PART THREE

HOLINESS AND APOSTOLATE

SECTION THREE

TESTIMONIES ON THE CAPUCHIN WAY OF LIFE FROM THE PROCESSES OF THE SAINTS (1587 -1641)

5. Depositions on the way of life of Saint Lawrence of Brindisi from some diocesan, informative and apostolic processes (1624 – 1629)

P. Costanzo Cargnoni O.F.M. Cap. in I Frati Cappuccini: Documenti e testimonianze del primo secolo, Edizioni Frate Indovino, Perugia, vol III/2, pp.4941-4943.

Prepared in English by Gary Devery OFM Cap

Introduction by Costanzo Cargnoni

Saint Lawrence of Brindisi in his spiritual and apostolic maturity stands out as a paragon of the Capuchin reform, embodying its most distinctive and original qualities and ideals. He was a gifted popular preacher, a learned theologian and biblical scholar, an intrepid missionary and diplomat, a polemicist and controversialist, and a tireless pilgrim traversing the European regions from East to West. He founded prominent provinces on the anti-Protestant Eastern front and was a prolific writer, a prodigious polyglot, a fervent contemplative and mystic, and possessed an exuberant spiritual charism that continues to captivate today.

Despite his remarkable human and spiritual achievements, Saint Lawrence’s popularity has waned. Even within his Order, he remains perceived as exceptional, leading modern historians to attempt to demystify him and portray him more humanly. They are ‘satisfied’ by recalling some of his ‘harshness’ in defending his tried and tested way and ideal of the Capuchin life in culturally diverse regions.

However, these impressions are swiftly dispelled upon reading the extensive depositions of his canonical process, where there is only the difficulty of choice. The resulting material is in fact far from being exploited to form an overall and complete vision, despite the substantial volumes of Arturo M. da Carmignano di Brenta, from which we have drawn the primary texts presented here.

Numerous testimonies from the trials, collected as early as five years after his death, provide a comprehensive record of Saint Lawrence’s life. These testimonies span the diocesan processes of Munich and Venice in 1624 and 1625 up to the informative and apostolic processes of Naples, Venice, Brindisi, Albenga, Genoa, Milan, Vicenza, Bassano, Verona, Villafranca del Bierzo in Spain. They offer a rich tapestry of biographical and hagiographical information, memories, judgments, and warm and lively reflections.

Out of the seventeen depositions reported here, two originate from the diocesan process of Munich, three from that of Venice, one from the apostolic process of Genoa, three from the process of Naples, four from the apostolic process of Vicenza, and another four from that of Milan. In these depositions, the saint, if exalted for his extraordinary human and spiritual qualities and followed in the changing phases and countless events of his life, according to a traditional biographical and hagiographical scheme, is also presented in his daily life, psychology, with small details of extraordinary interest to decipher his rich personality and his intense Franciscan and Capuchin spirituality.

A robust and powerful man, tall and well-proportioned, with a penetrating gaze, he was also a fragile man, afflicted with numerous ailments, often seriously ill and suffering from gout and podagra, particularly in the final phase of his life.

Unwavering in his resistance to vice, he was most merciful with repentant sinners and identified so deeply with the suffering of others that he felt it almost physically in his own flesh, to the point of crying with tenderness.

As the texts state, he was a man who rarely smiled and almost always cried due to an inexorable gift for tears; yet he was always cheerful and filled with serenity and peace (cf. nos. 8755, 8757, 8802). A character who instilled courage and confidence, to the extent of leading an army into battle with his almost magnetic fortitude, and he possessed the ability to persuade emperors, princes, and kings; yet he was always ready to heed the advice of his lay brother companions with impressive humility and simplicity.

His presence drew crowds like a magnet, yet he endeavoured to avoid them and escape them with all his might. He was perpetually engrossed in prayer and contemplative solitude, yet he was compelled to speak continuously in pulpits, among European courts, to friars, ecclesiastical prelates, gatherings of Jewish people, and the general public, drawing upon his remarkable talent as a polyglot.

