St. Bruno and the Carthusians

St. Bruno of Cologne, Founder of the Carthusians

Birth and education

St. Bruno was born at Cologne, Germany, in 1030 A.D. of the prominent Hartenfaust family. He was sent to Rheims at an early age for his education. On his return to Cologne in about 1055 A.D., he was ordained a priest and then became a canon at St. Cunibert's - a collegiate church.

Professorship and chancellorship

In 1056 A.D., while still a young man, St. Bruno was offered a professorship at his school in Rheims. In the following year, he then became head of the school and remained there for eighteen years - until 1074 A.D. After his term as teacher, St. Bruno was appointed chancellor of the diocese by archbishop Manasses. Manasses was however a man deemed not worthy of his high clerical office. St. Bruno and others thus testified against him at a council in 1076 A.D. Manasses refused to appear in this council and had the houses of St. Bruno and his friends sacked and their possessions sold.

The life of a hermit

In 1080 A.D., Manasses was eventually deposed and the people of Rheims wanted to make Bruno archbishop. However, the events that have transpired all the more strengthened a resolve in St. Bruno to give up all his material goods and take up the life of a hermit. He thus became a hermit under Abbot St. Robert Molesmes (who then founded a monastery at Citeaux). St. Bruno then moved on to Grenoble with six companions in 1084 A.D.

The high desert of Chartreuse

Bruno and his friends established themselves in the almost inaccessible high desert of Chartreuse. St. Hugh, bishop of Grenoble, was instrumental in that establishment. In the area of the desert, they were assigned hermitages which were located in a very desolate mountainous Alpine area. And since that area was called Le Grande Chartreuse, they became known as the Carthusians. These Carthusians built an oratory and individual cells. They roughly followed the rule of St. Benedict and embraced a life of poverty, manual labor, prayer and transcribing manuscripts.

The Carthusian life

The life of St. Bruno and his Carthusians centered around prayer and work. Twice a day, the monks gathered for prayer in the church. At other hours, they prayed in their own cells. Except on major feasts in the church's liturgical calendar, they had no more than one meal per day which they ate in their cells. Their principal work was to copy books. The income derived from this work provided the meager subsistence on which they lived.

Fame of Bruno and the Carthusians

Even with his reclusive life, the fame of Bruno and of his companions spread. Other monasteries opened as the order grew. St. Hugh was so impressed by Bruno that he took him as his spiritual director. This bishop of Grenoble often made long and difficult journeys to Chartreuse to visit with Bruno and seek his advice and guidance.

In 1090 A.D., St. Bruno was brought to Rome, against his wishes, by Pope Urban II (who was Bruno's pupil at Rheims). Bruno was to be made papal adviser in the reformation of the clergy. St. Bruno did advise Urban II in this reform but demurred from the pope's offer to name him as archbishop of Reggio in Calabria. As Bruno persuaded the pope to let him return to his solitary state, the pope permitted him.

Death and sainthood

St. Bruno died on October 6, 1101 A.D. This is why the Church celebrates his feast every October 6. Bruno was never formally canonized because of the Carthusians' aversion to public honors. Pope Leo X however granted the Carthusians permission to celebrate his feast day in 1514 A.D., and St. Bruno's name was place in the Roman calendar in 1623 A.D. In the time of Pope Clement X, the observance of St. Bruno's feast day was extended throughout the whole Western Church.

The Carthusian Order is regarded by the Church as the perfect model of contemplative life. It is noted in their history that they never had need of reform.

St. John Paul II (1969-1978 A.D.)

Series: On the life of John Paul II

From 1969 - 1978 A.D.

Still athletic even as a Cardinal
Cardinal Wojtyla was one of the youngest cardinals of the Church. Just in his late forties, his student-friends wanted to give him a present upon his consecration as cardinal, but they were uncertain what to give him. When they spoke with him, Wojtyla suggested to them: "buy me a new sleeping bag; the one I still have is worn out and when I sleep in a tent or in the barracks, it fails to keep me warm". This short anecdote on John Paul proves that even while still a Cardinal, he had no intention of giving up his sports activities, which kept his body fit and strong. When he travelled to Rome to take part in the Synod of Bishops, he spends his free afternoons climbing the Terminillo for a ski descent, or practising a slalom.

The late 1960s unrest in Poland
The late 1960s saw a renewed period of struggle against the communists in Poland, as the epoch of youth culture and affluence in the West began to affect also the aspirations of the younger generations. During this time, it was really the workers who felt the pinch of lower wages and shortages of the Polish staple food - meat. Their children, who were in Polish schools, began to demonstrate on the streets when the government banned the anti-Soviet play "The Forefather's Eve". They were beaten, and Polish schools and universities were closed down. The increase in food prices really began the mass unrest. And this was felt all over the country, and more intensely in the Gdansk shipyards, where there were strikes and demonstrations, culminating in violence and the deaths of hundreds of workers.

A spokesman-pastor for his country
Since the Catholics in Poland have no access to the mass media for the defense and propagation of their faith, Cardinal Wojtyla intensifies his visits to the parishes. He spoke personally to the people, to groups, and to individuals. His words made a great impact, and they impressed an amazing number of people. In 1971 A.D., as a member of the Synod of Bishops, he would speak with some bitterness in the Synod meetings: "In Poland, the entire educational system, as well as the press, radio and television are permeated with atheism, which is considered a new religion of the state. Atheistic propaganda enjoys all privileges."

