SAINT ROBERT BELLARMINE

SAINT ROBERT BELLARMINE (1542-1621)




Robert Bellarmine
Was born in Tuscany
He was Jesuit
And archbishop of Capua


He became skilled
Playing the violin
And speaking in debates


In 1560
He became a Jesuit
And was ordained
A priest in 1570


He was appointed
A professor
Of “controversial theology”
At the Roman College


And his lectures
Became the basis
For his famous-controversies-
A four volume work
With him
As the leading Catholic
In the counter reformation


IT was a COMPLETE defense
OF CATHOLIC THEOLOGY
And was so LEARNED
In SCRIPTURE
It was wrongly believed
To be the work
Of a TEAM OF SCHOLARS


He became the rector
Of the Roman College
In 1592
Provincial of Naples in 1594
And cardinal in 1598


He LIVED off of
Bread and garlic
And used his curtains of his apartment
To CLOTHE the poor


In 1602
He became archbishop of Capua
And took a prominent share
In pastoral and welfare work


In 1605
He became the PREFECT
Of the Vatican LIBRARY
And an ACTIVE member
Of several Roman Congregations


His moderate views
On the papacy
MAY have delayed his canonization
As well as his sympathy
To Galileo
Even though he RECOMMENDED caution
To distinguish
Between hypothesis and PROVED TRUTH


In old age
Bellarmine withdrew from controversy
And wrote books
On devotion


He died at the age of 79-
On September 17th-his feast day


He was
Physically very small
Bur possessed GREAT powers
Of intellect and sympathy


He PRAYED DAILY
For the Protestant theologians
That he opposed
And was canonized in 1930
And a DOCTOR of the church in 1931


He NEVER
Made personal attacks
On the Protestant theologians


Robert P. Wallman
9-24-13