St. Philip Romolo Neri

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THE APOSTLE OF ROME.

Born atFlorence,Italy, 22 July, 1515; died 27 May, 1595. Philip'sfamily originally came from Castelfranco but had lived for many generations inFlorence, where not a few of its members had practised the learned professions, and therefore took rank with theTuscan nobility. Among these was Philip's own father, Francesco Neri, who eked out an insufficient private fortune with what he earned as a notary. A circumstance which had no small influence on the life of thesaint was Francesco's friendship with theDominicans; for it was from thefriars of S. Marco, amid the memories ofSavonarola, that Philip received many of his early religious impressions. Besides a younger brother, who died in early childhood, Philip had two younger sisters, Caterina and Elisabetta. It was with them that "the good Pippo", as he soon began to be called, committed his only known fault. He gave a slight push to Caterina, because she kept interrupting him and Elisabetta, while they were reciting psalms together, a practice of which, as a boy, he was remarkably fond. One incident of his childhood is dear to his early biographers as the first visible intervention ofProvidence on his behalf, and perhaps dearer still to his modern disciples, because it reveals the human characteristics of a boy amid thesupernaturalgraces of a saint. When about eight years old he was left alone in a courtyard to amuse himself; seeing a donkey laden with fruit, he jumped on its back; the beast bolted, and both tumbled into a deep cellar. Hisparents hastened to the spot and extricated the child, not dead, as they feared, but entirely uninjured.

From the first it was evident that Philip's career would run on no conventional lines; when shown hisfamily pedigree he tore it up, and the burning of hisfather's house left him unconcerned. Having studied the humanities under the best scholars of a scholarly generation, at the age of sixteen he was sent to help hisfather's cousin in business at S. Germano, nearMonte Cassino. He applied himself with diligence, and his kinsman soon determined to make him his heir. But he would often withdraw forprayer to a little mountainchapel belonging to theBenedictines ofMonte Cassino, built above the harbour ofGaeta in a cleft of rock which tradition says was among those rent at the hour ofOur Lord's death. It was here that his vocation became definite: he was called to be the Apostle ofRome. In 1533 he arrived inRome without any money. He had not informed hisfather of the step he was taking, and he had deliberately cut himself off from his kinsman's patronage. He was, however, at once befriended by Galeotto Caccia, a Florentine resident, who gave him a room in his house and an allowance of flour, in return for which he undertook theeducation of his two sons. For seventeen years Philip lived as alayman inRome, probably without thinking of becoming apriest. It was perhaps while tutor to the boys, that he wrote most of the poetry which he composed both in Latin and in Italian. Before his death he burned all his writings, and only a few of his sonnets have come down to us. He spent some three years, beginning about 1535, in the study ofphilosophy at the Sapienza, and oftheology in theschool of the Augustinians. When he considered that he had learnt enough, he sold his books, and gave the price to the poor. Though he never again made study his regular occupation, whenever he was called upon to cast aside his habitual reticence, he would surprise the most learned with the depth and clearness of histheologicalknowledge.

He now devoted himself entirely to the sanctification of his ownsoul and the good of his neighbour. His active apostolate began with solitary and unobtrusive visits to thehospitals. Next he induced others to accompany him. Then he began to frequent the shops, warehouses, banks, and public places ofRome, melting the hearts of those whom he chanced to meet, and exhorting them to serveGod. In 1544, or later, he became the friend ofSt. Ignatius. Many of his disciples tried and found their vocations in the infantSociety of Jesus; but the majority remained in the world, and formed the nucleus of what afterwards became the Brotherhood of the Little Oratory. Though he "appeared not fasting to men", his private life was that of ahermit. His single daily meal was of bread and water, to which a few herbs were sometimes added, the furniture of his room consisted of a bed, to which he usually preferred the floor, a table, a few chairs, and a rope to hang his clothes on; and he disciplined himself frequently with small chains. Tried by fiercetemptations, diabolical as well as human, he passed through them all unscathed, and the purity of hissoul manifested itself in certain striking physical traits. Heprayed at first mostly in the church of S. Eustachio, hard by Caccia's house. Next he took to visiting the Seven Churches. But it was in thecatacomb of S. Sebastiano — confounded by early biographers with that of S. Callisto — that he kept the longest vigils and received the most abundant consolations. In thiscatacomb, a few days before Pentecost in 1544, the well-knownmiracle of his heart took place. Bacci describes it thus: "While he was with the greatest earnestness asking of the Holy Ghost His gifts, there appeared to him a globe of fire, which entered into his mouth and lodged in his breast; and thereupon he was suddenly surprised with such a fire oflove, that, unable to bear it, he threw himself on the ground, and, like one trying to cool himself, bared his breast to temper in some measure the flame which he felt. When he had remained so for some time, and was a little recovered, he rose up full of unwontedjoy, and immediately all his body began to shake with a violent tremour; and putting his hand to his bosom, he felt by the side of his heart, a swelling about as big as a man's fist, but neither then nor afterwards was it attended with the slightest pain or wound." The cause of this swelling was discovered by thedoctors who examined his body after death. The saint's heart had been dilated under the sudden impulse oflove, and in order that it might have sufficient room to move, two ribs had been broken, and curved in the form of an arch. From the time of themiracle till his death, his heart would palpitateviolently whenever he performed any spiritual action.

