenues from

129-418: A nobleman remarked that the latter city was no longer a place to enjoy oneself or to make a fortune. "Carlo Borromeo has undertaken to remake the city from top to bottom," he said, predicting that the reformer's enthusiasm "would lead him to correct the rest of the world once he has finished with Rome." Subsequently, he devoted himself to the reformation of his diocese which had deteriorated in practice owing to

172-570: A saint, and supporters in a number of cities collected documentation to support his canonization . In 1602 Clement VIII beatified Borromeo. In 1604 his case was sent to the Congregation of Rites . On 1 November 1610, Pope Paul V canonized Borromeo. Three years later, the church added his feast to the General Roman Calendar for celebration on 4 November. Along with Guarinus of Palestrina and perhaps Anselm of Lucca , he

215-520: A small picture of John Fisher , who with Thomas More had been executed during the reign of Henry VIII and for whom he held a great veneration. During the 19th century Catholic restoration in England, Nicholas Wiseman was to institute an order of Oblates of St Charles, led by Henry Edward Manning , as a congregation of secular priests directly supporting the Archbishop of Westminster. Though

258-769: Is Archbishop Mario Enrico Delpini , who has been serving since his appointment by Pope Francis , having served previously as the Vicar-General and the Auxiliary Bishop of Milan. Delpini had succeeded the retiring Cardinal Angelo Scola, who had been in office since 2011 and had been a possible papabile . Archbishop Delpini is assisted by four Auxiliary Bishops: Erminio De Scalzi, Luigi Stucchi, Franco Agnesi, and Paolo Martinelli. The resignations of Stucchi and De Scalzi were accepted by Pope Francis on 30 April 2020. That same day, he appointed Giovanni Raimondi and Giuseppe Vegezzi as auxiliary bishops. The Seminary of

301-537: Is one of only two or three cardinal-nephews to have been canonized. Charles Borromeo is the patron saint of bishops, catechists and seminarians. Borromeo's emblem is the Latin word humilitas (humility), which is a portion of the Borromeo shield. He is usually represented in art in his robes, barefoot, carrying the cross as archbishop, a rope around his neck, one hand raised in blessing, thus recalling his work during

344-733: The Borromeo family was one of the most ancient and wealthy in Lombardy , made famous by several notable men, both in the church and state. The family coat of arms included the Borromean rings , which are sometimes taken to symbolize the Holy Trinity . Borromeo's father Gilbert was Count of Arona . His mother Margaret was a member of the Milan branch of the House of Medici . The second son in

387-774: The Byzantines . At the siege of Milan by the Lombard Alboin , the Bishop Honoratus (568) sought refuge in Genoa , with a great number of his clergy, which returned to Milan only 70 years later under John the Good . In the 10th century, the archbishops of Milan became feudatory of the Emperor extending his jurisdiction to all northwest Italy. The most distinguished of these was Ariberto da Intimiano (1018–45). As

430-590: The Catholic Church in Italy which covers the areas of Milan , Monza , Lecco and Varese . It has long maintained its own Latin liturgical rite usage, the Ambrosian rite , which is still used in the greater part of the diocesan territory. Among its past archbishops, the better known are Ambrose , Charles Borromeo , Pope Pius XI and Pope Paul VI . The Archdiocese of Milan is the metropolitan see of

473-490: The Duchy of Milan from 1277 to 1447. The figure who marked the modern history of the church of Milan was Charles Borromeo , archbishop of Milan from 1564 to 1584, who was a leading figure during the Counter-Reformation and was responsible for significant reforms in the Catholic Church. His pastoral efforts were followed also by his successors, such as Federico Borromeo (died 1631) and Giuseppe Pozzobonelli (died 1783). In

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516-477: The Gospel was brought to Milan by the apostle Barnabas , and the first Bishop of Milan, Anathalon , was a disciple of that apostle. But a diocese cannot have been established there, as such, before 200, as the dioceses of the church evolved from the civil (Roman) dioceses following the reforms of Emperor Diocletian , for the list of the bishops of Milan names only five predecessors of Mirocles , who participated at

