Saint Pius V: Pope of The Holy Rosary. By C. M. Antony. Part 4.

CHAPTER III. THE HOLY OFFICE. (1543-1557) PART 2.

On returning to Rome to report upon the affair of Medolago, Father Michael was sent back to Bergamo to arrange this case, being specially charged by Pope Julius III to watch the Bishop, who was known to have a number of cases of Protestant books in his house, and who was openly surrounded by heretics. It was necessary to act strongly and quickly. Soranzo, however, disliked being watched, and appealed to the Senate. On s Dec., 1550, the Dominican Monastery of San Stefano was surrounded in the night by a band of assassins. The Fathers, suddenly awakened, rushed to warn the Inquisitor. Always prepared for death, he passed into the church, to kneel for a moment before the Blessed Sacrament, and then confided to a Franciscan friar, 1 a guest at the monastery, the process which he had drawn up against the Bishop, begging him to bring or send it secretly next day to a spot which he named. Then, crossing the court without any attempt at concealment, he opened the gate and escaped. Lost in the night, he found refuge in the hut of a poor peasant. Next day he met Fra Aurelio at the appointed place, received the process, went on to Rome and presented himself before the Cardinals of the Holy Office, who were enthusiastic in his praise. The Bishop of Bergamo was seized, brought to Rome, and imprisoned in Sant' Angelo, where by means of Father Michael he was convicted of holding heretical doctrines and of having spread them among his flock. He was deposed, exiled, and died in his native town of Venice, 1558.

In June, 1551, soon after the great Dominican returned to Rome for the second time from Bergamo, the Commissary-General of the Inquisition, Father Tropaeus, O.P., died. He had held the office since 1542. The Master-General of the Order submitted to the Holy Office the names of several suitable successors, 2 but Cardinal Caraffa, who had long observed Father Michael, seeing what an opportunity this was to retain his services permanently in Rome, nominated him, and he was unanimously elected; for as Caraffa said to the Pope, he was " a servant of God, worthy of the highest honours, and most eminent dignities". Reluctantly and humbly the saintly Dominican consented, under obedience, to accept the important office. He had been living at his monastery of Santa Sabina, 3 but Caraffa now obtained permission to lodge his friend in his own palace. Here the new Commissary-General lived like a simple religious, permitting himself no sort of dispensation in food or personal comfort. Caraffa so honoured him that he gave orders that Father Michael should at all times enter his presence without ceremony, and unannounced; and his high opinion of his friend was shared by his brother-Cardinals.

The work of the Commissary-General lay in Rome. It was his daily duty to visit those who lay in prison accused of heresy, and in this, perhaps even more than in any work he undertook, Father Michael's single desire for God's glory, and the Christ-like tenderness of his character, are conspicuous. His joy was to seek out among the prisoners those who showed the least signs of a desire to renounce their error, and to gain them to the Faith. It was a thorny task, and he had not a few failures. He went amongst the prisoners like a true father, doing more perhaps by his radiant holiness and charity to win souls to Christ than by his spoken words. As soon as he was convinced of the sincerity of a prisoner's repentance he asked very humbly his prayers for himself, and not only did all he could to improve his lot till the prisoner should be released by public recantation, but invited him to visit him, and dine at his simple table.

The case of the celebrated Sixtus of Sienna must be specially mentioned. Some years before, a young Jew who had become a Catholic while still a boy, had entered the Order of Friars Minor. Here his brilliant gifts brought him into great prominence. He became a popular preacher—always a special snare. But his horrified superiors discovered his discourses, and indeed his faith, to be tainted with heresy, imbibed from Ambrose Catharin, his former professor. 4 The matter was reported to the Holy Office, the young friar arrested and imprisoned. When examined he replied ingenuously that he really believed the heresy in question, as it seemed to him to illumine much that was obscure in the Catholic religion! He however, abjured, was released, and returned to his Order. Again beginning to preach he was again convicted of heresy. But this time there was no hope of escape. The penalty for a relapsed heretic was death by fire. Father Michael, walking through the prison, was struck by the attractive personality and profound misery of the young Franciscan. Having discovered his name and history, he spoke to him kindly, begging him to confide in him as a friend. This, after long persuasion, Sixtus did, but so great was his despair that he told the Commissary his only hope now was to expiate his shame by death, for the enormity of his sin seemed to have stunned him. The Inquisitor, deeply touched, redoubled his prayers and his visits. Day by day he offered the Holy Sacrifice for the conversion of this wanderer; daily he talked to the prisoner, full of sympathy and tenderness. " Even if I were to live," said Sixtus once, "I could never return to my Order. It has cast' me off. The only thing for me is to die." "Do you not think" asked the Inquisitor quietly, "that it might be even harder to live a life of penance ? "

