St. Francis Borgia, Confessor October 10th “Francis Borgia, born 28 October, 1510, was the son of Juan Borgia, third Duke of Gandia & of Juana of Aragon; died 30 Sept., 1572. The future saint was …More
St. Francis Borgia, Confessor
October 10th
“Francis Borgia, born 28 October, 1510, was the son of Juan Borgia, third Duke of Gandia & of Juana of Aragon; died 30 Sept., 1572. The future saint was unhappy in his ancestry [and with becoming the Duke of Gandia]. His grandfather, Juan Borgia [was] the second son... of... Rodrigo Borgia, elected Pope Alexander VI in 1492... Great-grandson of [Pope] Alexander VI, on the paternal side, he was, on his mother's side, the great-grandson of the Catholic King Ferdinand of Aragon...
... [one day] on the way to Valladolid, while passing, brilliantly escorted, through Alcalá de Henares, Francis encountered a poor man whom the servants of the Inquisition were leading to prison. It was Ignatius of Loyola. The young nobleman exchanged a glance of emotion with the prisoner, little dreaming that one day they should be united by the closest ties... But he desired still more, and on 1 February, 1548, became one of [the Jesuits] by... pronouncing solemn vows... although authorized by the pope to remain in the world, until he should have fulfilled his obligations towards his children and his estates—his obligations as father and as ruler.
On 31 August, 1550, the Duke of Gandia left his estates to see them no more. On 23 October he arrived at Rome, threw himself at the feet of St. Ignatius, and edified by his rare humility those especially who recalled the ancient power of the Borgias. Quick to conceive great projects, he even then urged St. Ignatius to found the Roman College. On 4 February, 1551, he left Rome, without making known his intention of departure. On 4 April, he reached Azpeitia in Guipuzcoa, and chose as his abode the hermitage of Santa Magdalena near Oñate. Charles V having permitted him to relinquish his possessions, he abdicated in favour of his eldest son, was ordained priest 25 May, and at once began to deliver a series of sermons in Guipuzcoa which revived the faith of the country...”
“... In 1553 he was invited to visit Portugal. The court received him as a messenger from God... On his return from this journey, Francis learned that, at the request of the emperor, Pope Julius III was willing to bestow on him the cardinalate. St. Ignatius prevailed upon the pope to reconsider this decision, but 2 years later the project was renewed & Borgia anxiously inquired whether he might in conscience oppose the desire of the pope. St. Ignatius again relieved his embarrassment by requesting him to pronounce the solemn vows of profession, by which he engaged not to accept any dignities save at the formal command of the pope. Thenceforth the saint was reassured. Pius IV & Pius V loved him too well to impose upon him a dignity which would have caused him distress. Gregory XIII, it is true, appeared resolved, in 1572, to overcome his reluctance, but on this occasion death saved him from the elevation he had so long feared.
On 10 June, 1554, St. Ignatius named Francis Borgia commissary-general of the Society in Spain. 2 years later he confided to him the care of the missions of the East & West Indies, that is to say of all the missions of the Society. To do this was to entrust to a recruit the future of his order in the peninsula, but in this choice the founder displayed his rare knowledge of men, for within seven years Francis was to transform the provinces confided to him. He found them poor in subjects, containing but few houses, and those scarcely known. He left them strengthened by his influence and rich in disciples drawn from the highest grades of society... The veneration which he inspired was thereby increased, and furthermore his extreme austerity, the care which he lavished on the poor in the hospitals, the marvellous graces with which God surrounded his apostolate contributed to augment a renown by which he profited to further God's work. In 1565 and 1566 he founded the missions of Florida, New Spain, and Peru, thus extending even to the New World the effects of his insatiable zeal...”
“... On 16 Feb., 1564, Francis Borgia was named assistant general in Spain & Portugal & on 20 Jan., 1565, was elected vicar-general of the Society of Jesus... Although much weakened by his austerities... the new general still possessed much strength... his daring in the conception & execution of vast designs & the influence which he exercised over the Christian princes & at Rome, made him for the Society at once the exemplary model and the providential head... too much a man of duty to permit relaxation or abuse, he attracted chiefly by his kindness & won souls to good by his example... A pestilential fever invaded Rome in 1566 & Borgia organized methods of relief, established ambulances & distributed 40 of his religious to such purpose that the same fever having broken out 2 years later it was to Borgia that the pope at once confided the task of safeguarding the city.
Francis Borgia had always greatly loved the foreign missions. He reformed those of India & the Far East & created those of America. Within a few years, he had the glory of numbering among his sons 66 martyrs, the most illustrious of whom were the 53 missionaries of Brazil... massacred by Huguenot corsairs. It remained for Francis to terminate his beautiful life with a splendid act of obedience to the pope and devotion to the Church...
