Saint Bernardino of Siena
Saint Bernardino of Siena by El Greco.
Priest of Friars Minor
Born	1380, Massa Marittima, Italy
Died	1444, Aquila, Italy
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Feast	May 20
Attributes	Tablet with IHS; three mitres representing the bishoprics which he refused.
Patronage	Advertising; chest problems; lung problems; gambling; communications; public relations; San Bernardino, California;[citation needed]

Saint Bernardino of Siena (sometimes Bernardine, September 8, 1380 – May 20, 1444) was an Italian preacher, Franciscan missionary and Christian saint. Image File history File links Saint_bernardino. ... El Greco (The Greek, 1541 – April 7, 1614) was a painter, sculptor, and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. ... The Order of Friars Minor and other Franciscan movements are disciples of Saint Francis of Assisi. ... Massa Marittima is a town and episcopal see of the province of Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy, 49 km (30 mi) NNW of the capital of Grosseto, and 1,444 ft above sea-level. ... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Twelve Apostles, in particular Saint Peter. ... The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organising a liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more saints, and referring to the day as that saints day. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... A Christogram is a monogram or combination of letters which forms an abbreviation for the name of Jesus Christ, and is traditionally used as a Christian symbol. ... Saint Quentin is the patron saint of locksmiths and is also invoked against coughs and sneezes. ... September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ... Events September 8 - Battle of Kulikovo - Russian forces under Grand Prince Dmitrii Ivanovich defeat a mixed army of Tatars and Mongols (the Golden Horde), stopping their advance at Kulikovo. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... Events March 2 - Gjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg proclaimed commander of the Albanian resistance April 16 - Truce of Tours. ... The Order of Friars Minor and other Franciscan movements are disciples of Saint Francis of Assisi. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... In traditional Christian iconography, Saints are often depicted as having halos. ...

Early life

Bernardino was born in 1380 to the noble Albizeschi family in Massa Marittima (Tuscany), a Sienese town of which his father was then governor. Left orphaned at six, he was raised by a pious aunt. On the completion of his education he spent some years in the service of the sick in the hospitals. While he was studying civil and canon law in Siena, he worked in the hospital of Santa Maria della Scala throughout the bubonic plague outbreak of 1400 and even urged other young men to stay and help. He thus caught the plague, of which he nearly died. Massa Marittima is a town and episcopal see of the province of Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy, 49 km (30 mi) NNW of the capital of Grosseto, and 1,444 ft above sea-level. ... Tuscany (Italian: ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. ... Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. ... Bubonic plague is the best-known variant of the deadly infectious disease plague, which is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis. ...

In 1402 or 1404, he joined the Franciscan order in the strict branch called Observant, of which he became one of the chief promoters, after donating all his possessions to the poor. About 1406 Saint Vincent Ferrer, while preaching at Alessandria in Piedmont, foretold that his mantle should descend upon one who was then listening to him, and said that he would return to France and Spain leaving to Bernardino the task of evangelizing the remaining peoples of Italy. Nearly twelve years passed before this prediction was fulfilled. During this period, of which we have no details, Bernardino seems to have lived in retirement in the convent on the hill of Capriola, near Siena. The Order of Friars Minor and other Franciscan movements are disciples of Saint Francis of Assisi. ... Saint Vincent Ferrer Saint Vincent Ferrer, (In Valencian Sant Vicent Ferrer) (January 23, 1350 – April 5, 1419) was a Valencian Dominican missionary and logician; born in Valencia, Kingdom of Valencia (modern day Land of Valencia, Spain). ... For the Alessandria meteorite of 1860, see Meteorite falls. ...

He was reported to "cure" a Sienese prostitute by striking her and "driving the demon" from her body. He then moved on to preach at Milan in 1418 (1417 according to other sources) before traveling to perform evangelical preaching in neighbouring cities in the next four years. Prostitution is the sale of sexual services (typically manual stimulation, oral sex, sexual intercourse, or anal sex) for cash or other kind of return, generally indiscriminately with many persons. ... Milan (Italian: ; Lombard: Milán (listen)) is one of the biggest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. ...

