The priest was Alphonsus. He lived his first years as a priest with the homeless and the marginalized youth of Naples. [6], He became a successful lawyer. But he overcame his depression, and he experienced visions, performed miracles, and gave prophecies. In the end a compromise was arrived at. Addeddate 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. As it was, he was refused the royal exequatur to the Brief of Benedict XIV, and State recognition of his Institute as a religious congregation till the day of his death. Still there was a time of danger. Saint Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori, C.Ss.R. 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. He was born Alphonsus Marie Antony John Cosmos Damien Michael Gaspard de Liguori on September 27,1696, at Marianella, near Naples, Italy. 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. He was not allowed to resign his see, however, until 1775. "The life of St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori" (1855)John Murphy & Co., Baltimore, 1855, "Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori", St. Alphonsus Liguori Parish, Peterborough, Ontario, The life of St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, Bishop of St. Agatha of the Goths and founder of the Congregation of the Holy Redeemer, Tannoja, Antonio (d. 1808), John Murphy & Co. (1855), "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Alphonsus Liguori", "Alphonsus Maria de Liguori", Saint Alphonsus Mary de Liguori Parish, Makati City Philippines, "1st English Translation of St. Alphonsus Liguori's Moral Theology", https://www.avemarialynnfield.org/sites/g/files/zjfyce466/files/2021-01/Stations-of-the-Cross-St-Liguori.pdf, Liguori, Alphonsus. Indeed, apart from those who become saints by the altogether special grace of martyrdom, it may be doubted if many men and women of phlegmatic temperament have been canonized. St. Alphonsus was so scrupulous about truth that when, in 1776, the regalist, Mgr. In September of the next year he received the tonsure and soon after joined the association of missionary secular priests called the "Neapolitan Propaganda", membership of which did not entail residence in common. Even its Rule was made known to her. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more all for only $19.99 Born at Marianella, near Naples, 27 September, 1696; died at Nocera de' Pagani, 1 August, 1787. 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. To all his administrative work we must add his continual literary labours, his many hours of daily prayer, his terrible austerities, and a stress of illness which made his life a martyrdom. Vague rumours of impending treachery had got about and had been made known to him, but he had refused to believe them. In the year 1747, King Charles of Naples wished to make Alphonsus Archbishop of Palermo, and it was only by the most earnest entreaties that he was able to escape. In 1762 he was appointed Bishop of Sant'Agata dei Goti. [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. [7], On 9 November 1732, he founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer,[10] when Sister Maria Celeste Crostarosa told him that it had been revealed to her that he was the one that God had chosen to found the congregation. Dissension within the congregation culminated in 1777 when he was deceived into signing what he thought was a royal sanction for his rule. Thank you. Twelve years, however, still separated him from his reward, years for the most part not of peace but of greater afflictions than any which had yet befallen him. In fact, despite his youth, he seems at the age of twenty-seven to have been one of the leaders of the Neapolitan Bar. Feast Day: August 1. Corrections? The wine had changed into blood; clotted and separated into 5 different sized clots. 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. Liguori was a prolific and popular author. A fearful commotion arose. "What document is that?" Don Joseph agreed to allow his son to become a priest, provided he would give up his proposal joining the Oratory, and would continue to live at home. He was taught by tutors before entering the University of Naples, where he graduated with doctorates in civil and canon law at 16. 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. The "Moral Theology", after a historical introduction by the Saint's friend, P. Zaccaria, S.J., which was omitted, however, from the eighth and ninth editions, begins with a treatise "De Conscientia", followed by one "De Legibus". A star preacher, he called his fellow sermonizers on the carpet for sermons of "empty, rumbling rhetoric" or "flashy . He was somewhat worldly and ambitious, at any rate for his son, and was rough tempered when opposed. 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. St. Alphonsus Liguori. Alphonsus suffers great interior trials. The crisis arose in this way. The question as to what does or does not constitute a lie is not an easy one, but it is a subject in itself. Alphonsus agreed to both requests and set out with his two friends, John Mazzini and Vincent Mannarini, in September, 1730. R. St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori, Doctor of the Church . He started again, recruited new members, and in 1743 became the prior of two new congregations, one for men and one for women. In early manhood he became very fond of the opera, but only that he might listen to the music, for when the curtain went up he took his glasses off, so as not to see the players distinctly. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Some persons, boasting of being free from prejudices, take great credit to themselvesfor believing no miracles but those recorded in the holy scriptures, esteeming all others. Again, we have a friendship of thirty years with the great Venetian publishing house of Remondini, whose letters from the Saint, carefully preserved as became business men, fill a quarto volume. His intercession healed the sick; he read the secrets of hearts, and foretold the future. He was also a poet and musician. Today I would like to present to you the figure of a holy Doctor of the Church to whom we are deeply indebted because he was an outstanding moral theologian and a teacher of spiritual . The childish fault for which he most reproached himself in after-life was resisting his father too strongly when he was told to take part in a drawing-room play. Dedicated to Fr. His sermons were very effective at converting those who had been alienated from their faith. [4] He was ordained on 21 December 1726, at the age of 30. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. The prayer he recommended to his Congregation, of which we have beautiful examples in his ascetical works, is affective; the use of short aspirations, petitions, and acts of love, rather than discursive meditation with long reflection. Transcription. His austerities were rigorous, and he suffered daily the pain from rheumatism that was beginning to deform his body. 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. In 1871, Alphonsus was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX. Alphonsus, having got so much, hoped to get a little more, and through his friend, Mgr. A religious founder, consummate theologian, and holy man of God, Saint Alphonsus never failed to utter a stirring word that draws out a lively penitence and redoubled dedication to the work of God from his congregation. Not many details have come down to us of Alphonsus's childhood. Riding and fencing were his recreations, and an evening game of cards; he tells us that he was debarred from being a good shot by his bad sight. Copyright 2022 Catholic Online. The eighteenth century was one series of great wars; that of the Spanish, Polish, and Austrian Succession; the Seven Years' War, and the War of American Independence, ending with the still more gigantic struggles in Europe, which arose out of the events of 1789. 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. Omissions? 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. She was declared Venerable 11 August, 1901. Thus was he left free for his real work, the founding of a new religious congregation. In April 1729, Alphonsus went to live at the "Chiflese College," founded in Naples by Father Matthew Ripa, the Apostle of China. [2][3], He was born in Marianella, near Naples, then part of the Kingdom of Naples, on 27 September 1696. Falcoia, hearing of this, begged his friend to give a retreat to the nuns of his Conservatorium at the same time. The other was not to be long delayed. 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 spent several years having to drink from tubes because his head was so bent forward. He knew that trials were before him. He had nearly completed his ninety-first year. 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). 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. Printable Catholic Saints PDFs In a riot which took place during the terrible famine that fell upon Southern Italy in 1764, he saved the life of the syndic of St. Agatha by offering his own to the mob. The Glories of Mary ( Italian: Le glorie di Maria) is a classic book in the field of Roman Catholic Mariology, written during the 18th century by Saint Alphonsus Liguori, a Doctor of the Church . A strong defender of the Catholic Church, Liguori said: To reject the divine teaching of the Catholic Church is to reject the very basis of reason and revelation, for neither the principles of the one nor those of the other have any longer any solid support to rest on; they can then be interpreted by every one as he pleases; every one can deny all truths whatsoever he chooses to deny. In fact, in the beginning, the young priest in his humility would not be Superior even of the house, judging one of his companions, John Baptist Donato, better fitted for the post because he had already had some experience of community life in another institute. At the time of his death, there were 72, with over 10,000 active participants. 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). Fearful temptations against every virtue crowded upon him, together with diabolical apparitions and illusions, and terrible scruples and impulses to despair which made life a hell. Alphonsus said nothing in his "Moral Theology" which is not the common teaching of Catholic theologians. Liguori suffered from scruples much of his adult life and felt guilty about the most minor issues relating to sin. Saint Alphonsus Liguori 1696 - 1787. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York. Ecclesiastical approbation. 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. An interesting series of portraits might be painted of those who play a part in the Saint's history: Charles III and his minister Tanucci; Charle's son Ferdinand, and Ferdinand's strange and unhappy Queen, Maria Carolina, daughter of Maria Teresa and sister of Marie Antoinette. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. His life contains a number of minor inaccuracies, however, and is seriously defective in its account of the founding of his Congregation and of the troubles which fell on it in 1780. The fifth book has two treatises "De Actibus Humanis" and "De Peccatis"; the sixth is on the sacraments, the seventh and last on the censures of the Church. Had it happened a few years later, the new Government might have found the Redemptorist Congregation already authorized, and as Tanucci's anti-clerical policy rather showed itself in forbidding new Orders than, with the exception of the Society of Jesus, in suppressing old ones, the Saint might have been free to develop his work in comparative peace. (Rome, 1905). Tannoia was born about 1724 and entered the Redemptorist Congregation in 1746. In 1762 Pope Clement XIII made him bishop of Sant Agata del Goti near Naples; he resigned in 1775 because of ill health. That legacy is the participation in the redemptive mission of Jesus. 