He had struck the right chord. The whole nature of the unhappy prisoner responded to it. He burst into tears—the first he had shed since his arrest. " For that," he said, " I might be willing to livel" The Commissary left him, and hastened to the Pope. From him he begged and obtained the young friar's pardon. Such was the Pope's implicit confidence in him that, as one of his old biographers says : " what the Holy Father would not have granted to Kings he granted to Father Michael!"

Sixtus was pardoned, made full abjuration of his heresy, confessed to his preserver, and received absolution. The Inquisitor undertook to provide for his future, for Sixtus steadfastly refused to return to the Franciscan Order, whose habit, he said, he had utterly disgraced. Father Michael admitted him into the Order of Friars Preachers, himself clothing him with one of his own tunics, and adopting him as his spiritual child. Sixtus became one of the greatest Scripture scholars of his century and was never tired of saying that he owed not only his temporal but his eternal salvation to Father Michael. 5 

Perhaps an even more striking case is that of Father Felix of Montalto, 6 who has been already mentioned This learned and eloquent Franciscan was preaching in St. Peter's to crowded congregations when, one day, just as he was going into the pulpit an unknown person slipped into his hand a piece of folded paper. Thinking it was one of the questions so often presented to him, which he was in the habit of answering during the latter part of his sermon, Father Felix began to preach with his usual fire—for he was an orator of no mean capacity—and half-way through his discourse stopped to unfold the paper, and answer the question. These words met his eye : "Liar! you preach what you do not yourself believe ! "

The Franciscan was so much distressed that he found it impossible to continue. He trembled, grew pale, and after a few disconnected sentences left the pulpit and the church, and hastened back to his monastery. But his curious behaviour had caused great surprise, and some one had immediately reported the matter to the Holy Office. Scarcely had Father Felix reached the door of his convent than he was confronted by a representative of the Inquisition. Sounded, in a long interview, to the depths of his soul, and questioned closely on almost every point of importance in dogmatic theology, Father Felix in a long and exhaustive examination so clearly expressed his faith, and spoke with such luminous simplicity and earnestness, that his visitor at length rose, and holding out his arms cried, with tears in his eyes: " Come to me, if you ever need a defender!"

Two future Popes, Pius V and Sixtus V thus embraced each other!

The friendship was lifelong. The great Dominican honoured Father Felix with his confidence and consulted him on all matters of Faith.

On 23 March, 15551 Pope Julius III died, and Cardinal Marcello Cervini 7 became Pope as Marcellus II (9 April, 1555). He only survived his election a fortnight, and on 1 May, after a somewhat excited conclave (during which the name of Cardinal Pole, Legate in England, which he had just reconciled to the Church, was again freely mentioned as that of the future Pontiff) Cardinal Caraffa, then 80 years old, was elected Pope as Paul IV.

Of his deep affection for Michael Alexandrin the new Pope soon gave abundant proof. During the two spring conclaves of 1555, while the last national embassy from England was winding its way across the Alps to pay homage to the Pope, all authority was delegated by the Cardinals of the Holy Office to their Commissary, for the first time in history, 8 such was the confidence felt by the whole Roman Court in the integrity and holiness of the austere Dominican friar.

When Father Michael went to congratulate the new Pope, Paul IV told him that he would soon have to bear "half the burden of the Papacy". Father Michael began to explain how utterly unfit he was for any great charge, alluding to his humble birth, and begging the Pope to allow him to remain a simple religious. He was deeply moved, but Paul IV smiled, and commanded him, by holy obedience, instantly to accept whatever office or dignity might be laid upon him, for the glory of God, and the salvation of souls. In September, 1556, he was consecrated Bishop of Nepi and Sutri, 9 a see to which he had been presented by the Pope the previous year. He begged to be released from his office of Commissary, that he might go and live in his diocese. Paul IV refused, and appointed him in addition Prefect of the Palace, and it was not till January, 1557, after repeated appeals, that the Saint was allowed to leave Rome.

