22.06.2013 Views

The history of the popes, from the close of the middle ages : drawn ...

The history of the popes, from the close of the middle ages : drawn ...

The history of the popes, from the close of the middle ages : drawn ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

236<br />

HISTORY OF THE POPES.<br />

It was doubly fortunate for <strong>the</strong> Church that she should<br />

have found at her head so wise and vigorous a leader in <strong>the</strong><br />

wa}' towards a complete renewal <strong>of</strong> her life, and that that<br />

leader should have presented himself just at <strong>the</strong> right moment.<br />

In <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> Adrian VI. even such an eagle as Pius V. would<br />

certainly have found his wings clipped, but now <strong>the</strong> way lay<br />

open before him, and this was especially ovving to <strong>the</strong> labours<br />

and sacrifices <strong>of</strong> those great men who, by <strong>the</strong>ir foundation <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> great reforming Orders had found a way <strong>of</strong> multiplying<br />

<strong>the</strong>mselves, and producing innumerable more or less faithful<br />

copies <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>mselves. Besides this, <strong>the</strong> great reforming Pope<br />

found among his own contemporaries many men <strong>of</strong> a like<br />

stamp with himself. Philip Neri with his band <strong>of</strong> disciples<br />

was working <strong>close</strong> at hand for <strong>the</strong> moral regeneration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Eternal City.^ In north Italy it was under Pius V. that <strong>the</strong><br />

great Archbishop <strong>of</strong> Milan began by means <strong>of</strong> his provincial<br />

councils to become <strong>the</strong> disciplinary law-giver for <strong>the</strong> whole<br />

Church. Germany had its Peter Canisius and France at least<br />

its Cardinal <strong>of</strong> Lorraine and its Possevino. <strong>The</strong>se men<br />

formed <strong>the</strong> mountain tops, which, visible to <strong>the</strong> eyes <strong>of</strong> all<br />

<strong>the</strong> world, shed <strong>the</strong>ir light far and wide, but <strong>the</strong> historian, if he<br />

looks a little deeper, can see that <strong>the</strong>y were nei<strong>the</strong>r isolated<br />

nor alone, but only <strong>the</strong> highest peaks <strong>of</strong> a whole mountain<br />

range, yet showing at <strong>the</strong> same time that side by side with<br />

<strong>the</strong>se heights <strong>of</strong> sacrifice and energy <strong>the</strong>re were still to be<br />

found <strong>the</strong> lowest depths <strong>of</strong> decadence and immorality.<br />

According to <strong>the</strong> sa3dng <strong>of</strong> Borromeo,^ in <strong>the</strong> XVIth century<br />

it was <strong>the</strong> clergy <strong>of</strong> Spain who especially proved <strong>the</strong>mselves<br />

<strong>the</strong> " nerve centre <strong>of</strong> Christianity. "^ Among <strong>the</strong>m must be<br />

Christina, <strong>of</strong> October 16, 1567, in Laderchi, 1567, n. 15 seq. ;<br />

two o<strong>the</strong>rs to King Sebastian and Cardinal Henry <strong>of</strong> Portugal,<br />

<strong>of</strong> October 27, 1567, ibid., n. 17 seq.<br />

1 Fur<strong>the</strong>r particulars in Vol. XIX. cf this wcrk.<br />

^ " II clero . . . di Spagna che e 11 nerve di tutta la Christ-<br />

ianity." Borromeo, August 18, 1565, in Steinherz, IV., 436.<br />

2 <strong>The</strong> following Spaniards <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> XVIth century were deemed<br />

worthy <strong>of</strong> canonization : John <strong>of</strong> God (died 1550), Francis Xavier<br />

(died 1552), Thomas <strong>of</strong> Villanova (died 1555), Ignatius <strong>of</strong> Loyola

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!