Tomorrow is Charles Schulz (creator of Peanuts) 100th birthday. Although Shulz was not Catholic, he brought his Christian faith into his work - most notably in "A Charlie Brown Christmas." In his memory, today we are talking about St. Charles Borromeo.
Charles (Borromeo not Shulz) was born Oct 2, 1538 in Milan. He was a descendant of nobility - one of the most ancient and wealthy in Lombardy. He was the second son in a family of six children. When he was about 12 his uncle turned over to him the income from the rich Benedictine abbey of Sts. Gratinian and Felin, one of the ancient perquisites of the family. Charles also received the tonsure at this time and he made it clear to his father that all revenues from the abbey, beyond what was needed to prepare him for a career in the church, belonged to the poor.
Charles attended the University of Pavia and applied himself to study of civil and cannon law. He had a slight speech impediment and so was regarded as "slow", but he made rapid progress and earned a doctorate.
On Dec 25, 1559, his uncle was elected as Pope Pius IV. The new Pope brought his nephew to Rome and on Jan 31, 1560, created him a cardinal, entrusting him with both the public and privy seal of the ecclesiastical state. During his time in Rome, Charles lived in austerity, obliged the Roman Curia to wear black, and established an academy of learned persons. He organized the third and last session of the Council of Trent (1562-63), had a large share in the making of the Tridentine Catechism and founded and endorsed a college.
In Nov 1562, his older brother died suddenly. His family urged him to seek permission to return to the lay state so he could marry and have children so that the family name would not become extinct. Charles declined and the family name lives on through his sanctity.
He was appointed an administrator of the Archdiocese of Milan on Feb 7, 1560. He was ordained a priest in Sep 1563 and consecrated bishop in December of the same year. He was formally appointed Archbishop of Milan on May 12, 1564. He devoted himself to reform of his diocese. Milan was the largest Archdiocese in Italy at the time and both clergy and laity had drifted from church teaching. He believed that abuses in the church arose from ignorant clergy. He established seminaries, colleges and communities for the education of candidates for Holy Orders.
In 1584, during his annual retreat, he fell I'll and he died on Nov 3 at the age 46. His patronage includes apple orchards, bishops, catechists, catechumens, colic, intestinal disorders, cardinals, seminarians and spiritual directors. His feast day is Nov 4.
St. Charles Borromeo, pray for us.
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