He was an anchorite always traversing the world’s roads while maintaining an inner hermitage, as St. Francis aptly described it, in a constant conversation with God, with his Crucified One, the ‘beautiful Virgin clothed in the sun,’ and the saints. Even in his diverse social roles, he never interrupted this inner flow.

Prayer and study were the foundations of his culture and apostolic activity, with prayer surpassing study. The Bible, the Passion of the Crucified, a small portrait of the Virgin and Child, were his cherished treasures, even during his endless journeys. As General Minister, he made a visitation of all the Capuchin friaries in Switzerland, France, Flanders, Spain, and Italy, always on foot, even refusing the assistance of riding on a small mule. These marathon-like ascetic itineraries did not disrupt the strict regime of fasting, brief rest on straw sacks or on the ground, the disciplines, and participation in the communal day and night prayer.

Despite his childlike humility and innocence, he possessed the decisiveness and confidence of a leader when faced with his responsibilities as minister and servant of the friars. His temperament was a harmonious blend of Franciscan tenderness of the contemplative soul and the authoritative strength of action. He was agile and adept at swiftly transitioning from one task to another, always acting promptly and personally on every occasion.

It is these contrasts, these sudden changes of temperament, these highs and lows, these opposing tones, that contribute to the formidable personality of Lawrence of Brindisi. As Ilarino of Milan observed, Lawrence possessed an extraordinary abundance and degree of talents, which consistently developed to a high level through his willpower and the charism of grace. He consistently employed these talents with magnanimity in his various apostolic endeavours, academic pursuits, and the tasks and offices bestowed upon him by Providence. In the sustained tone and rhythm of his entire existence, spanning from 1559 (July 22nd) to 1619 (July 22nd), solidifies his position among the most prominent figures of the post-Tridentine era.

While his diplomatic endeavours in Bavaria and Spain, coupled with his missions in Bohemia-Austria culminating in the epic Battle of Alba Reale, are celebrated in procedural texts, a singular aspect stands out above all: Lawrence’s protracted Eucharistic celebration, which embodied the profound depths of his mystical contemplation and served as the essence of his apostolic action.

A witness also recounted the secret method employed by the saint and suggested to the friars during canonical visits: “When he engaged in discussions with the friars, he placed great emphasis on the words of our holy Rule, specifically: ‘Those who lack literacy should refrain from acquiring it, but should instead desire above all things to have the Spirit of the Lord and his holy operation; to offer constant prayer to him with a pure heart and cultivate humility and patience in the face of persecutions and infirmities; and to love those who persecute, reprimand, and judge them, for the Lord commands: Love your enemies’. I personally witnessed Father Brindesi expounding upon these words during his visit to the friars, demonstrating that the marrow of our Rule can be reduced to this perfection, and everyone had to practice it” (n. 8711).

In conclusion, the exemplary life and teachings of St. Lawrence, embodied in his sacred knowledge, monumental literary works, and diverse preaching undertaken in multiple situations, in his work defending the Catholic religion against Protestants, Jews and Muslims, in his continuous commitment to the union of peoples and Catholic governments and to the protection of social justice, stand as a profound synthesis of the Capuchin Order’s mission during his era and its enduring relevance in future history. These substantial processional testimonies offer readers the opportunity to witness this synthesis firsthand.

Source: Innsbruck, APC, fasc. X/8: Proc. diocesano di Monaco (1624); ASV, Arch. Congr. SS. Rituum Proc. 370: Proc. apost. di Milano (1628-29), Proc. 380/I: Proc. dioc. di Venezia (1625), Proc. 379: Proc. apost. di Napoli (1626-28), Proc. 376/1I: Proc. apost. di Genova (1626-28), Proc. 374/II: Proc. apost. di Vicenza (1627-28); for the following see the individual depositions. – Ediz.: Arturo M. da Carmignano di Brenta, San Lorenzo da Brindisi, Dottore della Chiesa universale (1559-1619) IV/2, Venezia-Mestre 1963 (pages refer to the individual depositions.