[during an embassy trip to France]... The winter promised to be severe & was destined to prove fatal to Borgia. Still more grievous to him was to be the spectacle of the devastation which [Huguenot] heresy had caused in [France] & which struck sorrow to the heart of the saint... [Desiring to die in Loretto or Rome]... on the way the people came out of the villages crying: "We wish to see the saint"... For 2 days Francis Borgia, fully conscious, awaited death, receiving those who visited him & blessing through his younger brother, Thomas Borgia, all his children & grandchildren. Shortly after midnight on 30 Sept., his beautiful life came to a peaceful & painless close...” (1913, The Catholic Encyclopedia)
October 10th
“Francis Borgia, born 28 October, 1510, was the son of Juan Borgia, third Duke of Gandia & of Juana of Aragon; died 30 Sept., 1572. The future saint was unhappy in his ancestry [and with becoming the Duke of Gandia]. His grandfather, Juan Borgia [was] the second son... of... Rodrigo Borgia, elected Pope Alexander VI in 1492... Great-grandson of [Pope] Alexander VI, on the paternal side, he was, on his mother's side, the great-grandson of the Catholic King Ferdinand of Aragon...
... [one day] on the way to Valladolid, while passing, brilliantly escorted, through Alcalá de Henares, Francis encountered a poor man whom the servants of the Inquisition were leading to prison. It was Ignatius of Loyola. The young nobleman exchanged a glance of emotion with the prisoner, little dreaming that one day they should be united by the closest ties... But he desired still more, and on 1 February, 1548, became one of [the Jesuits] by... pronouncing solemn vows... although authorized by the pope to remain in the world, until he should have fulfilled his obligations towards his children and his estates—his obligations as father and as ruler.
On 31 August, 1550, the Duke of Gandia left his estates to see them no more. On 23 October he arrived at Rome, threw himself at the feet of St. Ignatius, and edified by his rare humility those especially who recalled the ancient power of the Borgias. Quick to conceive great projects, he even then urged St. Ignatius to found the Roman College. On 4 February, 1551, he left Rome, without making known his intention of departure. On 4 April, he reached Azpeitia in Guipuzcoa, and chose as his abode the hermitage of Santa Magdalena near Oñate. Charles V having permitted him to relinquish his possessions, he abdicated in favour of his eldest son, was ordained priest 25 May, and at once began to deliver a series of sermons in Guipuzcoa which revived the faith of the country...”
“... In 1553 he was invited to visit Portugal. The court received him as a messenger from God... On his return from this journey, Francis learned that, at the request of the emperor, Pope Julius III was willing to bestow on him the cardinalate. St. Ignatius prevailed upon the pope to reconsider this decision, but 2 years later the project was renewed & Borgia anxiously inquired whether he might in conscience oppose the desire of the pope. St. Ignatius again relieved his embarrassment by requesting him to pronounce the solemn vows of profession, by which he engaged not to accept any dignities save at the formal command of the pope. Thenceforth the saint was reassured. Pius IV & Pius V loved him too well to impose upon him a dignity which would have caused him distress. Gregory XIII, it is true, appeared resolved, in 1572, to overcome his reluctance, but on this occasion death saved him from the elevation he had so long feared.
On 10 June, 1554, St. Ignatius named Francis Borgia commissary-general of the Society in Spain. 2 years later he confided to him the care of the missions of the East & West Indies, that is to say of all the missions of the Society. To do this was to entrust to a recruit the future of his order in the peninsula, but in this choice the founder displayed his rare knowledge of men, for within seven years Francis was to transform the provinces confided to him. He found them poor in subjects, containing but few houses, and those scarcely known. He left them strengthened by his influence and rich in disciples drawn from the highest grades of society... The veneration which he inspired was thereby increased, and furthermore his extreme austerity, the care which he lavished on the poor in the hospitals, the marvellous graces with which God surrounded his apostolate contributed to augment a renown by which he profited to further God's work. In 1565 and 1566 he founded the missions of Florida, New Spain, and Peru, thus extending even to the New World the effects of his insatiable zeal...”
“... On 16 Feb., 1564, Francis Borgia was named assistant general in Spain & Portugal & on 20 Jan., 1565, was elected vicar-general of the Society of Jesus... Although much weakened by his austerities... the new general still possessed much strength... his daring in the conception & execution of vast designs & the influence which he exercised over the Christian princes & at Rome, made him for the Society at once the exemplary model and the providential head... too much a man of duty to permit relaxation or abuse, he attracted chiefly by his kindness & won souls to good by his example... A pestilential fever invaded Rome in 1566 & Borgia organized methods of relief, established ambulances & distributed 40 of his religious to such purpose that the same fever having broken out 2 years later it was to Borgia that the pope at once confided the task of safeguarding the city.
Francis Borgia had always greatly loved the foreign missions. He reformed those of India & the Far East & created those of America. Within a few years, he had the glory of numbering among his sons 66 martyrs, the most illustrious of whom were the 53 missionaries of Brazil... massacred by Huguenot corsairs. It remained for Francis to terminate his beautiful life with a splendid act of obedience to the pope and devotion to the Church...
[during an embassy trip to France]... The winter promised to be severe & was destined to prove fatal to Borgia. Still more grievous to him was to be the spectacle of the devastation which [Huguenot] heresy had caused in [France] & which struck sorrow to the heart of the saint... [Desiring to die in Loretto or Rome]... on the way the people came out of the villages crying: "We wish to see the saint"... For 2 days Francis Borgia, fully conscious, awaited death, receiving those who visited him & blessing through his younger brother, Thomas Borgia, all his children & grandchildren. Shortly after midnight on 30 Sept., his beautiful life came to a peaceful & painless close...” (1913, The Catholic Encyclopedia)