Read the story of St. Anthony of Padua

Priest and "Doctor Evangelicus” (1195-1231)

Anthony of Padua (in Portuguese António de Lisboa), in the world Fernando Martim de Bulhões and Taveira Azevedo, was born in Lisbon on August 15, 1195 into a noble Portuguese family descended from the crusader Godfrey of Bouillon.

At fifteen he was a novice in the monastery of San Vincenzo in Lisbon, then he moved to the monastery of Santa Croce in Coimbra, the largest cultural center in Portugal belonging to the Order of Canons Regular of St. Augustine, where he studied science and theology with excellent teachers, preparing for the priestly ordination which he will receive in 1219 at the age of twenty-four.

When it seems he has to pursue a career as a theologian and philosopher, he decides to leave the Augustinian order. Fernando, in fact, cannot bear the political manipulations between the Augustinian canons and King Alfonso II, in his heart he yearns for a more severe religious life.

His wish came true when, in 1220, the bodies of five Franciscan friars arrived in Coimbra, beheaded in Morocco, where they had gone to preach by order ofFrancis of Assisi. When the friars of the Monte Olivares convent arrive to receive the remains of the martyrs, Fernando confides in them his aspiration to live in the spirit of the Gospel.

Having obtained permission from the Franciscan provincial of Spain and from the Augustinian prior, Fernando thus enters the hermitage of the Minors and immediately makes his religious profession, changing his name to Antonio in honor of the Egyptian hermit abbot.

Anelando al martirio, subito chiede ed ottiene di partire missionario in Marocco. È verso la fine del 1220 che s’imbarca su un veliero diretto in Africa, ma durante il viaggio è colpito da febbre malarica e costretto a letto. La malattia si protrae e in primavera i compagni lo convincono a rientrare in patria per curarsi. Secondo altre versioni, Antonio non si fermò mai in Marocco: ammalatosi appena partito da Lisbona, la nave fu spinta da una tempesta direttamente a Messina, in Sicilia.

Curato dai francescani della città, in due mesi guarisce. A Pentecoste è invitato al Capitolo Generale di Assisi; arriva con altri francescani a S. Maria degli Angeli dove ha modo di ascoltare Francesco, ma non di conoscerlo personalmente.

The provincial minister of the order for northern Italy suggests that he move to Montepaolo, near Forlì, where there is no priest to say mass for the six friars residing in the hermitage made up of a small church, a few cells and a vegetable garden; Antonio accepts.

Per circa un anno e mezzo vive in contemplazione e penitenza, svolgendo, per desiderio personale, le mansioni più umili, finché un giorno scende con i confratelli in città per assistere, nella chiesa di S. Mercuriale, all’ordinazione di nuovi sacerdoti dell’ordine e lì predica alla presenza di una vasta platea, composta anche dai notabili.

Since then, Antonio has been assigned the role of preacher and teacher by Francesco himself, who writes him a letter recommending, however, not to lose the spirit of holy prayer and devotion.

He begins to preach in Romagna, continues in northern Italy, uses his word to fight heresy (he is also called "the hammer of heretics”) Cathar in Italy and Albigensian in France, where he arrived in 1225. Between 1223 and the latter date, in fact, he laid the foundations of the Franciscan theological school, teaching in the Bolognese convent of S. Maria della Pugliola.

Quando è in Francia, tra il 1225 e il 1227, assume un incarico di governo come custode di Limoges. Mentre si trova in visita ad Arles, si racconta gli sia apparso Francesco che aveva appena ricevuto le stigmate.

Come custode partecipa nel 1227 al Capitolo generale di Assisi dove il nuovo ministro dell’Ordine – Francesco nel frattempo è morto – è Giovanni Parenti, quel provinciale di Spagna che lo aveva accolto anni prima fra i Minori e che lo nomina provinciale dell’Italia settentrionale.

