He was also a poet and musician. A year of trouble and anxiety followed. Alphonsus was not sent to school but was educated by tutors under his father's eye. He was not allowed to resign his see, however, until 1775. In April 1729, Alphonsus went to live at the "Chiflese College," founded in Naples by Father Matthew Ripa, the Apostle of China. In bestowing the title of "Prince of Moral Theologians", the church also gave the "unprecedented honour she paid to the Saint in her Decree of 22 July 1831, which allows confessors to follow any of St. Alphonsus's own opinions without weighing the reasons on which they were based". He was born Alphonsus Marie Antony John Cosmos Damien Michael Gaspard de Liguori on September 27,1696, at Marianella, near Naples, Italy. Even if there be some exaggeration in this, for it is not in an advocate's power always to be on the winning side, the tradition shows that he was extraordinarily able and successful. The Neapolitan stage at this time was in a good state, but the Saint had from his earliest years an ascetic repugnance to theatres, a repugnance which he never lost. He said himself that he was so small at the time as to be almost buried in his doctor's gown and that all the spectators laughed. A few months later Alphonsus left his father's house and went to live with Ripa, without, however, becoming a member of his society. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain:Herbermann, Charles, ed. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. Tradues em contexto de "Mary of Liguori" en ingls-portugus da Reverso Context : The Holy Church honors the priest and the priest must honor the Church with the holiness of his life - proposed St. Alphonsus Mary of Liguori on the day of his Ordination - with zeal, with work and with decorum. From 1726 to 1752, first as a member of the Neapolitan "Propaganda", and then as a leader of his own Fathers, he traversed the provinces of Naples for the greater part of each year giving missions even in the smallest villages and saving many souls. He is the patron of confessors, moral theologians, and the lay apostolate. His devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and to Our Lady was extraordinary. His writings on moral, theological, and ascetic matters had great impact and have survived through the years, especially his Moral Theology and his Glories of Mary. This article was transcribed for New Advent by Paul T. Crowley. Ultimately, however, anything merely human in this had disappeared. But he was a man of genuine faith and piety and stainless life, and he meant his son to be the same. Alphonsus Mary Antony John Cosmas Damian Michael Gaspard de' Liguori was born in his father's country house at Marianella near Naples, on Tuesday, 27 September, 1696. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Alfonso-Maria-de-Liguori, The Catholic Encyclopedia - Biography of St. Alphonsus Liguori. Alphonsus being so old and so inform he was eighty-five, crippled, deaf, and nearly blind his one chance of success was to be faithfully served by friends and subordinates, and he was betrayed at every turn. He founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (the Redemptorists). PDF Traditional Stations of the Cross by St. Alphonsus Liguori Transcription. At the age of sixteen, on 21 January, 1713, he took his degree as Doctor of Laws, although twenty was the age fixed by the statutes. His very confessor and vicar general in the government of his Order, Father Andrew Villani, joined in the conspiracy. Description [ edit] The book was written at a time when some were criticizing Marian devotions, and was written in part as a defense of Marian devotion. Could he have been what an Anglo-Saxon would consider a miracle of calm, he would have seemed to his companions absolutely inhuman. In February, 1775, however, Pius VI was elected Pope, and the following May he permitted the Saint to resign his see. A final attempt to gain the royal approval, which seemed as if at last it had been successful, led to the crowning sorrow of Alphonsus's life: the division and apparent ruin of his Congregation and the displeasure of the Holy See. (1913). On 28 August, 1723, the young advocate had gone to perform a favourite act of charity by visiting the sick in the Hospital for Incurables. There are many editions of the Saint's Moral Theology; the best and latest is that of P. GAUDI, C.SS.R. Pope Benedict XIV gave his approval for the men's congregation in 1749 and for the women's in 1750. Deposed and excluded from his own congregation, Alphonsus suffered great anguish. [9], In 1729, Liguori left his family home and took up residence at the Chinese Institute in Naples. Neapolitan students, in an animated but amicable discussion, seem to foreign eyes to be taking part in a violent quarrel. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. The priest was Alphonsus. St. Alphonsus Liguori. Both last about two hours but are filled with soul-stirring music. He fell into a clairvoyant trance at Arienzo on 21 September, 1774, and was present in spirit at the death-bed in Rome of Pope Clement XIV. [19], His Mariology, though mainly pastoral in nature, rediscovered, integrated and defended that of St Augustine of Hippo, St Ambrose of Milan and other fathers; it represented an intellectual defence of Mariology in the 18th century, the Age of Enlightenment, against the rationalism to which contrasted his fervent Marian devotion.