Arrived in his diocese he led the life of an apostle, travelling on foot in his white habit through every town and village, making acquaintance personally with all his people, preaching, confirming, ordaining, for two months. Then, feeling the responsibility of even so small a see too great, he returned once more to Rome to plead with the Pope to release him.

Paul IV's reply was that he should bind the Bishop to the service of the Church with chains so strong that he should never, even after the Pontiffs death, be able to break them. A day or two after the Pope suddenly sent for his friend, and told him he was about to be created Cardinal, at the consistory to be held that day. However, for some reason—perhaps to test him, the Saint was not on that occasion raised to the purple. He was so delighted that he could not contain his joy. " We have escaped! " he cried gleefully. There were not, however, wanting those who jeered at him for so cleverly concealing what, it seemed to them, must be his intense disappointment.

But his joy was of short duration. At the next consistory, 15 March, 1557, Michael Alexandiin was created Cardinal, under title of Sta. Maria sopra Minerva. 10

1 Fra Aurelio Griani, a Conventual.

2 The office of Commissary was, of course, always held by a Dominican.

3 The convent church oi Santa Sabina dates from the Pontificate of St. Celestin I (fifth century). It was restored by Gregory IX in the thirteenth century. The cell inhabited by St. Pius, on the great staircase, a little way above that of St. Dominic, is to-day a chapel where his memory is venerated by the faithful. Here he came regularly when Pope to make his annual retreat.

4 This heresy was on the subject of freewill and predestination.

5 In the Dedication of his " Bibliotheca Sancta," to St. Pius V in 1566, Sixtus says: " Where could I find a more powerful protector than yourself, who once dragged me from the gates of Hell ? Never can I tell all your benefits, and to no one on earth could I owe what I do to you."

6 Peretti

7 Di Sta. Croce in Gerusalemme. He was a member of the Holy Office, and a friend of Cardinal Pole.

8 "Paucis nonnullis atrocioribus causis exceptis " (Gabut, I.3).

9 In 1463 these two tiny Episcopal sees had been amalgamated, as singly the revenue of each was not sufficient to support a bishop. Both were a few miles from Rome, along the Via Flaminia.

10 This church was originally occupied by Greek Basilian monks. Gregory IX gave it to the Dominican Order, and it became the burial-place of St. Catherine of Sienna. This was the first time it had appeared as a titular church.

Saint Pius V: Pope of The Holy Rosary. By C. M. Antony. Part 3.

CHAPTER III. THE HOLY OFFICE. (1543-1557) PART 1.

"Without attempting to write an apology for the Inquisition it may be useful to state the principle on which it was founded. We must remember . . . that what is called in our days ' religious liberty' —that is, the supposed right of every one not only to believe in his own mind, but also to preach and teach his own opinions upon revealed truth, however repugnant those opinions may be to the doctrines of the Church—was utterly unknown anywhere in the sixteenth century. There was only one Church throughout Christendom, with the Pope at its head. The Church was acknowledged by all as a spiritual kingdom founded by Christ, teaching and ruling by His authority; and all men considered it the duty, not only of the Church, but of the secular government also, to prevent heresy from being preached or disseminated by books among the people. All government then was what we should call 'paternal' and as only one Church and one revealed doctrine was recognized, it was considered high treason against God and the authority of the State, to allow false doctrine to be preached." 1

It is perhaps unnecessary to add that just as " paternal government" is not the accepted ideal of the twentieth century, so punishments that were looked upon in mediaeval days as the inevitable consequences of certain acts, 2 would now be regarded with horror and amazement

Perhaps the chief accusation made against the Inquisition is that it used torture as a means of discovering the truth. In certain cases (with strictly-regulated precautions) it did so, but then, so did every civilized government throughout the world, without precautions! The practice had never been discontinued from pagan times. The sentimental humanitarianism which shrieks at the execution (and sometimes the imprisonment) of a popular murderer,-if sufficiently interesting, was unknown in the sixteenth century. 3

As the future history of St. Pius V is interwoven with that of the Roman Inquisition it is well to make this clear. We are called upon to defend him from those who would arraign him as an active and distinguished member of a cruel and bloodthirsty tribunal. To this charge his own life is the best answer. Appointed in 1543, the year after the re-constitution by Paul III of the Roman Inquisition, as Inquisitor at Como, and in the Swiss Grisons, he accepted the post in all humility, prepared, like St. Peter Martyr, to lay down his life for the Faith.

