Today November 4

Today is the feast of St. Charles Borromeo (1538 - 1584). This son of a count and nephew of a priest was made a cardinal when he was only 22 . . . and a layman! He was tempted -- encouraged, even -- to stay that way. After all, he had numerous benefices (including Bologna, Romagna and the beautiful Marches of Ancona), enjoyed physical exercise (especially hunting), and playing the cello (it's always amazing when a leader can "do" something, like play an instrument, isn't it?), and kept busy with his family's affairs. But he was also devout and listened to a call to the priesthood, to which he was accepted in 1563. Two months later he was consecrated bishop of Milan but was not allowed to go to his diocese for he was needed in Rome. He was secretary of state for his uncle, Pope Pius IV. And when the new pope, Pope St. Pius V, was chosen, he was obliged to stay longer.

He begged the new Pope to let him leave to attend to his diocese, convinced as he was of the evil of absenteeism, which after he went to his (spiritually) broken-down diocese, he was even more convinced. He entered in honor and triumph, being hailed as a "new Ambrose," both for his piety and power and for his splendid appearance. (And he did cut a handsome figure, clean-shaven and well-groomed as he was. You could not believe how much animosity he endured for insisting that the clergy be clean-shaven, as he felt that beards were a sign of worldliness. The priests and monks, on the other hand, thought a smooth chin was "effeminate" - Butler's Lives. Believe it or not, it was one of the factors contributing to the assassination attempt against him.)

When he took office (never to be completely absent again, although he made his visits to Rome and as "visitor apostolic" to Switzerland), he said: "We begin reform by first reforming ourselves." He took as his motto "To do and to teach." Wearing his cardinals' garb by day and a single, old cassock by night, he did not spare himself as he labored to shape up his lax clergy, dissolute monks and ignorant flock. He was known as "the Apostle of the Council of Trent" for his sheer faithfulness in putting into practice every doctrine and defending every dogma in that great Church council. Although he was wise and learned, he did not think himself too important to discuss theology with mere women, and mere housewives at that! He was vigorous in defense of the purity of the liturgy and especially protected his own Milanese rite (different from -- but not opposed to -- the Roman). He was vigorous in his reform of the Humiliati, an order small in numbers and rich, very rich, in possessions. They didn't like being called to accountability, so one of their number shot him while he was saying evening prayer in his chapel. It was right at the point when he said "It is time therefore that I return to Him that sent me" and you can believe it shook him up. The bullet was deflected by his thick vestments, thank God. He retired to the Carthusian monastery for three days to recover and to pray.

His final end came at home right after he celebrated Mass for All Souls' Day. He knew he was dying, even though it came as somewhat of a shock to others. His final words were "Ecce venio," . . . "Behold I come." Fitting words for a true man of God. St. Charles, pray for us.