[20]. Although there are many modern . Clarence F. Galli. March 1, 1907. His spirituality was both affective and active, centered above all on the passion of Jesus Christ as the principal sign of our Savior's love for us. (27 September 1696 - 1 August 1787), was an Italian Catholic bishop, spiritual writer, composer, musician, artist, poet, lawyer, scholastic philosopher, and theologian. According to this view he chose a different formula from the Jesuit writers, partly because he thought his own terms more exact, and, partly to save his teaching and his congregation as far as possible from the State persecution which after 1764 had already fallen so heavily on the Society of Jesus, and in 1773 was formally to suppress it. Under the government of the Marquis della Sambuca, who, though a great regalist, was a personal friend of the Saint's, there was promise of better times, and in August, 1779, Alphonsus's hopes were raised by the publication of a royal decree allowing him to appoint superiors in his Congregation and to have a novitiate and house of studies. He spent several years having to drink from tubes because his head was so bent forward. This document gives you the case." Beatified: September 15, 1816. Among his best known works are The Glories of Mary and The Way of the Cross, the latter still used in parishes during Lenten devotions. It will be remembered that even as a young man his chief distress at his breakdown in court was the fear that his mistake might be ascribed to deceit. Daily Readings for Friday, March 03, 2023, St. Katharine Drexel: Saint of the Day for Friday, March 03, 2023, Lenten Prayer: Prayer of the Day for Monday, February 27, 2023. But he overcame his depression, and he experienced visions, performed miracles, and gave prophecies. His promotion to the episcopate in 1762 led to a renewal of his missionary activity, but in a slightly different form. Please help support the mission of New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. St. Alphonsus was so scrupulous about truth that when, in 1776, the regalist, Mgr. The foundation of all subsequent lives is the Della vita ed istituto del venerabile Alfonso Maria Liguori, of ANTONY TANNOIA, one of the great biographies of literature. In fact, despite his youth, he seems at the age of twenty-seven to have been one of the leaders of the Neapolitan Bar. Alphonsus was the oldest of seven children, raised by a devout mother of Spanish descent. ); JOHNSTON, The Napoleonic Empire in South Italy, 2 vols. Yet, to take anger alone, though comparatively early in life he seemed dead to insult or injury which affected himself, in cases of cruelty, or of injustice to others, or of dishonour to God, he showed a prophet's indignation even in old age. Filangieri forbade any change of rule and removed Falcoia from all communication with the convent. St. Alphonsus Ligouri ''Rock'' Church, Saint Louis - Tripadvisor The early years, following the founding of the new order, were not promising. About three years before his death he went through a veritable "Night of the Soul". Confident that some special sacrifice was required of him, though he did not yet know what, he did not return to his profession, but spent his days in prayer, seeking to know God's will. In 1871, he was declared a Doctor of the Church. [4] He was ordained on 21 December 1726, at the age of 30. So many times I have sinned, but I repent sincerely because I love you. "Banquets, entertainments, theatres," he wrote later on--"these are the pleasures of the world, but pleasures which are filled with the bitterness of gall and sharp thorns. According to him, those were paths closed to the Gospel because "such rigour has never been taught nor practised by the Church". Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law. He called his system Equiprobabilism. Alphonsus, like so many saints, had an excellent father and a saintly mother. Infidelity and impiety were gaining ground; Voltaire and Rousseau were the idols of society; and the ancien rgime, by undermining religion, its one support, was tottering to its fall. One of the most widely read Catholic authors, he is the patron saint of confessors. Let's start with the saint. "Let us have it." The other was not to be long delayed. There can be little doubt but that the young Alphonsus with his high spirits and strong character was ardently attached to his profession, and on the way to be spoilt by the success and popularity which it brought. Alphonsus Liguori. [6], He became a successful lawyer. He became very popular because of his plain and simple preaching. The Saint only wept in silence and tried in vain to devise some means by which his Order might be saved. Cardinals Spinelli, Sersale, and Orsini; Popes Benedict XIV, Clement XIII, Clement XIV, and Pius VI, to each of whom Alphonsus dedicated a volume of his works. The result of the retreat to the nuns was that the young priest, who before had been prejudiced by reports in Naples against the proposed new Rule, became its firm supporter, and even obtained permission from the Bishop of Scala for the change. He died on August 1 at Nocera. Alphonsus was lawyer, founder, religious