Antonio opens new houses, visits the convents to get to know all the friars personally, controls the Poor Clares and the Third Order, goes to Florence, until he fixes his residence in Padua and in two months writes theSunday sermons.

In Padua he obtains the reform of the republican statutory code thanks to which an insolvent debtor, but without fault, after having sold all his assets cannot also be imprisoned. Not only that, he stands up to Ezzelino da Romano, who was nicknamed the Ferocious and who in a single day had eleven thousand Paduans who were hostile to him massacred, in order to free the imprisoned Guelph leaders.

Meanwhile he also writes iSermons for the Feasts of Saints, in cui approfondisce i temi a lui più cari: i precetti della fede, della morale e della virtù, l’love of God e la pietà verso i poveri, la preghiera e l’umiltà, la mortificazione e si scaglia contro l’orgoglio e la lussuria, l’avarizia e l’usura di cui è acerrimo nemico.

He is a Mariologist, a convinced supporter of the Assumption of the Virgin, at the request of Pope Gregory IX (Ugolino dei Conti di Segni, 1227-1241) in 1228 he holds the sermons of the week of Lent and by this same Pp he is appealed "Ark of the Testament”. It is said that the sermons were held in front of a cosmopolitan crowd and that everyone heard him speak in their own language.

For three years Antonio travels tirelessly, he is tired, suffers from asthma and is swollen with dropsy, he returns to Padua and his sermons for Lent of 1231 are memorable.

To rest he retires to Camposampiero, near Padua, where Count Tiso, who had given a hermitage to the friars, has him set up a small room among the branches of a walnut tree.

Da qui Antonio predica, ma scende anche a confessare e la sera torna alla sua cella arborea. Una notte il conte Tiso, andato a controllare come stesse Antonio, è attirato da una grande luce che esce dal suo rifugio e assiste alla visita che Jesus Bambino fa al Santo.

At midday on Friday 13 June Antonio feels weak and asks the confreres to take him to Padua, dove vuole morire. Caricato su un carro trainato da buoi, alla periferia della città le sue condizioni si aggravano al punto che si decide di ricoverarlo nel vicino convento dell’Arcella, dove muore in serata; si racconta che mentre stava per spirare ebbe la visione del Signore.

In the days following his death, they go on a rampage”internecine wars” between the convent where he died who wanted to keep his remains and that of S. Maria Mater Domini, his convent, where he wanted to die. Even popular unrest occurs during the dispute, finally, the father Provincial decided that the body would be taken to Mater Domini.

Non appena il corpo giunse a destinazione iniziarono i miracoli, alcuni documentati da testimoni.

Anche in vita, in realtà, Antonio aveva operato miracoli quali esorcismi, profezie, guarigioni, compreso il riattaccare una gamba recisa, o il far ritrovare il cuore di un avaro in uno scrigno, rendere innocui cibi avvelenati, predicare ai pesci, costringere una mula ad inginocchiarsi davanti all’Ostia. I suoi miracoli – in vita e dopo la morte – hanno ispirato molti artisti fra cui Tiziano e Donatello.

Antonio, due to the mass of miracles attributed to him, was canonized the year following his death by PpGregory IX.

The large Basilica dedicated to him stands near the convent of S. Maria Mater Domini. Thirty-two years after his death, during the translation of his remains, Bonaventura da Bagnoregio (canonized in 1482) found Antonio's tongue uncorrupted, today kept in the Treasury Chapel at the basilica of the Paduan city of which he is patron.

Venerable Pius XII (Eugene Pacelli, 1939-1958), che nel 1946 ha annoverato S. Antonio tra i Dottori della Church Cattolica, gli ha dato il titolo di “Doctor Evangelicus”, as in his writings and in the sermons that have come down to us he used to support his statements with quotations from the Gospel.

Meaning of the name Antonio : “born before” or “who faces his adversaries” (Greek).

For further information: Life and Sermons of Saint Anthony

Catechesis of Pope Benedict XVI: St. Anthony of Padua
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