559-658: The Lateran council held in 313 in Rome. During the persecutions of the third and early fourth century, several Christians suffered martyrdom and were venerated at Milan: among them Gervasius and Protasius (first persecution of Diocletian ), Victor , Nabor and Felix , and Nazarius and Celsus . The persecutions ended in 313 when the Emperors Constantine I and Licinius issued the Edict of Milan which proclaimed

602-623: The Protestant Reformation , Borromeo encouraged Ludwig Pfyffer in his development of the "Golden League" but did not live to see its formation in 1586. Based in Lucerne , the organization (also called the Borromean League) linked activities of several Swiss Catholic cantons of Switzerland , which became the centre of Catholic Counter-Reformation efforts and was determined to expel heretics. It created severe strains in

645-474: The Valle Mesolcina ; here not only was there heresy to be fought, but also witchcraft and sorcery, and at Roveredo it was discovered that 'the provost or rector, was the foremost in sorceries'". During his pastoral visit to the region, 150 people were arrested for practicing witchcraft. Eleven women and the provost were condemned by the civil authorities to be burned alive. Reacting to the pressure of

688-453: The ecclesiastical province of Milan, which includes the suffragan dioceses of Bergamo , Brescia , Como , Crema , Cremona , Lodi , Mantova , Pavia , and Vigevano . Milan's archdiocese is the largest in Europe , and the one having the most priests in the world, with, as of 2021, 2,450 priests living in the diocese, among whom 1,712 are secular priests . According to the legend,

731-722: The religious toleration in the Roman Empire . Historically, the Milanese church has been in full communion with the Papacy . Among its bishops should be named Eustorgius I and Dionysius , who firmly opposed apostasy imposed by the Roman Emperor Constantius II . Dionysus was exiled to Cappadocia (355), while the Romans put Auxentius on the episcopal throne of Milan. At the death of Auxentius, Ambrose

774-474: The 20th century, two Cardinal Archbishops of Milan were elected to the papacy: in 1922, Cardinal Achille Ratti was elected as Pope Pius XI , and in 1963 Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini was elected as Pope Paul VI . The church of Milan was governed from 1979 to 2002 by Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini , who had been a favorite of the Catholic left. As of 7 July 2017, the current Metropolitan Archbishop of Milan

817-502: The 80-year absence of previous archbishops. Milan was the largest archdiocese in Italy at the time, with more than 3,000 clergy and 800,000 people. Both its clergy and laity had drifted from church teaching. The selling of indulgences and ecclesiastical positions was prevalent; monasteries were "full of disorder"; many religious were "lazy, ignorant, and debauched". Borromeo made numerous pastoral visits and restored dignity to divine service. He urged churches to be designed in conformity with

860-843: The Academy of the Vatican Knights, publishing their memoirs as the Noctes Vaticanae . Borromeo organized the third and last session of the Council of Trent , in 1562–63. He had a large share in the making of the Tridentine Catechism ( Catechismus Romanus ). In 1561, Borromeo founded and endowed a college at Pavia , today known as Almo Collegio Borromeo , which he dedicated to Justina of Padua . On 19 November 1562, his older brother, Federico, suddenly died. His family urged Borromeo to seek permission to return to

903-456: The Baptist . This group was to attend to prisoners and those condemned to death, to give them help and support. Borromeo believed that abuses in the church arose from ignorant clergy. Among his most important actions, he established seminaries, colleges, and communities for the education of candidates for holy orders. His emphasis on Catholic learning greatly increased the preparation of men for

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946-627: The Diet of Ilanz of 1524 and 1526 had proclaimed freedom of worship in the Three Leagues , Borromeo repressed Protestantism in the Swiss valleys. The Catholic Encyclopedia relates: "In November [1583] he began a visitation as Apostolic visitor of all the cantons of Switzerland and the Grisons , leaving the affairs of his diocese in the hands of Monsignor Owen Lewis , his vicar-general. He began in

