St. Elizabeth, Queen of Portugal- Patroness of victims of adultery, jealousy and unfaithfulness
St. Elizabeth of Portugal with her Aunt St. Elizabeth of Hungary painted by Petrus Christus.
ST. ELIZABETH was daughter of Peter III, king of Aragon, and granddaughter of James I, who had been educated under the care of St. Peter Nolasco, and was surnamed the Saint, and from the taking of Majorca and Valentia, Expugnator or the Conqueror. Her mother, Constantia, was daughter of Manfred king of Sicily, and grandchild to the emperor Frederic II. Our saint was born in 1271, and received at the baptismal font by the name of Elizabeth, from her aunt, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, who had been canonized by Gregory IX in 1235.
Her birth established a good understanding between her grandfather James, who was then on the throne, and her father, whose quarrel had divided the whole kingdom. The former took upon himself the care of her education, and inspired her with an ardor for piety above her age, though he died in 1276 (having reigned sixty-three years,) before she had completed the sixth year of her age.
(Peter) Pedro III of Aragon, painted by Filippo Ariosto
Her father succeeded to the crown, and was careful to place most
virtuous persons about his daughter, whose example might be to her a
constant spur to all virtue. The young princess was of a most sweet and
mild disposition, and from her tender years had no relish for anything
but what was conducive to piety and devotion. It was doing her the most
sensible pleasure if any one promised to lead her to some chapel to say a
prayer. At eight years of age she began to fast on vigils, and to
practice great self-denials; nor could she bear to hear the tenderness
of her years and constitution alleged as a reason that she ought not to
fast or macerate her tender body. Her fervor made her eagerly to desire
that she might have a share in every exercise of virtue which she saw
practised by others, and she had been already taught that the frequent
mortification of the senses, and still more of the will, is to be joined
with prayer to obtain the grace which restrains the passions, and
prevents their revolt. How little is this most important maxim
considered by those parents who excite and fortify the passions of
children, by teaching them a love of vanities, and indulging them in
gratifications of sense! If rigorous fasts suit not their tender age, a
submission of the will, perfect obedience, and humble modesty are in no
time of life more indispensably to be inculcated; nor is any abstinence
more necessary than that by which children are taught never to drink or
eat out of meals, to bear several little denials in them without
uneasiness, and never eagerly to crave anything. The easy and happy
victory of Elizabeth over herself was owing to this early and perfect
temperance, submissiveness, and sincere humility. Esteeming virtue her
only advantage and delight, she abhorred romances and idle
entertainments, shunned the usual amusements of children, and was an
enemy to all the vanities of the world. She could bear no other songs
than sacred hymns and psalms; and from her childhood said every day the
whole office of the breviary, in which no priest could be more
scrupulously exact. Her tenderness and compassion for the poor, made her
even in that tender age to be styled their mother.
Dionysius, king of Portugal and St. Elizabeth
Then she heard mass, at which she communicated frequently every week. She said every day also the little office of our Lady, and that of the dead: and in the afternoon had other regular devotions after even-song or vespers. She retired often into her oratory to her pious books, and allotted certain hours to attend her domestic affairs, public business, or what she owed to others. All her spare time she employed in pious reading, or in working for the altar, or the poor, and she made her ladies of honor do the like. She found no time to spend in vain sports and recreations, or in idle discourse or entertainments. She was most abstemious in her diet, mean in her attire, humble, meek, and affable in conversation, and wholly bent upon the service of God in all her actions. Admirable was her spirit of compunction, and of holy prayer; and she poured forth her heart before God with most feeling sentiments of divine love, and often watered her cheeks and the very ground with abundant tears of sweet devotion. Frequent attempts were made to prevail with her to moderate her austerities; but she always answered, that if Christ assures us that his spirit cannot find place in a life of softness and pleasure, mortification is no where more necessary than on the throne, where the passions find more dangerous incentives. She fasted three days a week, many vigils besides those prescribed by the church; all Advent; a Lent of devotion, from the feast of St. John Baptist to the feast of the Assumption; and soon after this she began another Lent, which she continued to St. Michael’s day. On all Fridays and Saturdays, on the eves of all festivals of the Blessed Virgin and the apostles, and on many other days her fast was on bread and water. She often visited churches and places of devotion on foot.
St. Elizabeth distributing alms to the poor.
