Saint
Charles Borromeo (also known as Carlo Borromeo; Father of the Clergy;
Apostle to the Council of Trent) was born in 1538 A.D. in at Aron,
diocese of Novara, Italy. Born to a wealthy, noble family, the third
of six children, Charles was the son of Count Giberto II Borromeo and
Margherita de' Medici. He was a nephew of Pope Pius IV. He studied in
Milan, and at the University of Pavia, studying at one point under
the future Pope Gregory XIII. Charles was a civil and canon lawyer at
age 21. He became a cleric at Milan, taking the habit in October
1547. Charles became abbot commendatario of San Felino e San Graziano
abbey in Arona, in November 1547. Then he became abbot commendatario
of San Silano di Romagnano abbey in May 1558. He was made prior
commendatario of San Maria di Calvenzano abbey in December 1558.
He
was summoned to Rome upon the election of Pius IV, the administration
of all the Papal States was entrusted to him, and he was made
cardinal-deacon and administrator of the archdiocese of Milan though
only 22 years old. He was legate of Bologna, Romagna, and the March
of Ancona, and Protector of the Kingdom of Portugal, Lower Germany,
and the Catholic cantons of Switzerland. Under his protection were
placed the orders of Saint Francis, the Carmelites, the Humiliati,
and the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross of Christ in Portugal. Due
to his enforcement of strict ecclesiastical discipline, some
disgruntled monks in the Order of the Humiliati hired a lay brother
to murder him on the evening of 26 October 1569. He was shot at, but
he was not hit. He founded at Rome the Vatican Academy for literary
work, and many of the contributions to the Academy are found in Saint
Charles's "Noctes Vaticanre."
As
papal secretary of state, he labored for the reassembling of the
Council of Trent, which took place, 1562, and Charles was active in
enforcing its reforms, and in composing the Roman Catechism,
embodying the teachings of the Council. Charles participated in the
conclave in 1572 that chose Pope Gregory XIII.
Saint
Charles spent his life and fortune in the service of the people of
his diocese at Milan. He directed and enforced the decrees of the
Council of Trent, and he fought tirelessly for peace in the wake of
the storm caused by Martin Luther. Charles founded schools for the
poor, seminaries, hospitals, conducted synods, instituted children's
Sunday school, and worked among the sick and dying, leading his
people by example.