989-505: The Nuncio in Spain, but he did not arrive in time to be considered at the conclave. Borromeo then reached an agreement with Alessandro Farnese , who held a significant number of votes, to support Antonio Ghislieri , who was rumored to have the support of Philip II of Spain . Ghislieri was elected and took the name Pius V. Before Borromeo went to Milan, while he was overseeing reform in Rome,

1032-510: The Swiss civil administration and caused the break-up of Appenzell canton along religious lines. Charged with implementing the reforms dictated by the Council of Trent, Borromeo's uncompromising stance brought him into conflict with secular leaders, priests, and even the Pope. He met with much opposition to his reforms. The governor of the province and many of the senators addressed complaints to

1075-600: The Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.237 via cp1104 cp1104, Varnish XID 213975518 Upstream caches: cp1104 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:57:43 GMT Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milan The Archdiocese of Milan ( Italian : Arcidiocesi di Milano ; Latin : Archidioecesis Mediolanensis ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of

1118-518: The abbey beyond what was required to prepare him for a career in the church belonged to the poor and could not be applied to secular use. The young man attended the University of Pavia , where he applied himself to the study of civil and canon law. Due to a slight speech impediment, he was regarded as slow but his thoroughness and industry meant that he made rapid progress. In 1554 his father died, and although he had an elder brother, Count Federico, he

1161-639: The archdiocese has the principal seat in Venegono Inferiore . The minor seminary is located in Seveso . A list of the bishops and archbishops of Milan is engraved on a plaque in the South nave of the Cathedral of Milan , but that list contains historical errors. The list below follows the work of Eugenio Cazzani. The 1,104 parishes all fall within the region of Lombardy . They are divided between

1204-478: The courts of Rome and Madrid . In 1584, during his annual retreat at Monte Varallo, he fell ill with "intermittent fever and ague", and on returning to Milan grew rapidly worse. After receiving the Last Rites , he quietly died on 3 November at the age of 46. Following his death, popular devotion to Borromeo arose quickly and continued to grow. The Milanese celebrated his anniversary as though he were already

1247-513: The decrees of the Council of Trent , which stated that sacred art and architecture lacking adequate scriptural foundation was in effect prohibited, as was any inclusion of classical pagan elements in religious art. He divided the nave of the church into two compartments to separate the sexes at worship. He extended his reforms to the collegiate churches, monasteries and even to the Confraternities of Penitents , particularly that of St. John

1290-526: The dignity and duties of the bishop as drafted by the recent Council of Trent. Borromeo was appointed an administrator of the Archdiocese of Milan on 7 February 1560. After his decision to put into practice the role of bishop, he decided to be ordained priest (4 September 1563) and on 7 December 1563 he was consecrated bishop in the Sistine Chapel by Cardinal Giovanni Serbelloni . Borromeo

1333-579: The dying. He called together the superiors of all the religious communities in the diocese and won their cooperation. Borromeo tried to feed 60,000 to 70,000 people daily. He used up his own funds and went into debt to provide food for the hungry. Finally, he wrote to the Governor and successfully persuaded him to return. Borromeo had also been involved in English affairs when he assisted Pius IV. Many English Catholics had fled to Italy at this time because of

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1376-524: The first "Sunday School" classes and the work of the Confraternity for Christian Doctrine. Borromeo's diocesan reforms faced opposition from several religious orders, particularly that of the Humiliati (Brothers of Humility), a penitential order which, although reduced to about 170 members, owned some ninety monasteries. Some members of that society formed a conspiracy against his life, and a shot

1419-550: The lay state ( laicization ), to marry and have children so that the family name would not become extinct, but he decided not to leave the ecclesiastic state. His brother's death, along with his contacts with the Jesuits and the Theatines and the example of bishops such as Bartholomew of Braga , were the causes of the conversion of Borromeo towards a more strict and operative Christian life, and his aim became to put into practice

