Robert Bellarmine: The Mind's Ascent to God by a Ladder of Created Things

N October the fourth in the year of our Lord, 1542, at Montepulciano in Tuscany a son was born to Vincent Bellarmin and his wife Cynthia, sister of Pope Marcellus II. This child was later to become known to fame as Cardinal Bellarmin, a scholar and controversialist of great ability. He was named Robert after Cardinal Robert Pucci, and his pious father and mother began early to train their child in the practices of piety and devotion. Like many a boy to whom vocation to the priesthood has been given, he used, when quite young, to set up little altars and preach to such an audience as would gather round him in his own home.

While still a lad he wrote a hymn on Saint Mary Magdalene which was preferred before others for insertion in the breviary published in 1568.

In early youth Robert Bellarmin felt drawn to dedicate his life entirely to the service of God, but at first he was uncertain whether the vocation was to the Religious life or to Holy Orders. Needing counsel, he turned for advice to a father of the Society of Jesus, and it was not long before he saw clearly that he must seek admission to that Society.

At the same time his cousin Richard Bellarmin was feeling the call to Religion, and the two youths were eager to make their response forthwith, but they yielded to the pleadings of their respective fathers who urged a year’s delay; this interval was so faithfully spent that the Society allowed it to be counted as the first of the five years’ novitiate. The year of probation and waiting was spent by the cousins at a house in the

Vill Lire oF Biessep RoBertT BELLARMIN

country, where they gave themselves up to study and devotion and to teaching the children of the neighbourhood.

At the end of the year they went to Rome, Robert stopping on the way to visit his father at Montepulciano. By this time the father had realized the truth of his son’s vocation and now he was ready to bless him, though in tears he said, ‘Go where God calls you, my son: in your person I sacrifice all the hopes of my family.’

So in September, 1560, the two cousins entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus, and joy was in their hearts. Robert at first was employed in the kitchen, where he was as happy as when at his quiet studies, for his only desire was to do the will of God, and to follow the self-abasement of our Lord, and he rejoiced when difficult and distasteful tasks were committed