During his last years as alayman, Philip's apostolate spread rapidly. In 1548, together with his confessor, Persiano Rosa, he founded the Confraternity of theMost Holy Trinity for looking afterpilgrims and convalescents. Its members met for Communion,prayer, and other spiritual exercises in the church of S. Salvatore, and thesaint himself introduced exposition of theBlessed Sacrament once a month (seeFORTY HOURS' DEVOTION). At these devotions Philip preached, though still alayman, and we learn that on one occasion alone he converted no less than thirty dissolute youths. In 1550 adoubt occurred to him as to whether he should not discontinue his active work and retire into absolute solitude. His perplexity was set at rest by a vision ofSt. John the Baptist, and by another vision of twosouls in glory, one of whom was eating a roll of bread, signifyingGod's will that he should live inRome for the good ofsouls as though he were in adesert, abstaining as far as possible from the use of meat.

In 1551, however, he received atrue vocation fromGod. At the bidding of his confessor — nothing short of this would overcome hishumility — he entered thepriesthood, and went to live at S. Girolamo, where a staff ofchaplains was supported by the Confraternity of Charity. Eachpriest had two rooms assigned to him, in which he lived, slept, and ate, under no rule save that of living in charity with his brethren. Among Philip's new companions, besides Persiano Rosa, was Buonsignore Cacciaguerra (see "A Precursor of St. Philip" by Lady Annabel Kerr, London), a remarkable penitent, who was at that time carrying on a vigorous propaganda in favour of frequent Communion. Philip, who as alayman had been quietly encouraging the frequent reception of thesacraments, expended the whole of hispriestly energy in promoting the same cause; but unlike his precursor, he recommended the young especially to confess more often than they communicated. The church of S. Girolamo was much frequented even before the coming of Philip, and his confessional there soon became the centre of a mighty apostolate. He stayed in church, hearingconfessions or ready to hear them, from daybreak till nearly midday, and not content with this, he usually confessed some fortypersons in his room before dawn. Thus he laboured untiringly throughout his longpriesthood. As a physician ofsouls he received marvellous gifts fromGod. He would sometimes tell a penitent his most secretsins without his confessing them; and once he converted a young nobleman by showing him a vision ofhell. Shortly before noon he would leave his confessional to sayMass. His devotion to theBlessed Sacrament, like themiracle of his heart, is one of those manifestations ofsanctity which are peculiarly his own. So great was the fervour of his charity, that, instead of recollecting himself before Mass, he had to use deliberate means of distraction in order to attend to the external rite. During the last five years of his life he had permission to celebrate privately in a littlechapel close to his room. At the "Agnus Dei" the server went out, locked the doors, and hung up a notice: "Silence, the Father is sayingMass". When he returned in two hours or more, thesaint was so absorbed inGod that he seemed to be at the point of death.

Philip devoted his afternoons to men and boys, inviting them to informal meetings in his room, taking them to visit churches, interesting himself in their amusements, hallowing with his sweet influence every department of their lives. At one time he had a longing desire to follow the example ofSt. Francis Xavier, and go toIndia. With this end in view, he hastened theordination of some of his companions. But in 1557 he sought the counsel of aCistercian at Tre Fontane; and as on a former occasion he had been told to makeRome hisdesert, so now themonk communicated to him a revelation he had had fromSt. John the Evangelist, thatRome was to be hisIndia. Philip at once abandoned theidea of going abroad, and in the following year the informal meetings in his room developed into regular spiritual exercises in an oratory, which he built over the church. At these exerciseslaymen preached and the excellence of the discourses, the high quality of the music, and the charm of Philip'spersonality attracted not only thehumble and lowly, but men of the highest rank and distinction inChurch and State. Of these, in 1590, Cardinal Nicolo Sfondrato, becamePope Gregory XIV, and the extreme reluctance of thesaint alone prevented the pontiff from forcing him to accept thecardinalate. In 1559, Philip began to organize regular visits to the Seven Churches, in company with crowds of men,priests and religious, andlaymen of every rank and condition. These visits were the occasion of a short but sharppersecution on the part of a certain malicious faction, who denounced him as "a setter-up of newsects". The cardinal vicar himself summoned him, and without listening to his defence, rebuked him in the harshest terms. For a fortnight thesaint was suspended from hearingconfessions; but at the end of that time he made his defence, and cleared himself before theecclesiastical authorities. In 1562, the Florentines inRome begged him to accept the office ofrector of their church, S. Giovanni dei Fiorentini, but he was reluctant to leave S. Girolamo. At length the matter was brought beforePius IV, and a compromise was arrived at (1564). While remaining himself at S. Girolamo, Philip becamerector of S. Giovanni, and sent fivepriests, one of whom wasBaronius, to represent him there. They lived in community under Philip as their superior, taking their meals together, and regularly attending the exercises at S. Girolamo. In 1574, however, the exercises began to be held in an oratory at S. Giovanni. Meanwhile the community was increasing in size, and in 1575 it was formally recognised byGregory XIII as theCongregation of the Oratory, and given the church of S. Maria in Vallicella. The fathers came to live there in 1577, in which year they opened the Chiesa Nuova, built on the site of the old S. Maria, and transferred the exercises to a new oratory. Philip himself remained at S. Girolamo till 1583, and it was only in obedience toGregory XIII that he then left his old home and came to live at the Vallicella.

