April 5
St. Vincent Ferrer
Confessor
Double
St. Vincent Ferrer
Famous Dominican missionary, born at Valencia, 23 January, 1350; died
at Vannes, Brittany, 5 April, 1419. He was descended from the younger of
two brothers who were knighted for their valour in the conquest of
Valencia, 1238. In 1340 Vincent's father, William Ferrer, married
Constantia Miguel, whose family had likewise been ennobled during the
conquest of Valencia. Vincent was their fourth child. A brother, not
unknown to history, was Boniface Ferrer, General of the Carthusians, who
was employed by the antipope Benedict XIII in important diplomatic
missions. Vincent was educated at Valencia, and completed his philosophy
at the age of fourteen. In 1367 he entered the Dominican Order, and was
sent to the house of studies at Barcelona the following year. In 1370
he taught philosophy at LĂ©rida; one of his pupils there was Pierre
Fouloup, later Grand Inquisitor of Aragon. In 1373 Vincent returned to
the Dominican "Studium arabicum et hebraicum" at Barcelona. During his
stay there famine was prevalent; filled with compassion for the
sufferers; Vincent foretold, while preaching one day, the near approach
of ships bearing wheat. His prediction was fulfilled. In 1377 he was
sent to continue his studies at Toulouse, where, in his own words,
"study followed prayer, and prayer succeeded study". In 1379 Vincent was
retained by Cardinal Pedro de Luna, legate of the Court of Aragon, who
was endeavouring to win King Peter IV to the obedience of Avignon. The
saint, thoroughly convinced of the legitimacy of the claims of the
Avignon pontiffs, was one of their strongest champions. From 1385 to
1390 he taught theology in the cathedral at Valencia.
After
this Vincent carried on his apostolic work while in Pedro de Luna's
suite. At Valladolid he converted a rabbi, later well known as Bishop
Paul of Burgos. At Salamanca Queen Yolanda of Aragon chose him for her
confessor, 1391-5. About this time he was cited before the Inquisiton
for preaching publicly "the Judas had done penance", but Pedro de Luna,
recently raised to the papal chair as Benedict XIII, cited the case
before his tribunal and burned the papers. Benedict then called him to
Avignon and appointed him confessor and Apostolic penitentiary.
Notwithstanding the indifference of so many prelates in the papal Court,
he laboured zealously among the people. He steadfastly refused the
honours, including the cardinalate, which were offered to him. France
withdrew from the obedience of Avignon in September, 1398, and the
troops of Charles VI laid siege to the city. An attack of fever at this
time brought Vincent to death's door, but during an apparition of Christ
accompanied by St. Dominic and St. Francis he was miraculously cured
and sent to preach penance and prepare men for the coming judgment. Not
until November, 1399, did Benedict allow Vincent Ferrer to begin his
apostolate, furnished with full powers of a legate a latere Christi. For
twenty years he traversed western Europe, preaching penance for sin and
preparation for judgment. Provence was the first field of his
apostolate; he was obliged to preach in squares and open places, such
were the numbers that flocked to hear him. In 1401 he evangelized
Dauphiny, Savoy, and the Alpine region, converting many Catharins and
Waldensians. Thence he penetrated into Lombardy. While preaching at
Alexandria he singled out from among the hearers a youth who was
destined to evangelize Italy, Bernadine of Siena. Another chosen soul
with whom Vincent came in contact while in Italy was Margaret of Savoy.
During the years 1403-4 Switzerland, Savoy, and Lyons received the
missionary. He was followed by an army of penitents drawn from every
rank of society, who desired to remain under his guidance. Vincent was
ever watchful of his disciples, and never did the breath of scandal
touch this strange assemblage, which numbered at times 10,000. Genoa,
Flanders, Northern France, all heard Vincent in turn. It would be
difficult to understand how he could make himself understood by the many
nationalities he evangelized, as he could speak only Limousin, the
language of Valencia. Many of his biographers hold that he was endowed
with the gift of tongues, an opinion supported by Nicholas Clemangis, a
doctor of the University of Paris, who had heard him preach.
In
1408 Vincent was at Genoa consoling the plague-stricken. A meeting had
been arranged there between Gregory XII and Benedict XIII in the hope of
putting an end to the schism. Vincent again urged Benedict to have pity
on the afflicted Church, but in vain. Disappointed, he returned to
Spain. It would be difficult to overestimate the influence which he
exercised in the Iberian peninsula. Castile, Aragon, Valencia, Murcia,
Granada, Andalusia, and Asturias were visited in turn, and everywhere
miracles marked his progress; Christians, Jews, and Moslems were all
lost in admiration of the thaumaturgus. From 1408 until 1416 he worked
almost continuously south of the Pyrenees. At different times in Spanish
history strenuous attempts had been made to convert the Jewish people,
baptism or spoliation being the alternatives offered to them. This state
of affairs existed when Vincent began to work among them; multitudes
were won over by his preaching. Ranzano, his first biographer, estimates
the number of Jews converted at 25,000. In the Kingdom of Granada he
converted thousands of Moors. Vincent was often called upon to aid his
country in temporal affairs, as the counsellor of kings and at one time
the arbiter of the destiny of Spain. In 1409 he was commissioned by
Benedict XIII to announce to Martin of Aragon the death of his only son
and heir.
After Martin's death, the representatives of the
Kingdoms of Aragon, Valencia, and Catalonia appointed Vincent one of the
judges to determine the succession to the Crown. At the judgment, known
as the Compromise of Caspe, he took the leading part and helped to
elect Ferdinand of Castile. Vincent was one of the most resolute and
faithful adherents of Benedict XIII, and by his word, sanctity, and
miracles he did much to strengthen Benedict's position. It was not until
1416, when pressed by Ferdinand, King of Aragon, that he abandoned him.
On 6 January, preaching at Perpignan, he declared anew to the vast
throng gathered around his pulpit that Benedict XIII was the legitimate
pope, but that, since he would not resign to bring peace to the Church,
Ferdinand had withdrawn his states from the obedience of Avignon. This
act must have caused Vincent much sorrow, for he was deeply attached to
Benedict. Nevertheless, it was thought that Vincent was the only person
sufficiently esteemed to announce such a step to the Spanish races. John
Dominici was more fortunate in his attempts to pave the way for
reunion, when he announced to the Council of Constance the resignation
of Gregory XII. Vincent did not go to the Council of Constance; he
continued his apostolic journeys through France, and spent the last two
years of his life in Brittany, where consciences without number were
reformed and instructed in a Christian way of life.
Vincent
felt that he was the messenger of penance sent to prepare men for the
judgment. For twenty years he traversed Western Europe preaching penance
and awakening the dormant consciences of sinners by his wondrous
eloquence. His austere life was but the living expression of his
doctrine. The floor was his usual bed; perpetually fasting, he arose at
two in the morning to chant the Office, celebrating Mass daily,
afterwards preaching, sometimes three hours, and frequently working
miracles. After his midday meal he would tend the sick children; at
eight o'clock he prepared his sermon for the following day. He usually
travelled on foot, poorly clad. Among St. Vincent's writings are: De
suppositionibus dialecticis"; "De natura universalis"; "De monderno
ecclesiae schismate", a defence of the Avignon pontiffs; and "De vita
spirituali". His "Sermons" were published at Antwerp (1570), Augsburg
(1729), and Lyons (1816); and his complete works at Valence (1591). He
was canonized by Calixtus III at the Dominican Church of Santa Maria
Sopra Minerva, Rome, 3 June, 1455.
No comments:
Post a Comment