Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 2.djvu/560

 BERNARD

496

BERNARD

tember, 1642. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1603 when sixteen years old. Being a finished clas- sical scholar he taught humanities and rhetoric with success. The greater part of his life, however, he spent as professor of pliilosophy and theology at Saragossa, where he died. He was a man of rare innocence and candour of soul; so great was his love of prayer tliat it would be hard to saj- to which he devoted more time, to meditation or to study. He was looked upon by many as one of the most learned men of his age. His published works are: " Dispu- tationes de Divini Verbi Incarnatione" (Saragossa, 1639); " Disputationes de Sacramentis in genere, Eucharistia et Ordine" (Lyons, 1651) a posthumous work.

SorTHWELL. Bibliotheca, 93; Hubter. Xomenclator, 3S0.

TiMOTHT B. B.\KRETT.

Bernard (or Barnard), Saint, Archbishop of Vienne, France, b. in 778; d. at Vienne, 23 Januarj-, 842. His parents, who lived near Lyons and had large possessions, gave him an excellent education, and Bernard, in obedience to the paternal wish, married and became a militarj' officer imder Charle- magne. After seven years as a soldier the death of his father and mother recalled him. Dividing his property into three parts, one for the Church, one for the poor, and one for his children, he retired to the wilderness of Ambronay, where there was a poor monasterj'. Bernard bought the monastery, enlarged it, and become one of its inmates. I'pon the death of the abbot he was elected (805) to the \acant posi- tion. In 810 he was chosen Archbishop of Vienne to succeed Volfere, but it was only upon the command of Pope Leo III and of Charlemagne that he accepted the honour. He was consecrated by Leidtrade, Archbishop of Lyons, and distinguished himself by his piety and learning. He took part in dra\\nng up the Capitularies of Charlemagne and aided Ago- bard in a work upon Jewish superstitions.

Bernard was a member of the Council of Paris (824) convoked by Louis the Pious, at the request of Eugenius II, in the hope of bringing about an agree- ment between the Church of France and that of the East as to the devotion to be paid to images. Ber- nard took an unfortunate position in the quarrels between Louis the Pious and his sons over the parti- tion of the empire between the three sons of his first marriage, to which the monarch had agreed. Like Agobard of Lyons, Bernard sided mth the oldest son, Lothair, and was one of the prelates who deposed the emperor at Compiegne and condemned him to make a public penance. Louis soon regained his authority and another coimcil of bishops annulled the action of the one of Compiegne. Agobard and Bernard were deposed, but the sentence of deposition was never carried out, owing to the intervention of Lothair, who had been reconciled to his father. From this time on, the archbishop devoted himself entirely to the duties of his pastoral office. Towards the end of his life he loved to retire to a solitarj' spot on the banks of the Isere where stands to-day the town of Romans which owes its origin to him.' On the approach of death he had himself removed to Vienne. He is honoureil in Dauphiny as the patron saint of agricultural labourers.

Ada SS. (3d ed.), Januar.v, III, 157-187; Bibl. hag. lot. (189S), 149-150; Ch.iphuxs, St. Bernard, Archei'eqite de Vienne (Grenohle. 1898).

A. ForRNET.

Bernard, Ali-.-cis-Xyste. Bishop of St. Hyacinth, P. Q., Canada, b. at Beloeil, P. Q., 29 December, 1S47. He made his classical and theological studies under the Sulpician Fathers in Montreal, and was ordained priest 1 October, 1871. .\fter a year as curate he became successively President of Sorel College, Canon of the Cathedral, Archdeacon, Secre-

tarj- for the diocese, Vicar-General, Provost of the Chapter, and Prothonotary Apostolic. After the death of Bishop Jloreau, in 1901, Mgr. Bernard was continued in the office of Vicar-General by Bishop Decelles. and, when the latter died, in 1905. was elected Vicar-Capitular. The Institute of the Sisters of St. Joseph, owe to him their organization, and formation as a teaching body. Besides "Svnodal Decrees" and a summary of the "Clerical Confer- ences", he edited the "Pastoral Letters" of the bishops of the diocese, in nine volumes. He declined the See of St. Hyacinth on the plea of his enfeebled health, until he received from Pope Pius X a per- eraptorv order to accept. He was consecrated 15 February, 1906.

L. O. ROBERGE.

Bernard Carvajal. See Carv.\jal.

Bernard Circa. See Bern.\rd op Pavia.

Bernard, Claude, a French ecclesiastic known as "the poor priest" (le pauvre pretre), b. at Dijon, 23 December, 1588; d. in Paris, 23 March, 1641. His father was a distinguished la'nyer, and filled suc- cessively offices of honour and responsibility. Young Bernard was educated at the Jesuit college of Dole and was remarked for his brilliant imagination and wit. Pierre Le Camus Bishop of Belley urged him to enter the priesthood, but lie declined, saving that he preferred the life of a poor gentleman to that of a poor priest. Shortly afterwards he went to Paris as a prot^g^ of M. de Bellegarde, Governor of Bourgogne. For a while the social life of the capital attracted him; gradually, however, some disappointments, together with the death of an intimate friend who was killed in a duel, brought about a decided change in his mode of life and led up to liis entrance into the priesthood. He was ordained by the above- mentioned Bishop Le Camus, and invited to his first Mass the poor of the city, distributing to them all his possessions, and, later on, an inheritance of 400,000 livres, or about eighty thousand dollars.

Henceforth Bernard devoted himself to the service of the poor, and delighted in the name of "the poor priest". The poor, the sick, and the prisoners were ills special care; he fed, nursed, consoled, and in- structed them with more than motherly tenderness. This life of self-sacrifice seemed rather to increase his personal charms. Wealthy and distinguished persons sought his company, and for the honour of entertain- ment at his modest table contributed abundantly to his charities. His kindly wit never deserted him. When Cardinal Richelieu once pressed upon him the acceptance of some favours he replied that he would be pleased if stronger boards were placed in the tumbril, or cart, on which the condemned were taken to execution. "It is a pity", said he, "that the constant dread of falling through the vehicle should distract our attention from God".

Bernard's methods were characterized by some as odd and reprehensible. He continued, however, to enjoy the friendship and admiration of saintlj' priests like Bourdoise, Olier, and St. Vincent de Paul, an ample justification of his character and sacerdotal ministry. In the historj' of charity he bears a strik- ing resemblance to St. Francis of Assisi and St. Vin- cent de Paul, and his beatification has often been urged by the royal court and by the clergy of France. He founded at Paris, for the education of poor candi- dates for the priesthood, the seminary of the Trente- Trois, which still exists. He contributed much to popularize the beautiful prayer to the Blessed Virgin known as the Meniorare, sometimes attributed to him, but certainly of an earlier date.

The life of'Bernani ha.* been written by Gaitfre (16801. LE.MPERECR (17081; R10.M (1S34); Feller. Biog. unir. (Paris; 1834). II. 244; Rohrb.vcher, Hist, de lEglise (Paris. 1850), XXV. 251-261.

Charles B. Schr.^ntz.