The last years of his life were marked by alternate sickness and recovery. In 1593, he showed thetrue greatness of one who knows the limits of his own endurance, and resigned the office of superior which had been conferred on him for life. In 1594, when he was in an agony of pain, theBlessed Virgin appeared to him, and cured him. At the end of March, 1595, he had a severe attack of fever, which lasted throughout April; but in answer to his specialprayerGod gave him strength to sayMass on 1 May inhonour of SS. Philip and James. On the following 12 May he was seized with a violent haemorrhage, andCardinal Baronius, who had succeeded him as superior, gave him Extreme Unction. After that he seemed to revive a little and his friendCardinal Frederick Borromeo brought him theViaticum, which he received with loud protestations of his own unworthiness. On the next day he was perfectly well, and till the actual day of his death went about his usualduties, even reciting theDivine Office, from which he was dispensed. But on 15 May he predicted that he had only ten more days to live. On 25 May, the feast ofCorpus Christi, he went to sayMass in his littlechapel, two hours earlier than usual. "At the beginning of his Mass", writes Bacci, "he remained for some time looking fixedly at the hill of S. Onofrio, which was visible from thechapel, just as if he saw some great vision. On coming to theGloria in Excelsis he began to sing, which was an unusual thing for him, and sang the whole of it with the greatestjoy and devotion, and all the rest of the Mass he said with extraordinary exultation, and as if singing." He was in perfect health for the rest of that day, and made his usual nightprayer; but when in bed, he predicted the hour of the night at which he would die. About an hour after midnight Father Antonio Gallonio, who slept under him, heard him walking up and down, and went to his room. He found him lying on the bed, suffering from another haemorrhage. "Antonio, I am going", he said; Gallonio thereupon fetched the medical men and the fathers of the congregation.Cardinal Baronius made the commendation of hissoul, and asked him to give the fathers his final blessing. The saint raised his hand slightly, and looked up toheaven. Then inclining his head towards the fathers, he breathed his last. Philip wasbeatified byPaul V in 1615, andcanonized byGregory XV in 1622.

It is perhaps by the method of contrast that the distinctive characteristics of St. Philip and his work are brought home to us most forcibly (seeNewman, "Sermons on Various Occasions", n. xii; "Historical Sketches", III, end of ch. vii). We hail him as the patient reformer, who leaves outward things alone and works from within, depending rather on the hidden might of sacrament andprayer than on drastic policies of external improvement; the director ofsouls who attaches more value tomortification of the reason than to bodily austerities, protests that men may becomesaints in the world no less than in thecloister, dwells on the importance of servingGod in a cheerful spirit, and gives a quaintly humorous turn to the maxims ofascetical theology; the silent watcher of the times, who takes no active part inecclesiastical controversies and is yet a motive force in their development, now encouraging the use ofecclesiastical history as a bulwark againstProtestantism, now insisting on theabsolution of a monarch, whom other counsellors would fain exclude from thesacraments (seeBARONIUS), nowpraying thatGod may avert a threatened condemnation (seeSAVONAROLA) and receiving amiraculous assurance that hisprayer is heard (see Letter of Ercolani referred to byCapecelatro); the founder of a Congregation, which relies more on personal influence than on disciplinary organization, and prefers the spontaneous practice of counsels of perfection to their enforcement by means ofvows; above all, thesaint ofGod, who is so irresistibly attractive, so eminently lovable in himself, as to win the title of the "Amabile santo".

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