Work

For more than 30 years Bernardino preached all over Italy, and played a great part in the religious revival of the early fifteenth century. His success was claimed to be remarkable. Enormous crowds came to hear him speak. It was said that feuds and factionalism were reconciled by his counsel and that miracles took place. Donations to the Holy Name of Jesus (which he preached particularly) increased dramatically. Furthermore, "bonfires of vanities" were held at his sermon sites, where people were encouraged to burn objects of temptation. In 1425, he preached every day for seven weeks in Siena. A feud is a long-running argument or fight between parties—often groups of people, especially families or clans. ... A miracle, derived from the old Latin word miraculum meaning something wonderful, is a striking interposition of divine intervention by a god in the universe by which the ordinary course and operation of Nature is overruled, suspended, or modified. ... The Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus is an observance found in the liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. ... Bonfire of the Vanities refers to an event on 7 February 1497 when followers of the priest Girolamo Savonarola collected and publicly burned thousands of objects in Florence, Italy, on the Shrove Tuesday festival. ...

In 1427 he was summoned to Rome to stand trial on charges of heresy, with theologians including Paulus Venetus present to give their opinions. Bernardino was found innocent of heresy, and he impressed Pope Martin V sufficiently that Martin requested he preach in Rome. He was acquitted and thereupon preached every day for 80 days. A typical sermon, would last for an hour long, but some lasted for more than four. Bernardino's zeal was such that he would prepare up to four drafts of a sermon before starting to speak. That same year, he was offered and declined the bishopric of Siena in order to maintain his monastic and evangelical activities. In 1431, he toured Tuscany, Lombardy, Romagna, and Ancona before returning to Siena to prevent a war against Florence. Also in 1431, he declined the bishopric of Ferrara, and in 1435 he declined the bishopric of Urbino. Nickname: The Eternal City Motto: SPQR: Senatus PopulusQue Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area    - City 1285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban... Look up Heresy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Paul of Venice or Paulus Venetus (1368-1428) was Roman Catholic theologian of the Hermits of the Order of Saint Augustine. ... Martin V, né Oddone Colonna or Odo Colonna (1368 – February 20, 1431), Pope from 1417 to 1431, was elected on St. ... This article is about a title or office in religious bodies. ... Lombardy (Italian: Lombardia, Lombard: Lumbardìa) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. ... Emilia-Romagna is an administrative region of Northern Italy comprising the two historic regions of Emilia and Romagna. ... Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche, a region of central Italy, population 101,909 (2005). ... Ferrara is a city in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, capital city of the province of Ferrara. ... Panorama of Urbino with the cathedral and the palazzo ducale Urbino is a city in the Marche in Italy, southwest of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site with a great cultural history during the Renaissance as the seat of Federico da Montefeltro. ...

Saint John Capistran was his friend, and Saint James of the Marches was his disciple during these years. Both Pope Martin V and Pope Eugene IV were urged by their cardinals to condemn Bernardino, but both almost instantly acquitted him. The Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund sought Bernardino's counsel and intercession and the future saint accompanied him to Rome in 1433 for his coronation. Pulpit of John Capistrano at the Stephansdom in Vienna Saint Giovanni da Capestrano (in English, John Capistrano, June 24, 1386 – Villach, October 23, 1456), Italian friar, theologian and inquisitor, was born in the village of Capestrano, in the diocese of Sulmona in the Abruzzi. ... Saint James of the Marches was a Franciscan Friar Minor, preacher and writer. ... Eugenius IV, né Gabriel Condulmer (1383 - February 23, 1447) was pope from March 3, 1431 to his death. ... The Holy Roman Emperor was, with some variation, the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, the predecessor of modern Germany, during its existence from the 10th century until its collapse in 1806. ... Sigismund is a common name. ...