Switzerland was by that time a teeming centre of heresy. Colporteurs, laden with Lutheran and other heretical books, were continually passing across the Italian frontier to scatter their poisonous wares among the simple mountain folk. These books, as might be expected, were not only against faith but against morals, though as their real nature was carefully concealed, and they were seldom openly proclaimed as heretical productions, ignorant Catholics were in much danger of being deceived by them. It was against this importation of books that the new inquisitor waged unceasing war. His first step was to familiarize himself with the new scene of his labours. Night and day he travelled, alone and on foot No town or village was passed over as unimportant, no heretic did he meet whom he did not try to lead back to the light of Truth. "There was no cave so obscure" says a quaint old writer, " in those savage Grisons into which he had not penetrated." For six years he worked quietly and unremittingly, often in danger of assassination, for traps and ambushes were continually laid for him. But he escaped them all, for his time was not yet.

Great as his zeal was, it never outran discretion. But his passionate devotion to Holy Church was to bring him into sharp collision with Catholics. One of the saddest things in his magnificent story is to see how not once nor twice those who should have been the first to help him and uphold his authority did their best to oppose him, and even appealed against him to the civil power. Their temporal interests, their commerce, had been touched and they resented it hotly.

But Michael Ghislieri was absolutely fearless, absolutely uncompromising, regardless of the opinion either of Catholic or Protestant. Having before his eyes the honour of God only, he did his duty on grand and straightforward lines, whether it was the capture of a bale of heretic books, or the excommunication of a great Queen !

In 1549 he learned that a large consignment of a most virulent heretical book had been secretly printed at Poschiavo, and was to be sent to Como for private distribution.

Occasionally such smuggling had been carried successfully through, but this time the vigilant Inquisitor was forewarned.

He went to the house of the merchant who had brought the books (pretending they were ordinary goods) had the twelve bales opened, seized the volumes, and threatened the merchant with excommunication if he attempted to repossess himself of them.

The See of Como was then vacant, but the enraged merchant rushed to the Vicar-Capitular, to ask him to interfere, and order this high-handed Dominican immediately to restore his property. But the Inquisitor declined to acknowledge the Vicar's authority, 4 for Como was in the position of a town under martial law. He declined to restore the books. In justice to the Vicar-Capitular we must suppose he did not realize their heretical nature.

The merchant, however, having obtained them by force or fraud, the intrepid Inquisitor excommunicated the Vicar, the Chapter, and all who had assisted the man to withdraw them from his custody! He then sent a detailed report to the Holy Office, where his action was unanimously approved, and the whole Chapter of Como was summoned to Rome! As most of its members belonged to noble or wealthy families, the entire town was raised against the stern Dominican, who was doing his best, so said every one, to spoil the Swiss trade. It is to Como that the distinction belongs of allowing a Dominican Inquisitor, a future Pope and Saint, to be stoned through its streets by a Catholic population ! One powerful nobleman so far forgot himself as to threaten to throw Father Michael down a well. " That will be as God chooses," replied the Inquisitor, quietly, and went on with his usual work.

The Chapter next appealed to the civil power,— the regular course for those inclined to heresy. The Inquisitor was imperiously summoned to appear before the Governor of Milan. Warned of an ambush to assassinate him on the way, he chose a different route, and walking the ten leagues during the night, arrived at Milan in the morning. When he appeared before the Governor, Gonzaga, to insult him still further, took no notice of him at all, but left him standing till all the other cases were disposed of; when, glaring angrily at the Inquisitor for a moment, he left the hall. Scarcely had he done so when a friend of Fr. Michael's hastened to him with the news that he was about to be imprisoned, and counselled him to escape immediately. He thanked the nobleman, went out, procured a mule, and set off at once for Rome, which he reached in a few days.