1462-495: The persecutions under Queen Elizabeth I . He gave pastoral attention to English Catholics who fled to Italy to escape the new laws against the Catholic faith. Edmund Campion , a Jesuit, and Ralph Sherwin visited him at Milan in 1580 on their way to England. They stayed with him for eight days, talking with him every night after dinner. A Welshman, Grudfydd Robert, served as his canon theologian and an Englishman, Thomas Goldwell , as vicar-general. The archbishop carried on his person

1505-899: The plague. Borromeo' biography was originally written by three of his contemporaries: Agostino Valerio (afterwards cardinal and Bishop of Verona) and Carlo Bascape (General of the Barnabites , afterwards Bishop of Novara), who wrote their contributions in Latin, and Pietro Giussanno (a priest), who wrote his in Italian. Giussanno's account was the most detailed of the three. Borromeo's correspondence shows his influential position in Europe during his lifetime. The popes under whom he served sought his advice. The Catholic sovereigns of Europe – Henry III of France , Philip II of Spain , Mary, Queen of Scots – and others showed how they valued his influence. Cardinal Valerio of Verona said of him that Borromeo

1548-630: The pope created him cardinal , and thus Borromeo as cardinal-nephew was entrusted with both the public and the privy seal of the ecclesiastical state. He was also brought into the government of the Papal States and appointed a supervisor of the Franciscans , Carmelites and Knights of Malta . During his four years in Rome, Borromeo lived in austerity, obliged the Roman Curia to wear black, and established an academy of learned persons,

1591-530: The power of the burghers grew, that of the archbishops waned, and with it the imperial authority which the prelate represented, and from the 12th century Milan became a Guelph town that fought the Emperor. The archbishop Ottone Visconti in the 13th-century caused himself to be proclaimed perpetual lord, thus putting an end to the Republic of Milan and establishing the power of the House of Visconti who ruled

1634-416: The priesthood and benefited their congregations. In addition, he founded the fraternity of Oblates of St. Ambrose, a society of secular men who did not take orders, but devoted themselves to the church and followed a discipline of monastic prayers and study. They provided assistance to parishes when so directed. The new archbishop's efforts for catechesis and the instruction of youth included the initiation of

1677-556: Was "to the well-born a pattern of virtue, to his brother cardinals an example of true nobility." Cardinal Baronius styled him "a second Ambrose , whose early death, lamented by all good men, inflicted great loss on the Church." Late in the sixteenth or at the beginning of the seventeenth century, Catholics in England circulated among themselves a "Life of St. Charles". A large number of churches dedicated to St. Charles Borromeo exist, including: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine Too Many Requests If you report this error to

1720-709: Was elected bishop by the people of Milan (374-97). Among his successors, Simplicianus , Senator and Dacius (530-52), who lived almost always in exile at Constantinople on account of the Gothic War . During the Lombard invasion, many things happened to the church in Milan. The Schism of the Three Chapters guaranteed autonomy of the Milanese Church for 38 years, since the Lombards were enemies of

1763-421: Was fired at him with an arquebus in the archepiscopal chapel. His survival was considered miraculous. In 1576 there was famine at Milan due to crop failures, and later an outbreak of the plague . The city's trade fell off, and along with it the people's source of income. The Governor and many members of the nobility fled the city, but the bishop remained, to organize the care of those affected and to minister to

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1806-399: Was formally appointed archbishop of Milan on 12 May 1564 after the former archbishop Ippolito II d'Este waived his claims on that archbishopric, but he was only allowed by the pope to leave Rome one year later. Borromeo made his formal entry into Milan as archbishop on 23 September 1565. After the death of his uncle, Pius IV (1566), Borromeo sent a galley to fetch Cardinal Ugo Boncompagni,

1849-451: Was requested by the family to take the management of their domestic affairs. After a time, he resumed his studies, and on 6 December 1559, he earned a doctorate in canon and civil law . On 25 December 1559 Borromeo's uncle Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Medici was elected as Pope Pius IV . The newly elected pope required his nephew to come to Rome, and on 13 January 1560 appointed him protonotary apostolic . Shortly thereafter, on 31 January 1560,

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