Background
Bernardino was born in 1380 to the noble Albizeschi family in Massa Marittima (Tuscany), a Sienese town of which his father, Albertollo degli Albizeschi, was then governor.
Bernardino was born in 1380 to the noble Albizeschi family in Massa Marittima (Tuscany), a Sienese town of which his father, Albertollo degli Albizeschi, was then governor.
Left orphaned at six, he was raised by a pious aunt. In 1397, after a course of civil and canon law, he joined the Confraternity of Our Lady attached to the hospital of Santa Maria della Scala church.
He joined the Franciscans in 1402 and, after years of preparation, began, in 1416, missionary activities that covered most of Italy, preaching constantly, spreading devotion to the Holy Name, curbing immorality, and dissolving the feuds of Guelphs and Ghibellines. Elected vicar-general of the Observants in 1438, he resigned the office in 1442. He took part in the Council of Florence in 1439, furthering the short-lived union of the Greek church with Rome. Bernardino contributed much to the growth in numbers and spirit of the Friars of the Strict Observance. He died in 1944 near Naples and was canonized in 1450, May 20 being the day assigned for his feast.
Bernardino was canonized as a saint in 1450, only six years after his death, by Pope Nicholas V. His feast day in the Roman Catholic Church is on 20 May, the day of his death. He is a patron saint of advertising, communications, compulsive gambling, respiratory problems, as well as any problems involving the chest area.
Bernardino presented the Virgin Mary as an example for women. He advised girls never to talk to a man unless one of their parents was present. In one sermon Bernardino cautions women about marrying men who care more for their dowries than for them.
Bernardino is particularly regarded today as being a "major protagonist of Christian anti-semitism". In January 1427 he was in Orvieto, where he preached on the topic of usury, urging the executive to take stringent steps against all such as were addicted to this business, many of whom were Jews. Blaming the poverty of local Christians on Jewish usury, his call for Jews to be banished and isolated from their wider communities led to segregation.
Before Bernardino, most preachers either read a prepared speech or recited a rhetorical oration. Instead of remaining cloistered and preaching only during the liturgy, Bernardino preached directly to the public. For more than 30 years, he preached all over Italy and played a great part in the religious revival of the early fifteenth century. Although he had a weak and hoarse voice, he is said to have been one of the greatest preachers of his time. His style was simple, familiar, and abounding in imagery. Cynthia Polecritti, in her biography of Bernardino, notes that the texts of his sermons “are acknowledged masterpieces of colloquial Italian. ” He was an elegant and captivating preacher, and his use of popular imagery and creative language drew large crowds to hear his reflections.
Father
Albertollo degli Albizeschi
