Caesar Baronius
Encyclopedia
Cesare Baronio was an Italian
Cardinal
and ecclesiastical historian
. His best known work are his Annales Ecclesiastici
("Ecclesiastical Annals"), which appears in twelve folio volumes (1588–1607).
Cardinal Baronius left a reputation for profound sanctity which led Pope Benedict XIV
to proclaim him "Venerable
" (January 12, 1745). In 2007, on the 400th anniversary of his death, the cause for his canonization
, which had been stalled since 1745, was reopened by the Procurator General of the Oratory of St Philip Neri.
, and was educated at Veroli
and Naples
. At Rome
he joined the Congregation of the Oratory in 1557 under St. Philip Neri and succeeded him as superior in 1593. Pope Clement VIII
, whose confessor he was, made him cardinal in 1596 and librarian of the Vatican. At subsequent conclaves
he was twice nearly elected pope
, but on each occasion was opposed by Spain
on account of his work on the "Monarchy of Sicily," in which he supported the Papal claims against those of the Spanish government.
Baronius is best known for his Annales Ecclesiastici
, undertaken at the request of St Philip Neri
as an answer to the anti-Catholic history, the Magdeburg Centuries
. He began writing this account of the Church after nearly thirty years of lecturing at Santa Maria in Vallicella
. In the Annales he treats history in strict chronological order and keeps theology
in the background. Another great historian, Lord Acton
, called it "the greatest history of the Church ever written". It was in the Annales that Baronius coined the term "Dark Age" (saeculum obscurum) to refer to the period between the end of the Carolingian Empire
in 888 and the first inklings of the Gregorian Reform
under Clement II in 1046. In spite of many errors, especially in Greek history, in which he had to depend upon secondhand information, the work of Baronius stands as an honest attempt to write history, marked with a sincere love of truth. Sarpi
, in urging Casaubon
to write a refutation of the Annales, warned him never to accuse or suspect Baronius of bad faith, for no one who knew him could accuse him of disloyalty to truth. Baronius made his own the words of St Augustine
: "I shall love with a special love the man who most rigidly and severely corrects my errors."
He also undertook a new edition of the Roman martyrology
(1586), which he purified of many inaccuracies. He is also famous for saying, in the context of the controversies about the work of Copernicus and Galileo, "The Bible teaches us how to go to heaven, not how the heavens go." This remark, which Baronius probably made in conversation with Galileo, was cited by the latter in his "Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina" (1615).
The restorations which Baronius made to his titular Church of Sts Nereus and Achilleus
and in the Church of St Gregory's on the Caelian attest to his zeal for decorous worship. But the Annales constitute the most conspicuous and enduring monument of his genius and devotion to the Church.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
and ecclesiastical historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
. His best known work are his Annales Ecclesiastici
Annales ecclesiastici
Annales Ecclesiastici , consisting of twelve folio volumes, is a history of the first 12 centuries of the Christian Church, written by Cardinal Caesar Baronius...
("Ecclesiastical Annals"), which appears in twelve folio volumes (1588–1607).
Cardinal Baronius left a reputation for profound sanctity which led Pope Benedict XIV
Pope Benedict XIV
Pope Benedict XIV , born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was Pope from 17 August 1740 to 3 May 1758.-Life:...
to proclaim him "Venerable
Venerable
The Venerable is used as a style or epithet in several Christian churches. It is also the common English-language translation of a number of Buddhist titles.-Roman Catholic:...
" (January 12, 1745). In 2007, on the 400th anniversary of his death, the cause for his canonization
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
, which had been stalled since 1745, was reopened by the Procurator General of the Oratory of St Philip Neri.
Life
Baronio was born at SoraSora, Italy
Sora is a city and comune of Lazio, Italy, in the province of Frosinone. It is built in a plain on the banks of the Liri. This part of the valley is the seat of some important manufactures, especially of paper-mills....
, and was educated at Veroli
Veroli
-History:Veroli became a Roman municipium in 90 BCE. It became the seat of a bishopric in 743 CE, and was occupied by Spanish milices, allied to the Colonna family, in the 16th troops.-Main sights:...
and Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
. At Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
he joined the Congregation of the Oratory in 1557 under St. Philip Neri and succeeded him as superior in 1593. Pope Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII , born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was Pope from 30 January 1592 to 3 March 1605.-Cardinal:...
, whose confessor he was, made him cardinal in 1596 and librarian of the Vatican. At subsequent conclaves
Papal conclave
A papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a Bishop of Rome, who then becomes the Pope during a period of vacancy in the papal office. The Pope is considered by Roman Catholics to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and earthly head of the Roman Catholic Church...
he was twice nearly elected pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
, but on each occasion was opposed by Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
on account of his work on the "Monarchy of Sicily," in which he supported the Papal claims against those of the Spanish government.
