CHARLES
624
CHARLES
He began in the Mesolcina Valley ; here not only was
there heresy to be fought, but also witchcraft and
sorcery, and at Roveredo it was discovered that the
provost, or rector, was the foremost in sorceries.
Charles spent considerable time in setting right this
terrible state of things. It was his especial care to
leave holy priests and good religious to guide the peo-
ple. Next he visited Bellinzona and Ascona, working
strenuously to extirpate heresy, and meeting with
much opposition from the Bishop of Coire. The ne-
gotiations were continued into the next year, the last
of Charles on earth. All his work bore fruit, and his
efforts in these parts ensured the preservation of the
Faith. The heretics spread false reports that Charles
was really working for Spain against the inhabitants
of the Orisons. In spite of their falsehoods Charles
continued to attack them and to defend the Catholics,
who had much to suffer.
At the beginning of 1584 he had an attack of ery- sipelas in one leg, which obliged him to remain in bed. He however had a congress of the rural deans, sixty in number, with whom he full}' discussed the needs of the diocese. He also made great exertions to sup- press the licentiousness of the carnival. Knowing the needs of the invalids who left the great hospital he determined to found a convalescent hospital. He did not live to see it completed, but his immediate successor saw that the work was executed. During September and early October he was at Novara, Vercelli, and Turin. On the 8th of October he left Turin and thence travelled to Monte Varallo. He was going to prepare for death. His confessor, Father Adorno, was told to join him. On 15 October he be- gan the exercises by making a general confession. On the 18th the Cardinal of Vercelli summoned him to Arona to discuss urgent and important business. The night before Charles spent eight hours in prayer on his knees. On the 20th he was back at Varallo; on the 24th an attack of fever came on; he concealed it at first, but suffering from sickness he was obliged to declare his state. For five days this state lasted, but still he said Mass and gave Communion daily, and carried on his correspondence. He seemed to know that death was at hand and determined to work as long as he had strength left. The foundation of the college at Ascona was not completed, anil it was urgent that it should be finished in a short time, so Charles pressed on and started, in spite of his suffer- ings, on 29 October, having previously paid a farewell visit to the chapels. He was found prostrate in the chapel where the Burial of Our Lord was represented. He rode to Arona, thence went by boat to Canobbio, where he stayed the night, said Mass on the 30th, and proceeded to Ascona. He visited the college, and afterwards set out at night for Canobbio, staying a short time at Locarno, where he intended to bless a cemetery, but, finding himself without his pontifical vestments, he abandoned the idea. When he reached Canobbio the fever was decreasing, and he was very weak. The next day he took the boat for Arona and stayed there with the Jesuits, at the noviti- ate he had founded, and on All Saints' Day he said Mass for the last time, giving Communion to the novices and many of the faithful. The next day he assisted at Mass and received Holy Communion. His cousin, Rene Borromeo, accompanied him on the
bout, and thai evening he reached Milan. It was not known there that he was ill. He at once was visited by doctors, whose orders hi' obeyed. lie would not allow Mass to be said in his room. A picture of Our Lord in the tomb was before him , together with two others of Jesus at ( lethsemani and the body of the
dead Christ. The physicians regarded the danger as extreme, and though there was a slight improvement,
it was not maintained, and the fever returned with
great severity. The archpriest of the cathedral gave him the Viaticum, which he received vested in
rochet and stole. The administration of extreme
unction was suggested. "At once", Charles replied.
It was at once given, and afterwards he showed but
little sign of life. The governor, t he Duke of Terra Nova,
arrived after great difficulty in getting through the
crowds which surrounded and had entered the palace.
The prayers for a passing soul were said, the Passion
was read, with Father Bascape and Father Adorno at
the bedside, the words "Ecce venio" (Behold I come)
being the last words he was heard to utter (3 Novem-
ber, 1584). On the 7th of Xovember his requiem
was sung by Cardinal Xicold Sfondrato, Bishop of
Cremona, afterwards Pope Gregory XIV. He was
buried at night in the spot which he had chosen.
Devotion to him as a saint was at once shown and gradually grew, and the Milanese kept his anniversary as though he were canonized. This veneration, at first private, became universal, and after 1601 Cardi- inal Baronius wrote that it was no longer necessary to keep his anniversary by a requiem Mass, and that the solemn Mass of the day should be sung. Then materials were collected for his canonization, and processes were begun at Milan, Pavia, Bologna, and other places. In 1604 the cause was sent to the Con- gregation of Rites. Finally, 1 Xovember, 1610, Paul V solemnly canonized Charles Borromeo, and fixed his feast for the 4th day of November.
The position which Charles held in Europe was indeed a very remarkable one. The mass of corre- spondence both to and by him testifies to the way in which his opinion was sought. The popes under whom he lived — as has been shown above — sought his advice. The sovereigns of Europe, Henry III of France, Philip II, Mary, Queen of Scots, and others showed how they valued his influence. His brother cardinals have written in praise of his virtues. Car- dinal Valerio of Verona said of him that he was to the well-born a pattern of virtue, to his brother cardinals an example of true nobility. Cardinal Baronius styled him "a second Ambrose, whose early death, lamented bv all good men, inflicted great loss on the Church".
It is a matter of interest to know that Catholics in England late in the sixteenth or at the beginning of the seventeenth century had circulated some life of St. Charles in England. Doubtless some knowledge of him had been brought to England by Blessed Edmund Campion, S. J., who visited him at Milan in 1580, on his way to England, stopped with liim some eight days, and conversed with him every day after dinner. Charles had much to do with England in the days of his assistance to Pius IV, and he had a great ven- eration for the portrait of Bishop Fisher. Charles also had much to do with St. Francis Borgia. General of the Jesuits, and with St. Andrew of Avellino of the Theatines, who gave great help to his work in Milan.
The complete works of St. Charles — "Noctes Vat- ieana'and "Homilies" — were edited by J. A. Sassi and published in five volumes (Milan, 1747-8). The "Acta Ecclesise Mediolanensis" contain many works not included in the edition of Sassi. They wen' first published in 2 vols.. Milan, 1599, and there have been several reprints, the last forming vols. II and III of the "Acta Eccl. Med." Vol. I of this edition will contain Acts previous to, and vol. IV Acts subse- quent to. St. Charles. Some of his works which have been published separately are: "Pastorum Instruc- tiones el Epistolse , ed. by Westhoff, Munster, 1846; "Sermoni familiari di S. Carlo Borromeo fatti alle monache dette Angeliche", ed. by Volpi, Padua, 1720: "St. Charles' instructions on Church Building", tr. by George J. Wrigley, London, is.">7. For St. Charles' life (and bibliography) consult also a valuable article by F. Vernet . in Diet ionnaire de theologie catholique, l'aseie. XVII, cols. 2207-2272.
The chief source- for the life of St Charles Borromeo are the three lives written by his contemporaries: Valerio, Vila