As unrest heightens in Poland, Wojtyla enters politics The year 1976 A.D. was a fatal year for Poland. Demonstrations against rising food prices resulted in violent clashes with workers in different parts of the country. It was during this time that Cardinal Wojtyla showed his consummate skill as a politician. When union leaders called a general strike, the Soviets intervened. To make peace, Wojtyla persuaded the workers to return to work. But at the same time, he dissuaded the Soviet regime from punishing the dissidents and strike organizers. Through this situation, he re-echoes very well the words of St. Maximillian Kolbe: "Only love is capable of building. Hatred destroys. Hatred cannot build. It can only destroy. It breaks up society; at most it may impress the weakling, but it cannot build."

Attending the Conclave that chose Pope John Paul I
After two years, there was sudden news of the death of Paul VI, who was pope since 1963 A.D. He died on August 6, 1978 A.D. The media spread the news, and the world was shocked by his death. At once, Cardinals from all over the world attended the Conclave to elect a new pope. Two of Poland's cardinals attended this Conclave: Stephen Wyszynski, the "silent but renowned Cardinal"; and Karol Wojtyla, just 58 years old. Three weeks later, after only one day's voting, the Conclave elected Albino Luciani on the fourth ballot. It was the shortest conclave of the century and almost the shortest in history. Albino Luciani was about sixty-six years old, had a winning smile, and was known to have spent much of his life in pastoral work. What was striking about Luciani's pontificate is that it lasted only three weeks. Albino Luciani, a.k.a. Pope John Paul I, died of a pulmonary embolism on the night of September 28, 1978 A.D.

Wojtyla makes a pilgrimage before the second Conclave
After the world was shocked again by the news of the death of Pope John Paul I, Cardinals Wyszynski and Wojtyla would fly again to Rome for another Conclave. As the Conclave was about to open, Wojtyla resolves to have a day off. He makes a pilgrimage to a shrine of the Blessed Mother, the Mentorella, which was run by a small community of Polish monks. Wojtyla climbed 12 kilometers up in the mountains, goes to the shrine, prays at length in front of the statue of Our Lady, then goes back to Rome for the Conclave.

The first non-Italian pope since 1522 A.D. October 15, 1978 A.D. The Conclave chimney continues to emit black smoke - a sign that a Pope has not yet been chosen. On the ninth ballot of the conclave, the votes revealed an impressive 103 out of 109 for Cardinal Karol Wojtyla. It was final. Karol Wojtyla was to be the first non-Italian Pope since 1522 A.D., and at fifty-eight years old, the youngest pope since Pope Pius IX was elected at the age of fifty-four in 1846 A.D. October 16, 1978 A.D. Karol Wojtyla, now Pope John Paul II, appeared at the balcony of St. Peter's Square. He was not yet known to the world. However, through his first contact with the people at St. Peter's Square, even though it lasted only a couple of minutes, an enduring relationship was established between the Pope and the crowd at St. Peter's Square. Pope John Paul II had won the peoples' hearts and obtained their deepest sympathy.

Edited from the following books

• The Pope Coming from the East, by Teresio Bosco, S.D.B.
• An Intimate Portrait: John Paul II, by Mark Bakermans
• The Pontiff in Winter, by John Cornwell
• Pope John Paul II: Champion of Faith, by TV Guide Magazine Group, Inc.

Memorial of Saints (October 3)

St. Francis Borgia was a Spanish nobleman who married, and had eight children. When his wife passed away, he joined the Jesuits at 38 years of age. He eventually became commissionary general in Spain, and founded numerous monasteries, colleges and foundations. In 1565 A.D., he became father general of the Order. His success in revitalizing the Jesuits earned him the recognition as the Order's second founder (died ca. 1572 A.D.).

St. Gerard of Brogne gave up a military career for the religious life. He became a monk at Saint-Denis and founded an abbey in his estate in Brogne, Belgium. He also was a recluse and a reformer. He spent his last years reforming monasteries and restoring monastic discipline (died ca. 959 A.D.).

St. Hesychius was a disciple of the hermit St. Hilarion at Majuma, Palestine. When St. Hilarion went to Egypt, Hesychius followed, and then the two went on to Dalmatia and Cyprus. St. Hilarion sent Hesychius back to the monastery at Majuma to report to the community. When St. Hilarion passed away at Cyprus, St. Hesychius brought the body of his spiritual father back to the monastery of Majuma (died 4th century).

The Two Ewalds were brothers who went as missionaries to Germany in 694 A.D. One was dark and the other fair of skin. Both were killed by barbarians who felt threatened by the brothers' friendship with a local chieftain. The barbarians who killed the two brothers feared that the local chieftain would adopt the Christian faith. However, the chieftain, had the killers of the two brothers put to death (died ca. 695 A.D.).

Sts. Froilan and Attilanus were hermits. They organized a Benedictine community at Moreruela, Old Castile. In 900 A.D., St. Froilan became bishop of Léon, while St. Attilanus was named bishop of Zamora. These two were considered the restorers of Benedictine monasticism in Western Spain. St. Froilan died in ca. 905 A.D.

St. Thomas of Hereford was from a distinguished family in England. He was active and successful in the politics of his time. He became bishop of Hereford, but had to contend with the Archbishop of Canterbury on a certain jurisdictional dispute. St. Thomas was excommunicated by this archbishop. Thomas journeyed to appeal his case to the Pope, but became worn out by the trip and passed away. His shrine was noted for many miracles (died ca. 1282 A.D.).