Arriving at the Monastery of Sta. Sabina, he asked for the Prior. This dignitary, mindful of the rule of the Order, that no friar was ever to come to Rome without special permission, thought well to say ironically : " What do you seek here ? Are you thinking of becoming Pope? 5 Perhaps the Cardinals have already elected you ? " To this the holy friar quietly answered: " For the cause of Christ I am here, and for no other reason. I ask only a short hospitality, and a little hay for my mule." It was Christmas Eve, 1549; he was wet, cold and weary. This was the welcome of the future Pope to the Eternal City!

When the Inquisitor presented himself before the Holy Office and told the story of Como with simplicity and directness, the Cardinals were so impressed that the Vicar and Canons of Como, who had by this time all arrived, in much excitement, could prevail nothing. One or two of the Holy Office, however, said to Fr. Michael that perhaps he had been a little severe! " Nothing," cried the dauntless Dominican, " can be too severe for those who attempt to oppose the ministers of religion by the civil power!" From this simple, essential principle no consideration, personal, temporal, or material, could ever move him.

So greatly did he impress the Holy Office as absolutely fearless and reliable that henceforth he was specially reserved for important tasks. The Vicar and Chapter of Como were condemned and punished. But these things did not make the Inquisitor popular with lax Catholics!

While Father Michael was in Rome in the spring of 1550, a dispute over the election of a new Bishop of Coire, in the Grisons, was referred to the Holy Office, and he was considered the fittest person to judge the cause. It was one of those sad but frequent cases where a bishopric was hotly disputed between two rival candidates. These were two Canons, Pianti and Salici, both of good family, of whom the former had the greater number of votes, but was accused of bribery, suspected of heresy, and known to lead a very lax life. Fr. Michael set out on foot for Coire, and as he had to pass through the very district where he had just made himself so unpopular, and as heretics swarmed in the Grisons, he was strongly advised to lay aside his habit and travel in disguise. To this he replied, characteristically: "When I accepted the office of Inquisitor I also accepted almost certain death. For what more glorious reason could I die than because I wear the white habit of St Dominic ? " He walked through Lombardy alone, armed only with his staff and his breviary, and such was the respect that even heretics now felt for him that he was unmolested. He reached Coire, passed sentence in the case, condemned Pianti, and installed Salici as Bishop without the slightest attempt being made upon him.

Just at this time the Inquisitor at Bergamo, a beautiful old town near Como, being absent, Fr. Michael was unanimously proposed to take his place. " Whenever some one of marvellous strength and energy is needed, Michael seems to be the person to be sent," quoted the Cardinals. 6 For at Bergamo a certain lawyer, Medolago, was openly preaching the most pestilential heresy. As he was rich and powerful no previous Inquisitor had dared to proceed against him, lest he should run the risk of assassination. 7

Father Michael did not imitate this cowardice. Assuring himself first of the heretical propaganda, he caused Medolago to be seized unawares, and flung into prison. He was a convinced and obstinate heretic; all attempts to enlighten him were vain. He was finally condemned and transported to Venice, where he died in prison. 8

But a still more serious danger menaced the ancient city. Vittorio Soranzo, Bishop of Bergamo, had become secretly a Lutheran.

1 Life of St. Pius V," by Fr. Bertrand Wilberforce, O.P. (C.T.S., Id.).

2 In Spain, France, Germany, and Italy the civil penalty for blasphemy, even in anger, was death. Legal penalties are still attached to this offence in England.

3 In England, up to the eighteenth century, a wife who murdered her husband was burned alive. In the reign of Charles II the penalty for clipping the King's coin was boiling in oil! These barbarous punishments were the order of the day in mediaeval times, and it was perfectly understood that they were the consequences of certain crimes. Our ancestors, less sensitive than ourselves, were curiously indifferent to torture, and even death.

4 Inquisitors were directly responsible to the Holy Office; a board of Cardinals in Rome.

5 Pope Paul III died 1o Nov., 1549. His successor, Julius III, was not elected till 7 Feb., 1550. The Cardinals were at this time in conclave. It was on this occasion that Cardinal Pole was so nearly elected to the Papacy.

6 St. Gregory, Hom, 34, on the Gospels.

7 "In maximum periculum," Gabut, I, 2.

8 His friends, who had actually effected his escape from prison at Bergamo, were so terrified at the censures launched against them by Father Michael that of their own accord they brought him back!