superior, bishop, theologian, and mystic, but he was above all a missionary, and no true biography of the Saint will neglect to give this due prominence. Alphonsus, having got so much, hoped to get a little more, and through his friend, Mgr. The wine had changed into blood; clotted and separated into 5 different sized clots. In 1762 he was appointed Bishop of Sant'Agata dei Goti. "[17][18], Liguori's greatest contribution to the Catholic Church was in the area of moral theology. The family was of noble lineage, but the branch to which Liguori belonged had become somewhat impoverished. Saint Alphonsus Liguori's Story Moral theology, Vatican II said, should be more thoroughly nourished by Scripture, and show the nobility of the Christian vocation of the faithful and their obligation to bring forth fruit in charity for the life of the world. He was crushed to the earth. Alphonsus the Patron. Pardon me, my God. One branch of the new Institute seen by Falcoia in vision was thus established. His infirmities were increasing, and he was occupied a good deal with his writings. It has a tendency at every moment to deflect, and if it does deflect from the right path, the greater the momentum the more terrible the final crash. Catholic Encyclopedia. Patron saint of: people with arthritis, lawyers, vocations. Besides his Moral Theology, the Saint wrote a large number of dogmatic and ascetical works nearly all in the vernacular. [4], Liguori learned to ride and fence but was never a good shot because of poor eyesight. This submission altered the original rule, and as a result Alphonsus was denied any authority among the Redemptorists. Office Hours: Mon - Fri: 8am-4pm, Saturday: 9am-12pm . They also fought Jansenism, a heresy that preached an excessive moral rigorism: "the penitents should be treated as souls to be saved rather than as criminals to be punished". He remained thunderstruck for a moment; then said in a broken voice: "You are right. Addeddate He suspended those priests who celebrated Mass in less than 15 minutes and sold his carriage and episcopal ring to give the money to the poor. With Don Carlos, or as he is generally called, Charles III, from his later title as King of Spain, came the lawyer, Bernard Tanucci, who governed Naples as Prime Minister and regent for the next forty-two years. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Moral Theology (also known as the Theologia Moralis) is a nine-volume work concerning Catholic moral theology written between 1748 and 1785 by Alphonsus Liguori, a Catholic theologian and Doctor of the Church.This work is not to be confused with Theologia moralis universa ad mentem S. Alphonsi, a 19th-century treatise by Pietro Scavini written in the philosophical tradition of Alphonsus Liguori. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is the following of Jesus as a community of disciples, aware that we are sent to be a clear . A centenary edition, Lettere di S. Alfonso Maria de'Liguori (ROME, 1887, 3 vols. A fearful commotion arose. With their aid, Aiphonsus founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer on November 9, 1732. At all events, it proved disastrous in the result. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. [2] Moreover, he heard an interior voice saying: "Leave the world, and give yourself to me."[5]. In 1731, the convent unanimously adopted the new Rule, together with a habit of red and blue, the traditional colours of Our Lord's own dress. Testa, the Grand Almoner, even to have his Rule approved. This lifelong friendship aided Alphonsus, as did his association with a mystic, Sister Mary Celeste. MIRACLES RELATED BY ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI from his book The Glories of Mary Some persons, boasting of being free from prejudices, take great credit to themselves for believing no miracles but those recorded in the holy scriptures, esteeming all others as tales and fables for foolish women. A companion, Balthasar Cito, who afterwards became a distinguished judge, was asked in later years if Alphonsus had ever shown signs of levity in his youth. Three years later he published the first sketch of his "Moral Theology" in a single quarto volume called "Annotations to Busembaum", a celebrated Jesuit moral theologian. Castle, Harold. Not many details have come down to us of Alphonsus's childhood. In 1762 he was appointed Bishop of Sant'Agata dei Goti. In the last years of his life, he suffered a painful sickness and bitter persecution from his fellow priests, who dismissed him from the Congregation that he had founded. Filingeri, was made Archbishop of Naples, the Saint would not write to congratulate the new primate, even at the risk of making another powerful enemy for his persecuted Congregation, because he thought he could not honestly say he "was glad to hear of the appointment." Dissensions arose, the Saint's former friend and chief companion, Vincent Mannarini, opposing him and Falcoia in everything. Shrines were built there and at St. Agatha of the Goths. The poor advocate turned pale. Falcoia, hearing of this, begged his friend to give a retreat to the nuns of his Conservatorium at the same time. I therefore repeat: If the divine teaching authority of the Church, and the obedience to it, are rejected, every error will be endorsed and must be tolerated. Mary of Liguori - Traduo em portugus - Reverso Context Both of them were canonized on the same day as the Holy Doctor, 26 May, 1839. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Saint Alphonsus Liguori 1696 - 1787. Many years before, in Rome, Falcoia had been shown a vision of a new religious family of men and women whose particular aim should be the perfect imitation of the virtues of Our Lord. The days were indeed evil. In vain those around him and even the judge on the bench tried to console him. The third book deals with the Ten Commandments, the fourth with the monastic and clerical states, and the duties of judges, advocates, doctors, merchants, and others. Liguori wrote 111 works on spirituality and theology. Then God called him to his life work. An English translation in five volumes is included in the 22 volumes of the American centenary edition of St. Alphonsus's ascetical works (New York). In addition his father made him practice the harpsichord for three hours a day, and at the age of thirteen he played with the perfection of a master. To this altered Rule or "Regolamento", as it came to be called, the unsuspecting Saint was induced to put his signature. St. Alphonsus appeared a miracle of calm to Tannoia. MLA citation. This was to be a momentous revolution for Alphonsus. In the eight years of his career as advocate, years crowded with work, he is said never to have lost a case. In 1732, while he was staying at the Convent of the Consolation, one of his order's houses in the small city of Deliceto in the province of Foggia in Southeastern Italy, Liguori wrote the Italian carol "Tu scendi dalle stelle" ("From Starry Skies Descending") in the musical style of a pastorale. As he did not die till 1808 (his work appeared in 1799) he was a companion of the Saint for over forty years and an eyewitness of much that he relates. Saint Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori, C.Ss.R. Alphonsus's temperament was very ardent. Liguori Publications is a nonprofit Catholic publishing company that came into existence through a saint, some students, and a once-famous St. Louis resort. St. Alphonsus appeared a miracle of calm to Tannoia. Except in '45, in all of these, down to the first shot fired at Lexington, the English-speaking world was on one side and the Bourbon States, including Naples, on the other. Still there was a time of danger. After practicing law for eight years, he was ordained a priest in 1726. Actually, the document was a new rule devised by one of his enemies, thus causing the followers of the old rule to break away. So bent was it in the beginning, that the pressure of his chin produced a dangerous wound in the chest. Alternate titles: Saint Alfonso Liguori, Saint Alfonso Maria de Liguori, Saint Alphonsus Maria deLiguori. Mimoires sur la vie et la congrigation de St. Alphonse de Liguori (Paris, 1842, 3 vols.). Alphonsus was one of the leading counsel; we do not know on which side. Tannoia, also, through some mental idiosyncrasy, manages to give the misleading impression that St. Alphonsus was severe. He knew that trials were before him. [10] He was proficient in the arts, his parents having had him trained by various masters, and he was a musician, painter, poet and author at the same time. Vol. There he met Bishop Thomas Falcoia, founder of the Congregation of Pious Workers. About the year 1722, when he was twenty-six years old, he began to go constantly into society, to neglect prayer and the practices of piety which had been an integral part of his life, and to take pleasure in the attention with which he was everywhere received. From the year 1759 two former benefactors of the Congregation, Baron Sarnelli and Francis Maffei, by one of those changes not uncommon in Naples, had become its bitter enemies, and waged a vendetta against it in the law courts which lasted for twenty-four years. To supplement this, God allowed him in the last years of his life to fall into disgrace with the pope, and to find himself deprived of all external authority, trembling at times even for his eternal salvation. The Glories of Mary - Wikipedia I have been mistaken. He had to endure a real persecution for two months. The Holy Father addressed the faithful taking part in the General audience of Wednesday, 1 August [2012], in Piazza della Libert, the square outside the Papal residence in Castel Gandolfo. [11], Liguori was consecrated Bishop of Sant'Agata dei Goti in 1762. [5], A gifted musician and composer, he wrote many popular hymns and taught them to the people in parish missions. Were the vehement things in his letters and writings, especially in the matter of rebuke or complaint, to appraised as if uttered by an Anglo-Saxon in cold blood, we might be surprised and even shocked. The English translation in the Oratory Series is also rather inadequate. The Miracle of Saint Joseph After 1752 Alphonsus gave fewer missions. [7] It was there that he began his missionary experience in the interior regions of the Kingdom of Naples, where he found people who were much poorer and more abandoned than any of the street children in Naples. He lived his first years as a priest with the homeless and the marginalized youth of Naples. He was a born leader of men. The Saint's mother was of Spanish descent, and if, as there can be little doubt, race is an