In the 16th century there were many abuses in the way the Catholic Church was run. The Protestant Reformation did not correct them. (You can never correct an institution by leaving it.) But credit must still be given to the Protestant reformers for arousing Catholic leaders out of their lethargy. The result was the great ecumenical council of Trent, which brought about true reform.
St. Charles Borromeo is an ideal representative of the Catholic-Church-unreformed and the Catholic-Church-reformed. One of the pre-reformation abuses in papal practice, for instance, was that of a pope’s naming his own relatives to high positions. As late as 1559, when Cardinal John Medici was elected pope (Paul IV), he named Charles Borromeo, his nephew, a Cardinal, although Charles was only 22 years old and still not ordained a priest! The pope brought him to Rome and gave him all sorts of important jobs. Time proved, however, that Paul IV had selected the right man. Charles was embarrassed by his position, but a holy archbishop assured him that he should take advantage of it so as to help the Church to correct bad habits. Cardinal Charles forged ahead on that basis. He became the leader in reconvening the reformist Council of Trent and guiding it on to its splendid conclusion. Among his special contributions was the great handbook of Catholic teaching, the Catechism of the Council of Trent.
Once the council’s work was done, of course, it had to be put into effect. (Our own experience since 1965 reminds us how difficult it can be to put a lot of new Church laws into effect - even very good laws.) Charles had been officially archbishop of Milan since 1560. Now he left Rome and went to his diocese, intent on enforcing the reform laws that he had played so great a part in framing. Prayerfully and with great diligence, he worked to make better Catholics out of his own archdiocesans and the rest of the Catholics under his jurisdiction in northern Italy and Switzerland. He enacted laws in local councils. He established the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, which instructed 40,000 children at Sunday schools. He encouraged new religious orders. He established seminars for training better priests. (Once he said, “Ah, you do not realize the worth of the life of one good priest!”) From 1575 to 1578 the bubonic plague hit Milan and its vicinity. Most of the city fathers fled, but the Cardinal Archbishop stayed in the city and took care of the plague-ridden with his own hands.
Reforming people is more difficult, it seems, than bringing them to first conversion. St. Charles had to face not only stubborn non-cooperation, but violent rejection on the part of those who needed to be reformed. Thus the “chapter of canons” of the Church of Santa Maria della Scala declared that they would not allow the archbishop to make an official visitation of inquiry there, as he was supposed to do in all his churches. When he came to call, these priests slammed the door in his face. They appealed to the governor, who at first sided with the rebels and threatened to banish the Cardinal.
Then there was the religious order of the Humiliati. In its earlier years, these had done much good work. Now, however, the members were so unwilling to accept the new regulations that one of their priests named Farina shot the Cardinal point-blank as he knelt in prayer. Oddly, indeed miraculously, the bullet, though it penetrated his clothing, only raised a bruise on the victim’s skin.
In the 1920s, the then archbishop of Milan gave to the Church of St. Borromeo in Rochester, New York a part of a vestment that St. Charles was wearing when he was “assassinated”. It is a precious reminder of the great work that St. Charles did to infuse new life into Christianity. It is also a reminder of the problems that any pope and any bishop will have, even today, when they do their duty to renew those of us who object because we think more of what we want than of what God wants. --Father Robert F. McNamara
Scripture(Rom 12:3-13)
By the grace given to me I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than one ought to think, but to think soberly, each according to the measure of faith that God has apportioned. For as in one body we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one Body in Christ and individually parts of one another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them: if prophecy, in proportion to the faith; if ministry, in ministering; if one is a teacher, in teaching; if one exhorts, in exhortation; if one contributes, in generosity; if one is over others, with diligence; if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor. Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality.
Writings
(Year A). Everything we find in the mysteryof the Incarnation of Christ teaches the greatest humility and shows an immense love. For on account of love he descended from heaven, for love of us he was baptized, for love of us he fasted and suffered trials, afflictions, opprobrium, and finally death. He showed this admirable love as well in the Last Supper, instituting the Most Holy Sacrament of his Body, and the other devout mysteries and duties of religion. Moreover, this washing of the feet, concerning which we have determined to say a few words, wondrously commends that same love of his to his own, and teaches his ministers moderation and mildness of soul. Wherefore the holy evangelist says, Jesus knowing that his hour was come, that he should pass out of this world to the Father: having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them unto the end (Jn 13:1), as if meaning to say: since he had always given signs and performed deeds of his singular love toward his own, so he persevered unto the end, continuing to show forth the same kind of deeds with the greatest and most perfect love, until his death. For when the devil had put it in the heart of Judas to betray him, our Lord, who knew he had received all things from his Father, had gone forth from his Father and was to return to God in glory, nevertheless did not disdain to wash the feet of poor fishermen like a humble slave, and to do everything in this service in such a way as to bring out his supreme diligence, modesty and submission. For the Lord arose from the supper with his disciples still reclining. He laid aside his outer clothing so as to better execute the whole service. He girded himself with linen to show himself fully prepared to minister, to help and to do good. Finally, he himself put water into the basin, humbly ministered, bowed himself before the feet of his servants, and did what is usually left to the lowest class of men: he washed their feet. He did all these things alone: he alone poured the water, he alone washed, he alone dried their feet. To all he showed an equal proof of goodness, and gave a sign of his love. He humbly washed the feet of all, he fed all with the Sacrament of his Body, but not all received an equal fruit from it. For Judas, who was going to betray him, who willingly carried the money-box for the Lord, ate the same food with the other apostles, offered his feet to be washed, and wanted to have and enjoy all advantages with the other disciples. Moreover, he could not be restrained from betraying innocent blood by any kindness or benefits he had received. In this affair, we can only stand in wonderment at the detestable perversity of the traitor who could not be moved by fear of the Lord, nor by reverence for his majesty, nor by his innocence of life, nor by the magnitude of the benefits he had received. But all the more worthy of wonder is the goodness of the Lord, who seeing and knowing the obstinacy of the traitor, did not cease to treat him with goodness and instead tried to soften his obdurate heart with every kind of benefit, leaving us an example so that we too might seek rather the conversion of our enemies than their ruin, and try to gain their souls rather than lose them. But the gifts of the Lord, which bore the most abundant fruit in St. Peter and the others, brought the bitterest damnation in Judas. (Sermon for Holy Thursday)
Musical Selection
Sacerdotes Dei, benedícite Dóminum: sancti, et húmiles corde, laudáte Deum. Ps. Benedícite, ómnia ópera Dómini, Dómino: laudáte et superexaltáte eum in sæcula. Gloria Patri....
O ye priests of the Lord, bless the Lord: O ye holy and humble of heart, praise God. Ps. All ye works of the Lord, bless the Lord, praise and exalt Him above all for ever. Glory be to the Father....
Collect
Almighty Father, who raised up Charles Borromeo to serve as a bishop and to reform the liturgy of the Church: let our Church be continually renewed and show the image of Christ to the world by being conformed to his likeness, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.(English Missal)