Soon after he withdrew again to Capriola to compose a series of sermons. He resumed his missionary labours in 1436, but was forced to abandon them in the following year, when he became vicar-general of the Observant branch of the Franciscans in Italy. In 1438, Bernardino was elevated to vicar-general of the Franciscan Order in Italy. This cut back his opportunities to preach, but he continued to speak to the public when he could. Having in 1442 persuaded the pope to accept his resignation as vicar-general so that he might give himself more undividedly to preaching, Bernardino resumed his missionary labours. Despite a Papal Bull issued by Eugene IV in 1443 and which charged Bernardino to preach the indulgence for the Crusade against the Turks, there is no record of his having done so. In 1444, notwithstanding his increasing infirmities, Bernardino, desirous that there should be no part of Italy which had not heard his voice, set out to the Kingdom of Naples. He died that year at Aquila, in the Abruzzi. According to the tradition, his grave continued to leak blood until two factions of the city achieved reconciliation. Events Pachacuti who would later create Tahuantinsuyu, or Inca Empire became the ruler of Cuzco In Italy, the siege of Brescia by the condottieri troops of Niccolò Piccinino was raised after the arrival of Scaramuccia da Forlì. January 1 - Albert II of Habsburg becomes King of Hungary March 18 - Albert... Papal bull of Pope Urban VIII, 1637, sealed with a leaden bulla. ... The Kingdom of Naples was born out of the division of the Kingdom of Sicily after the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. ... LAquila is a city and comune of central Italy, on the Aterno river. ... Categories: Regions of Italy | Abruzzo ...

Reports of miracles attributed to Bernardino multiplied rapidly and Bernardino was canonized in 1450, only six years after his death, by Pope Nicholas V. His feast day in the Roman Catholic Church is May 20, day of his death. This article discusses the process of declaring saints. ... Nicholas V, né Tomaso Parentucelli (November 15, 1397 – March 24, 1455) was Pope from March 6, 1447, to his death. ... The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organising a liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with a saint, and referring to the day as the saints day of that saint. ... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Twelve Apostles, in particular Saint Peter. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ...

Attacks on sodomy

Bernardino attacked the sodomitical customs of the Italians in his sermons, among which one pointing out the reputation of the Italians beyond their own borders: François Elluin, Sodomites provoking the wrath of God, from Le pot pourri de Loth (1781). ...

which can be translated as: "O, Italy, how much more than any other province have you become contaminated! Go to the Germans, and hear what lovely things they say about the Italians! They say there is no people in this world that are greater sodomites than the Italians." ("Abominabile peccato della maladetta soddomia". Prediche volgari sul campo di Siena. 1427 vol. 2, Milan, p. 1149). The practices had been blamed for "divine" misfortunes, like the plague, and some in the clergy hoped that catastrophes could be averted by restricting practices they blamed as immoral.

Glory of St. Bernardino of Siena, Pinturicchio, church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, Rome.

Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1600x1048, 202 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Bernardino of Siena ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1600x1048, 202 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Bernardino of Siena ...

Work for the Order and the spreading of the Observants

Bernardino laboured strenuously to spread the Observant branch of the Friars Minor from the outset of his religious life: but, contrary to what is sometimes stated, he was not its founder. (The origin of the Observants, or Zelanti, may be traced back to the middle of the fourteenth century.) Nevertheless, Bernardine became to the Observants what St. Bernard had been to the Cistercians, their principal support and indefatigable propagator. Some idea of his zeal may be gathered from the fact that, instead of the one hundred and thirty Friars constituting the Observance in Italy at Bernardino 's reception into the order, it counted over four thousand before his death. Cistercians coat of arms The Order of Cistercians (OCist) (Latin: ), otherwise White Monks (from the colour of the habit, over which a black scapular or apron is sometimes worn) is a Roman Catholic order of enclosed monks. ...

In addition to the number he received into the order, Bernardino himself founded, or reformed, at least three hundred convents of Friars. Not content with extending his religious family at home, Bernardino sent missionaries to different parts of the Orient and it was largely through his efforts that so many ambassadors from different schismatical nations attended the Council of Florence in which we find the saint addressing the assembled Fathers in Greek. A decree of the Council of Constance (9 October 1417), sanctioned by Pope Martin V obliged the papacy to summon general councils periodically. ...

Iconography

After his death, the Franciscans promoted an iconographical program of diffusion of images of Bernardino, which was second only to that of the founder of the order. He is typically represented in painting with three mitres at his feet (representing the three bishoprics which he had rejected) and holding in his hand the IHS monogram with rays emanating from it (representing his devotion to the "Holy Name of Jesus"). A Christogram is a monogram or combination of letters which forms an abbreviation for the name of Jesus Christ, and is traditionally used as a Christian symbol. ...

