Carthusian Saints (PDF) - Charterhouse of the Transfiguration

sick, both in body and soul, had the particular interest of his fatherly
care. He had a special gift in providing a remedy for temptations and
in animating those who were discouraged. As regards those who were
proficient in the spiritual life, he judged them worthy of all honors.
He showed to them all the proofs of perfect esteem even going as far
as to give them the right of way as they passed by and to stand up in
their presence.
It was during his priorate that the wish was expressed by the Priors
of the other Charterhouses for a more stable and more structured
organization of the Order in the form of an annual General Chapter.
Anthelm was open to this and welcomed the first General Chapter at
the Grande Chartreuse in 1140. After the foundation by Saint Bruno
in 1084, this first General Chapter was like a ‘second starting point’
for our Order.
Humble as he was, he repeatedly asked to be dismissed as Prior.
After twelve years, in 1151, he finally obtained this. But as the Prior
of Portes had died at that time, the monks of Portes asked Basil,
Anthelm’s successor as superior of the Mother house, to send them
the latter as their new Prior. Anthelm had to accept this. During his
priorate storms destroying the harvest in the region of Portes caused a
scarcity of food. Anthelm distributed generously wheat and vegetables
from the monastery storage rooms to the farmers. He also came
to the financial aid of other monasteries.
Two years later the diocese of Belley, (3) in which Portes is located,
needed a new Bishop. The people there strongly wanted
Anthelm to become the Bishop. He refused, but to no avail. Pope
Alexander III ordered him to accept and ordained Anthelm in 1163.
As Bishop he offered great services to the Church. Within the first
year of his consecration he launched a reform of the clergy. He defended
the rights of the Church against the powerful. A bitter conflict
with Humbert, count of Savoy, ended with Humbert asking the holy
Bishop’s forgiveness, which the latter granted him with great benignity.
He kept up the same monastic fervor as before. Every year he
would withdraw for a few days at the Grande Chartreuse, where he
had a cell like the other monks.
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