St. Bonaventure (1221–1274) was an Italian Franciscan, theologian and philosopher. He was a cardinal and a doctor of the Catholic Church.
This year is the 800th anniversary of his birth.
He was born at Bagnoregio in the Tuscany region of Italy, 78 miles north of Rome. His parents were Giovanni di Fidanza and Maria di Ritella.
As a small child, he contracted a serious disease. His mother asked St. Francis of Assisi (1181–1226) to pray for his healing. God answered her prayer. Understanding the child would become a great man, Francis cried out what would become the child’s name: “O Buona ventura!” (O good fortune).
When he was 22, Bonaventure joined the Friars Minor known as the Franciscans. St. Francis started it in 1209. The Franciscans stressed a life of prayer, poverty and charity. Bonaventure wrote a book about the beloved founder — “The Life of St. Francis of Assisi.”
He studied at the prestigious University of Paris and received his master of theology degree. He became a lecturer at the university from 1248 until 1256.
Books on theology
His numerous books display his theological and philosophical thoughts. “Journey of the Soul to God” is a masterpiece of medieval spiritual practice. “The Tree of Life” is focused on the life of Christ.
The Franciscan brothers elected Bonaventure as minister general of the order in 1257. During the next 15 years, he continually visited the brothers, walking from Assisi to Madrid and Paris and to all the other friaries of Europe.
His humble living brought him to the Pope’s attention, and he was named a cardinal. When couriers found Bonaventure to give him a red hat, which signified he was a cardinal, he was washing the dishes after a meal. He thanked them and completed the dishes before picking up the hat.
As cardinal, Pope Gregory X asked Bonaventure to heal the schism of the two parts of the Catholic Church — the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic. His work resulted in the Eastern churches accepting the union July 6, 1274.
Sudden death
Bonaventure died suddenly July 15, 1274. The chronicle of his secretary states that he was poisoned.
In 1482, Pope Sixtus IV included him in the catalogue of the saints.
Pope Sixtus V declared him a doctor of the Church in 1588.
Bonaventure’s Christ-centered life and philosophy can be summed up in one of his famous sayings: “If you learn everything except Christ,” he wrote, “you learn nothing. If you learn nothing except Christ, you learn everything.”
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