She founded in different parts of the kingdom many pious establishments, particularly an hospital near her own palace at Coimbra, a house for penitent women who had been seduced into evil courses, at Torres-Novas, and an hospital for foundlings, or those children who, for want of due provision, are exposed to the danger of perishing by poverty, or the neglect and cruelty of unnatural parents. She was utterly regardless of her own conveniences, and so attentive to the poor and afflicted persons of the whole kingdom, that she seemed almost wholly to belong to them; not that she neglected any other duties which she owed to her neighbor, for she made it her principal study to pay to her husband the most dutiful respect, love, and obedience, and bore his injuries with invincible meekness and patience. Though King Dionysius was a friend of justice, and a valiant, bountiful, and compassionate prince, yet he was, in his youth, a worldly man, and defiled the sanctity of the nuptial state with abominable lusts. The good queen used all her endeavors to reclaim him, grieving most sensibly for the offense against God, and the scandal given to the people; and she never ceased to weep herself, and to procure the prayers of others for his conversion. She strove to gain him only by courtesy, and with constant sweetness and cheerfulness cherished his natural children, and took great care of their education. By these means she softened the heart of the king, who, by the succor of a powerful grace, rose out of the filthy puddle in which he had wallowed for a long time, and kept ever after the fidelity that was due to his virtuous consort.
He instituted the Order of Christ in 1318; founded, with a truly royal magnificence, the university of Coimbra, and adorned his kingdom with public buildings. His extraordinary virtues, particularly his liberality, justice, and constancy, are highly extolled by the Portuguese, and after his entire conversion, he was the idol and glory of his people. A little time before his perfect conversion there happened an extraordinary accident. The queen had a very pious, faithful page, whom she employed in the distribution of her secret alms. A wicked fellow-page envying him on account of this favor, to which his virtue and services entitled him, treacherously suggested to his majesty that the queen showed a fondness for that page. The prince, who by his own sensual heart was easily inclined to judge ill of others, gave credit to the slander, and resolved to take away the life of the innocent youth.
For this purpose he gave order to a lime-burner, that if on such a day he sent to him a page with this errand to inquire, “Whether he had fulfilled the king’s commands?” he should take him and cast him into the lime-kiln, there to be burnt; for that death he had justly incurred, and the execution was expedient for the king’s service. On the day appointed he dispatched the page with this message to the lime-kiln; but the devout youth on the road passing by a church, heard the bell ring at the elevation at mass, went in and prayed there devoutly; for it was his pious custom, if ever he heard the sign given by the bell for the elevation, always to go thither, and not depart till mass was ended. It happened, on that occasion, that as the first was not a whole mass, and it was with him a constant rule to hear mass every day, he stayed in the church, and heard successively two other masses. In the meantime, the king, who was impatient to know if his orders had been executed, sent the informer to the lime-kiln, to inquire whether his commands had been obeyed; but as soon as he was come to the kiln, and had asked the question, the man supposing him to be the messenger meant by the king’s order, seized him, and threw him into the burning lime, where he was soon consumed. Thus was the innocent protected by his devotion, and the slanderer was overtaken by divine justice. The page who had heard the masses went afterwards to the lime-kiln, and having asked whether his majesty’s commands had been yet executed, brought him word back that they were. The king was almost out of himself with surprise when he saw him come back with this message, and being soon informed of the particulars, he easily discovered the innocence of the pious youth, adored the divine judgments, and ever after respected the great virtue and sanctity of his queen.
Alphonsus IV of Portugal
Being herself of the most sweet and peaceable disposition, she was always most active and industrious in composing all differences between neighbors, especially in averting war, with the train of all the most terrible evils which attend it. She reconciled her husband and son, when their armies were marching one against the other; and she reduced all the subjects to duty and obedience. She made peace between Ferdinand IV, king of Castille, and Alphonsus de la Cerda, his cousin-german, who disputed the crown: likewise between James II, king of Aragon, her own brother, and Ferdinand IV, the king of Castille, her son-in-law. In order to effect this last she took a journey with her husband into both those kingdoms, and to the great satisfaction of the Christian world, put a happy period to all dissensions and debates between those states. After this charitable work, king Dionysius, having reigned forty-five years, fell sick.
St. Elizabeth of Portugal, painting is in the Museo Colonial de San Francisco in Santiago, Chile.
A war being lighted up between her son Alphonsus IV., surnamed the Brave, king of Portugal, and her grandson, Alphonsus XI., king of Castille, and armies being set on foot, she was startled at the news, and resolved to set out to reconcile them, and extinguish the fire that was kindling. Her servants endeavored to persuade her to defer her journey, on account of the excessive heats; but she made answer that she could not better expend her health and her life than by seeking to prevent the miseries and calamities of a war. The very news of her journey disposed both parties to peace.
The Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova in Coimbra, Portugal.
The Altar in Sta. Clara-a-Nova at Coimbra with the Incorrupt body of St. Elizabeth of Portugal.
(1) Urban VIII. Constit. 58. Com sicut. An. 1626. Bullar. Roman, t. 5. p. 120.
From her Authentic Life, written by a Franciscan friar; Mariana, and other Spanish historians. See Janning the Bollandist, Julij, t. 2, ad diem. 4, p. 169.
printed in 1866 edition of Lives of the Saints, by Rev. Alban Butler (1711–73). Volume VII: July.
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