A portrait is known to have circulated in Siena just after Bernardino’s death which, on the basis of physiognomic similarities with his death mask at L'Aquila (the bald head and emaciated face), is believed to have been a good likeness. It is thought probable that many subsequent depictions of the saint derive from this portrait.

The most famous, and perhaps most highly appreciated, depictions of Bernardino are found in the cycle of frescoes of his life executed towards the end of the fifteenth century by Pinturicchio in the Bufalini Chapel of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, Rome. The Crucifixion with Sts Jerome and Christopher (1471) Oil on wood, 59 x 40 cm Galleria Borghese, Rome Pinturicchio (1454-1513), Italian painter, whose full name was Bernardino di Betti. ... Facade of Santa Maria in Aracoeli with the monumental ladder The basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli is on the Campidoglio, in Rome. ... Nickname: The Eternal City Motto: SPQR: Senatus PopulusQue Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area    - City 1285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban...

Patron

Saint Bernardino is the patron saint of advertising, communications, compulsive gambling, respiratory problems, the city Carpi (Italy), the Philippine barangay Kay-Anlog and the diocese of San Bernardino, California. Saint Quentin is the patron saint of locksmiths and is also invoked against coughs and sneezes. ... Commercialism redirects here. ... The term communications is used in a number of disciplines: Communications, also known as communication studies is the academic discipline which studies communication, generally seen as a mixture between media studies and linguistics. ... Compulsive gambling is an urge or addiction to gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. ... The Respiratory System Among four-legged animals, the respiratory system generally includes tubes, such as the bronchi, used to carry air to the lungs, where gas exchange takes place. ... Carpi is a town in Emilia Romagna (northern Italy). ... Barangay Kay-Anlog is a rural barangay of Calamba City, Laguna, Philippines. ... Pope Pius XI blesses Bishop Stephen Alencastre as fifth Apostolic Vicar of the Hawaiian Islands in a Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace window. ... The San Bernardino skyline viewed from Grand Terrace, California San Bernardino is the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. ...

Legacy

In the 15th century, the Catholic Church began to respond to the pressures both of the multiple heresies that had spread throughout southern France and northern Italy and the challenge of Protestantism. As Martin Luther emphasized the direct participation of the laity in the divine and the importance of the sermon, the monastic orders, in particular, reformed. Instead of remaining cloistered and speaking only the liturgy, some, like Bernardino of Siena, attempted to preach directly to the public. The effect was both to stem the inroads of Protestant evangelism and to make the populace more aware of orthodox dogma. The first edition of his works, for the most part elaborate sermons, was printed at Lyon in 1501. Look up Heresy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Northern Italy encompasses nine of the countrys 20 autonomous regions: Emilia-Romagna Friuli-Venezia Giulia Liguria Lombardia Piemonte Toscana Trentino-Alto Adige Valle dAosta Veneto Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige and Valle dAosta are regions with a special statute. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546) was a German monk,[1] priest, professor, theologian, and church reformer. ... In religious organizations, the laity comprises all lay persons collectively. ... A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. ... Monasticism (from Greek: monachos—a solitary person) is the religious practice of renouncing all worldly pursuits in order to fully devote ones life to spiritual work. ... Cloister of Saint Trophimus, in Arles, France A cloister (from latin claustrum) is a part of cathedral, monastic and abbey architecture. ... The word leitourgia is derived from the two Greek words, leos and ergon. Leos, meaning the people of God and Ergon meaning the work. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Separate articles treat Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Orthodox Judaism. ... For the film Dogma, see Dogma (film) Dogma (the plural is either dogmata or dogmas, Greek , plural ) is the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, ideology or any kind of organization, thought to be authoritative and not to be disputed or doubted. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: (Franco-Provençal: Forward, forward, Lyon the best) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Region Rhône-Alpes Department Rhône (69) Subdivisions 9 arrondissements Intercommunality Urban Community of Lyon Mayor Gérard Collomb  (PS) (since 2001) City Statistics...

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References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.

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