Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 3.djvu/688

 CHARLES

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CHARLES

great pressure was brought to bear upon him to give up the ecclesiastical state and to marry. This view was even suggested to him by the pope, at the instance of other relatives. Some months passed in these ef- forts to influence Charles, but finally he resolved to definitely fix himself in the ecclesiastical state by being secretly ordained priest. The ordination took place, by the hands of Cardinal Federigo Cesa, in Santa Maria Maggiore, on the 4th of September, 1563. He writes that he celebrated his first Mass on the Assumption, in St. Peter's, at the altar of the Confes- sion. He said his second Mass at his house, attached to the Gesu, in an oratory where St. Ignatius had been accustomed to cele- brate. Charles at this time had as his con- fessor Father Giovanni Battista Ribera, S. J. n the 7th of Decem- ber, 156.3, the feast of St. Ambrose, he was consecrated bishop in the Sistine Chapel ; on the 23rd of March, 1.364, he received the pallium, and was pre- conized on the 12th of May. In the follow- ing June his title was changed to that of Santa Prassede.

Meanwhile Charles had provided for the spiritual wants of his diocese. ' Antonio Roberti, in May, 1560, had, as his vicar, taken possession of his arch- bishopric, and Charles sent Monsignor Dona- te, Bishop of Bobbio, as his deputy for episcopal functions. Monsignor Dona to soon died, and in his place ( 'harles commis- sioned Monsignor Gi- rolamo Ferragato, O. S. A., one of his suffra- gans, to visit the dio- <•. m, and to report on its needs. Ferragato entered Milan, 23 April, 1562; on 24 June of the same year Charles sent to Milan Fathers Palmio and Carvagial, S. J., with the ob- ject of preparing the faithful of the diocese, both clergy and laity.for the carrying out of the reforms prescribed I >y t he Council of Trent. While anxious for the spiritual welfare of his flock, he was no less solicitous for his own. There came to him the thought of what was the will of God concerning him, and whether he was to continue as the spiritual father of his diocese or retire to a monastery. It happened in the autumn of 1. "><;:;. between the sessions of the Council of Trent, that I he Cardinal of Lorraine went to Rome, accompanied by Yen. Bartholomew of the Martyrs, O. 1'.. Arch- bishop of Braga, in Portugal (see BARTHOLOMEW "i Hi; m;a). Bartholomew had already shown himself to be of a like spirit to Charles, and when Pius IV introduced them, and suggested that he should begin the reform of the cardinals in the person of Charles, Bartholomew answered that if the princes of the Church had all been like Cardinal Borromeo, he would have proposed them as models for the reform of the rest of the clergy. In a private interview, Charles opened his heart to Bartholomew and told him of his thought of retiring to a monastery. Bar-

St. Charles Borromeo (By Crespi, Ambros

tholomew applauded his desire, but at the same time declared his opinion that it was God's will that he should not abandon his position. Charles was now assured that it was his duty to remain in the world; but all the more he felt he ought to visit his diocese, though the pope always opposed his departure. Bartholomew counselled patience, and represented the assistance he could give to the pope and the whole Church by remaining in Rome. Charles was satisfied, and stayed on, doing the great work neces- sary by sending zealous deputies. After the Council of Trent he was much occupied with the production of the catechism embodying the teaching of the council, the revision of the Missal and Breviary. He also was a member of a commission for the reform of church music, and chose Palestrina to compose three masses; one of these is the "Missa Paps Marcelli".

Pastoral solicitude, which is the charac- teristic chosen for mention in the collect of his feast, made him ever anxious to have the most suitable rep- resentatives in Milan. He heard of the ex- cellent qualities of Monsignor Nicolo Ormaneto, of the Diocese of Verona. and succeeded in obtaining the consent of Iris bishop to his transference to Milan. Ormaneto had been in the household of Cardinal Pole, and also the principal as- sistant of the Bishop of Verona. On the 1st of July, 1564, Orma- neto reached Milan, and at once carried out Charles' instructions by calling together a diocesan synod for the promulgation of tin decrees of the Council of Trent. There were 1200 priests at the synod. It was with the clergy that Charles began t he reform, and the many abuses needed skilful and tactful treatment. Father Palmio contributed much in bringing the clergy to a sense of the necessity for reform. The synod was fol- lowed by a visitation of the diocese by Ormaneto. In September Charles sent thirty Jesuit Fathers to assist his vicar; three of these were placed over the seminary, which was opened on the 11th of Novem- ber (feast of St. Martin of Tours). Charles was con- stantly direct im; the work of restoration of ecclesiasti- cal discipline, and the education of the young, even down to minute details, was foremost in his thoughts. The manner of preaching, repression of avaricious priests, crele.Mast ical ceremonies, and church music are some of the subjects on which Charles wrote many letters. The revival of strict observance of rule in the convents of nuns was another matter to which Charles urged Ormaneto's attention; the setting up of grilles in the convent parlours was ordered, and, to remove material difficulties, Charles ordered his agent, Albonese, to pay the cost of this where the convents, through poverty, were unable to bear the