Post #5796

Ordained priest in June 1546, he immediately began to defend against the snares of the innovators the Roman Catholic Faint with legations, speeches and written books. For his clear wisdom and the experimented handling in the affairs, he was greatly searched by the Bishop of Augsburg Cardinal Otto Truchseß von Waldburg and by the papal legates, he took part many times in the Council of Trent (1545-1563); of which decrees he worked also by command of the Supreme Pontiff Pius IV that those would be duly promulgated and observed in Germany. Forced by Paul IV to go to the diet of Piotrków or Petricovia (1558-1559) and sustained under Gregory XIII other legations, with always brisky spirit and never frightened by hardships, he he dealt with very serious religious affairs and lead those to a happy outcome also among present life threats. Enflamed by the fire of heavenly charity, who once drew abundantly from the penetrals of the Heart of Jesus in the Vatican Basilica, and intent solely on the propagation of the glory of God, It is hardly possible to say what efforts he undertook for more than fourty years, what travails he endured, both to defend many cities and provinces of Germany from the infection of heresy, and to restore them to the Catholic faith, if infected with heresy. In the diet of Regensburg and of Augsburg he incited the princes of the Empire to defend the rights of the Church and to amend the costumes of the people: in the one of Worms he forced to silence masters of insolent impiety. Put as head by St. Ignatius of the province of Superior Germany (June 7, 1556) he founded in many places houses and colleges. He studied to promote and expand with any work the German College founded in Rome: he restored in the academies the studies of sacred and profane disciplines compassionately lapsed, he wrote two volumes against the Centuriators of Magdeburg (1571 and 1577); and gave to the press the Catechism of the Christian Doctrine (1554) by judgement of theologians and for the public use of three centuries, everywhere very valued, and many other writings very suitable for the education of the people. Then called the Hammer of heretics (or Lutheranism) and the Second Apostle of Germany after St. Boniface, he was deemed quite worthy to be believed elected by heaven to defend the Religion and the Church in Germany against the gates of hell. In the midst of this, with frequent prayer and assiduous meditation on heavenly things, he used to remain united with God, often bathed in tears and sometimes rapt out of the senses. Greatly honoured by princes, by very clear men in holiness and by four Supreme Pontiffs, he felt so low about himself that he said that he was the last of all. He refused the Viennese bishopric once, twice and three times. Most obsequious to his superiors, at a sign from them he was ready to leave or undertake everything, even with danger of health and life. Through voluntary self-mortification he always kept chastity. Finally he flew to God in Fribourg in Switzerland, where he had worked a great deal in the last years of his life for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, on the 21st of December 1597, at the age of 77. On the 23rd of November 1864, Pius IX raised this staunch defender of the Catholic truth to the honours of the celestial blessed; illustrious for new miracles, the Supreme Pontiff Pius XI in the year of the jubilee (21st of May 1925) included him in the register of saints declaring him together Doctor of the universal Church.