Baronius is best known for his Annales Ecclesiastici
Annales ecclesiastici
Annales Ecclesiastici , consisting of twelve folio volumes, is a history of the first 12 centuries of the Christian Church, written by Cardinal Caesar Baronius...
, undertaken at the request of St Philip Neri
Philip Neri
Saint Philip Romolo Neri , also known as Apostle of Rome, was an Italian priest, noted for founding a society of secular priests called the "Congregation of the Oratory".-Early life:...
as an answer to the anti-Catholic history, the Magdeburg Centuries
Magdeburg Centuries
The Magdeburg Centuries is an ecclesiastical history, divided into thirteen centuries, covering thirteen hundred years, ending in 1298; it was first published from 1559 to 1574. It was compiled by several Lutheran scholars in Magdeburg, known as the Centuriators of Magdeburg. The chief of the...
. He began writing this account of the Church after nearly thirty years of lecturing at Santa Maria in Vallicella
Santa Maria in Vallicella
Santa Maria in Vallicella, also called Chiesa Nuova, is a church in Rome, Italy, which today faces onto the main thoroughfare of the Corso Vittorio Emanuele...
. In the Annales he treats history in strict chronological order and keeps theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
in the background. Another great historian, Lord Acton
John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton
John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton, KCVO, DL , known as Sir John Dalberg-Acton, 8th Bt from 1837 to 1869 and usually referred to simply as Lord Acton, was an English Catholic historian, politician, and writer...
, called it "the greatest history of the Church ever written". It was in the Annales that Baronius coined the term "Dark Age" (saeculum obscurum) to refer to the period between the end of the Carolingian Empire
Carolingian Empire
Carolingian Empire is a historiographical term which has been used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the Carolingian dynasty in the Early Middle Ages. This dynasty is seen as the founders of France and Germany, and its beginning date is based on the crowning of Charlemagne, or Charles the...
in 888 and the first inklings of the Gregorian Reform
Gregorian Reform
The Gregorian Reforms were a series of reforms initiated by Pope Gregory VII and the circle he formed in the papal curia, circa 1050–80, which dealt with the moral integrity and independence of the clergy...
under Clement II in 1046. In spite of many errors, especially in Greek history, in which he had to depend upon secondhand information, the work of Baronius stands as an honest attempt to write history, marked with a sincere love of truth. Sarpi
Paolo Sarpi
Fra Paolo Sarpi was a Venetian patriot, scholar, scientist and church reformer. His most important roles were as a canon lawyer and historian active on behalf of the Venetian Republic.- Early years :...
, in urging Casaubon
Isaac Casaubon
Isaac Casaubon was a classical scholar and philologist, first in France and then later in England, regarded by many of his time as the most learned in Europe.-Early life:...
to write a refutation of the Annales, warned him never to accuse or suspect Baronius of bad faith, for no one who knew him could accuse him of disloyalty to truth. Baronius made his own the words of St Augustine
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
: "I shall love with a special love the man who most rigidly and severely corrects my errors."
He also undertook a new edition of the Roman martyrology
Roman Martyrology
The Roman Martyrology is the official martyrology of the Roman Rite of the Roman Catholic Church. It provides an extensive but not exhaustive list of the saints recognized by the Church.-History:...
(1586), which he purified of many inaccuracies. He is also famous for saying, in the context of the controversies about the work of Copernicus and Galileo, "The Bible teaches us how to go to heaven, not how the heavens go." This remark, which Baronius probably made in conversation with Galileo, was cited by the latter in his "Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina" (1615).
The restorations which Baronius made to his titular Church of Sts Nereus and Achilleus
Santi Nereo e Achilleo
Santi Nereo e Achilleo is a fourth-century basilica church in Rome, Italy, located in via delle Termi di Caracalla in the rione Celio facing the main entrance to the Baths of Caracalla. The current Cardinal Priest of the Titulus Ss...
and in the Church of St Gregory's on the Caelian attest to his zeal for decorous worship. But the Annales constitute the most conspicuous and enduring monument of his genius and devotion to the Church.
Sources and external links
- Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli. "Il cardinale Cesare Baronio. Nel terzo centenario della sua morte," in La Scuola Cattolica (Monza), XXXVI, 1908, no. 12, pp. 1–29. (Reprinted with preface and notes by Giuseppe De Luca, Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura, Roma, 1961)
- Lady Amabel Kerr. The Life of Cesare Cardinal Baronius of the Roman Oratory, London, 1898 (Reprinted by Kessinger Publishing, Whitefish, Montana, 2007)
- Salvador Miranda. "The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church - Biographical Dictionary - Consistory of June 5, 1596"
- Articles relating to the 400th Centenary of the death of Venerable Cardinal Caesar Baronius from Oratoriani - Procura Generalis Confoederationis Oratorii S. Philippi Nerii