element in individual character, we may see in Alphonsus's Spanish blood some explanation of the enormous tenacity of purpose which distinguished him from his earliest years. [7] At 27, after having lost an important case, the first he had lost in eight years of practising law, he made a firm resolution to leave the profession of law. Soon after, Falcoia made known to the latter his vocation to leave Naples and establish an order of missionaries at Scala, who should work above all for the neglected goatherds of the mountains. In 1725, while still a novice, she had a series of visions in which she saw a new order (apparently of nuns only) similar to that revealed to Falcoia many years before. He had a tender charity towards all who were in trouble; he would go to any length to try to save a vocation; he would expose himself to death to prevent sin. Paths to Heaven; Revelations. Pius VI, already deeply displeased with the Neapolitan Government, took the fathers in his own dominions under his special protection, forbade all change of rule in their houses, and even withdrew them from obedience to the Neapolitan superiors, that is to St. Alphonsus, till an inquiry could be held. Many Miracles are wrought through the intercession of Alphonsus. For six years he laboured in and around Naples, giving missions for the Propaganda and preaching to the lazzaroni of the capital. Copyright 2022 Catholic Online. This occurred twice. His sermons were very effective at converting those who had been alienated from their faith. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Castle, H. (1907). Naples had been part of the dominions of Spain since 1503, but in 1708 when Alphonsus was twelve years old, it was conquered by Austria during the war of the Spanish Succession. He was declared "Venerable", 4 May, 1796; was beatified in 1816, and canonized in 1839. He came from a wealthy family in Naples, Italy, and had every advantage in life from the moment he was born in 1696. The Saint's complete dogmatic works have been translated into Latin by P. WALTER, C.SS.R., S. Alphonsi Mariae de Liguori Ecclesiae Doctoris Opera Dogmatica, (New York, 1903, 2 vols., 4to). This article was transcribed for New Advent by Paul T. Crowley. Liguoris extensive works fall into three genres: moral theology, best represented by his celebrated Theologia moralis (1748); ascetical and devotional writings, including Visits to the Blessed Sacrament, The True Spouse of Jesus Christ (for nuns), Selva (for priests), and The Glories of Mary, the latter of which became one of the most widely used manuals of devotion to the Virgin Mary; and dogmatic writings on such subjects as papal infallibility and the power of prayer. Psychologically, Alphonsus may be classed among twice-born souls; that is to say, there was a definitely marked break or conversion, in his life, in which he turned, not from serious sin, for that he never committed, but from comparative worldliness, to thorough self-sacrifice for God. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, Copyright 2022 Catholic Online. St. Alphonsus Liguori, in full Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, Alphonsus also spelled Alfonso, (born September 27, 1696, Marianella, Kingdom of Naples [Italy]died August 1, 1787, Pagani; canonized 1839; feast day August 1), Italian doctor of the church, one of the chief 18th-century moral theologians, and founder of the Redemptorists, a congregation dedicated primarily to parish and foreign missions. The answer is that God kept him humble by interior trials. Daily Reading for Sunday, March 5th, 2023, Continue reading about St. Alphonsus Marie Liguori, Almsgiving, Prayer, and Fasting: The Three Pillars of Lent. In 1723, he decided to offer himself as a novice to the Oratory of St. Philip Neri with the intention of becoming a priest. He founded the congregation with the charism of preaching popular missions in the city and the countryside. The Saint had four houses, but during his lifetime it not only became impossible in the Kingdom of Naples to get any more, but even the barest toleration for those he had could scarcely be obtained. He died on the very eve of the great Revolution which was to sweep the persecutors away, having seen in vision the woes which the French invasion of 1798 was to bring on Naples. In the end a compromise was arrived at. His best plan would have been to consult the Holy See, but in this he had been forestalled. Liguori suffered from scruples much of his adult life and felt guilty about the most minor issues relating to sin. St Alphonsus Mary Liguori and Prayer | EWTN But one may easily overcrowd a narrow canvas and it is better in so slight a sketch to leave the central figure in solitary relief. It happened that Alphonsus, ill and overworked, had gone with some companions to Scala in the early summer of 1730. In the end the Rule was so altered as to be hardly recognizable, the very vows of religion being abolished. at last came peace, and on 1 August, 1787, as the midday Angelus was ringing, the Saint passed peacefully to his reward. Most were in favour of accepting, but the superior objected and appealed to Filangieri, Falcoia's colleague in establishing the convent, and now, as General of the "Pii Operarii", his superior.
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