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. He was helped in this by his turn of mind which was extremely practical. In 1949, the Redemptorists founded the Alphonsian Academy for the advanced study of Catholic moral theology. . In 1724, soon after Alphonsus left the world, a postulant, Julia Crostarosa, born in Naples on 31 October, 1696, and hence almost the same age as the Saint, entered the convent of Scala. Ultimately, however, anything merely human in this had disappeared. It was approved by the king and forced upon the stupefied Congregation by the whole power of the State. He was canonized in 1839 by Pope Gregory XVI and proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1871. These form the first book of the work, while the second contains the treatises on Faith, Hope, and Charity. Alternate titles: Saint Alfonso Liguori, Saint Alfonso Maria de Liguori, Saint Alphonsus Maria deLiguori. Pope Benedict XIV gave his approval for the men's congregation in 1749 and for the women's in 1750. Here he discovered more than thirty thousand uninstructed men and women and four hundred indifferent priests. In response, Alphonsus dedicated himself to the religious life, even while suffering persecution from his family. Blessed Clement Hofbauer joined the Redemptorist congregation in the aged Saint's lifetime, though Alphonsus never saw in the flesh the man whom he knew would be the second founder of his Order. Saint Alphonsus Liguori. It may be he was even too anxious, and on one occasion when he was over-whelmed by a fresh refusal, his friend the Marquis Brancone, Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs and a man of deep piety, said to him gently: "It would seem as if you placed all your trust here below"; on which the Saint recovered his peace of mind. He came from a wealthy family in Naples, Italy, and had every advantage in life from the moment he was born in 1696. Shrines were built there and at St. Agatha of the Goths. Alphonsus was a lawyer, and as a lawyer he attached much importance to the weight of evidence. The Fathers in the Papal States, with too precipitate zeal, in the very beginning denounced the change of Rule to Rome. 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. The poor advocate turned pale. Both last about two hours but are filled with soul-stirring music. At his General Audience, 30 March 2011, in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father presented Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church. Still it must in fairness be admitted that all priests are not great theologians able to estimate intrinsic probability at its true worth, and the Church herself might be held to have conceded something to pure probabilism by the unprecedented honours 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. ); JOHNSTON, The Napoleonic Empire in South Italy, 2 vols. His masterpiece was The Moral Theology (1748), which was approved by the Pope himself[5] and was born of Liguori's pastoral experience, his ability to respond to the practical questions posed by the faithful and his contact with their everyday problems. The family was of noble lineage, but the branch to which Liguori belonged had become somewhat impoverished. In his new abode he met a friend of his host's, Father Thomas Falcoia, of the Congregation of the "Pii Operarii" (Pious Workers), and formed with him the great friendship of his life. One branch of the new Institute seen by Falcoia in vision was thus established. The Superior of the Propaganda and even Falcoia's friend, Matthew Ripa, opposed the project with all their might. It was this which gave St. Alphonsus the bent head which we notice in the portraits of him. Alphonsus was one of the leading counsel; we do not know on which side. Contact information. So many times I have sinned, but I repent sincerely because I love you. St. Alphonsus Liguori's prayer to Jesus Christ to obtain His holy love comes from the "Rule of Life", a guide for growing in holiness. According to him, those were paths closed to the Gospel because "such rigour has never been taught nor practised by the Church". They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. He thought his mistake would be ascribed not to oversight but to deliberate deceit. He opposed sterile legalism and strict rigourism. St. Alphonsus Liguori Born at Marianella, near Naples, 27 September, 1696; died at Nocera de' Pagani, 1 August, 1787. He answered emphatically: "Never! In addition, he published many editions of compendiums of his larger work, such as the "Homo Apostolicus", made in 1759. Believe me who have experienced it, and now weep over it." Soon after this the boy began his studies for the Bar, and about the age of nineteen practised his profession in the courts. In 1762, there was no escape and he was constrained by formal obedience to the Pope to accept the Bishopric of St. Agatha of the Goths, a very small Neapolitan diocese lying a few miles off the road from Naples to Capua. He was baptized two days later in the church of Our Lady of the Virgins, in Naples. [11], Liguori was consecrated Bishop of Sant'Agata dei Goti in 1762. The English translation in the Oratory Series is also rather inadequate. In February, 1775, however, Pius VI was elected Pope, and the following May he permitted the Saint to resign his see. Nihil Obstat. This involves expressing our faith in Christ and in His Presence in the Eucharist, and asking Him to unite Himself with us. In case things became hopeless in Naples, he looked to these houses to maintain the Rule and Institute. Quite recently, a duet composed by him, between the Soul and God, was found in the British Museum bearing the date 1760 and containing a correction in his own handwriting. What are Revelations? A prolific writer, he published nine editions of his Moral Theology in his lifetime, in addition to other devotional and ascetic works and letters. APA citation. 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. Liguori Publications is a nonprofit Catholic publishing company that came into existence through a saint, some students, and a once-famous St. Louis resort. "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. Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads. My email address is webmaster at newadvent.org. This is the great question of "Probabilism". 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. This lifelong friendship aided Alphonsus, as did his association with a mystic, Sister Mary Celeste. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Alphonsus Liguori, CSsR (27 September 1696 1 August 1787), sometimes called Alphonsus Maria de Liguori or Saint Alphonsus Liguori, was an Italian Catholic bishop, spiritual writer, composer, musician, artist, poet, lawyer, scholastic philosopher, and theologian.
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