Roger

ON BLESSED ROGER, DISCIPLE OF ST. FRANCIS, AT TODI IN UMBRIA.

AROUND THE YEAR 1236.

Roger of the Order of St. Francis, at Todi in Umbria (Bl.)

[1] Todi, an ancient city of Umbria, usually called Tudertum, in Italian Todi, celebrates the feasts of many of its saintly inhabitants and is illuminated by their triumphs, as we have said elsewhere. At Todi in Umbria, That Blessed Roger, enrolled in the Order of Friars Minor by the Patriarch Francis himself and who died around the year 1236, should be added to their number, Pope Gregory IX, who had known him while living and had heard of his shining miracles after death, is said to have decreed. Thus Molanus in his supplement to Usuard: "At Todi in Tuscany, of St. Roger, Confessor, of the Order of Friars Minor, whose memory is celebrated there by the consent of Gregory IX." Blessed Roger the Minorite is venerated, Galesinius and Ferrarius recite nearly the same, and the latter calls him a Saint, as does also John Baptist Possevino in his Lives of the Saints and Blessed of Todi. But Louis Jacobilli in volume 1 of the Saints of Umbria calls him only Blessed, although he admits that he was called a Saint by Gregory IX, who also permitted his feast to be celebrated at Todi, and ordered an inquiry to be made by Apostolic authority into his Life and miracles, because he was thinking of enrolling him in the catalogue of Saints. But because the Pontiff died before those processes were completed, the canonization was indeed deferred, by the permission of Pope Gregory IX; but the feast is still celebrated at Todi. The same Jacobilli cites the proper Office and the tables of the Saints of Todi, as does also Ferrarius in both his Catalogues, of the Saints of Italy and the general one. Possevino writes that it was established by Gregory IX that his feast should be celebrated not only in the city of Todi but also throughout the diocese.

[2] Galesinius relates in his Notes for January 4 that the Letters concerning this matter given by Gregory IX are preserved at Todi. Ferrarius cites them in his Topography, following Galesinius, as I think. The same author, however, in his Catalogue of the Saints of Italy, notes the following: but whether his diploma exists is uncertain to us: "The Diploma of Confession of Gregory IX, so that Blessed Roger might be honored with Ecclesiastical Office (perhaps through the injury of time, as many other things), they say does not exist." But twelve years later, in his general Catalogue of Saints, either having forgotten what he had previously written or having been more certainly informed, he seems to retract this in his Notes: "They say," he writes, "that a Pontifical diploma exists by which he is permitted to be honored with Ecclesiastical Office."

[3] The same author, in his Catalogue of the Saints of Italy, writes that, although Gregory IX had permitted him to be venerated with Ecclesiastical Office as a Saint by the Church of Todi where he died, this nevertheless first began to be done under Angelo Caesius, Bishop of Todi, and adds, "almost in our own times." whose cult was not recently introduced, For when he was writing this before the year 1613, that most praiseworthy Bishop had died six years earlier, in the year 1606, in the fortieth year of his episcopate. If among the Offices of the Church of Todi (which we have not seen) that of Blessed Roger also exists, as we have already cited on the faith of others, this also pertains to what Ferdinand Ughelli, in volume 1 of his Sacred Italy, recites from the manuscript Catalogue of Todi's Bishops in the Barberini Library in the encomium of Caesius: "He had the ancient constitutions of the Church and the new Synodal additions printed, together with the Office of the Todi Saints, approved by Apostolic authority." Perhaps induced by these words, Wadding in the cited place confessed that the cult of Blessed Roger was renewed, not first introduced, by Angelo Caesius. And concerning the diploma of Gregory IX, which others so affirm that they do not bring it to light, he himself thus pronounced: "The Pontiff did not prescribe his cult with a solemn rite, nor, but since it was somewhat neglected, as I would judge, by a public diploma given; no trace of which have I found in the Pontifical Register. This was the reason why it was gradually neglected, until, in times close to our own, Angelo Caesius, Bishop of Todi, renewed it — he did not begin it, as Ferrarius has it; renewed by Bishop Angelo Caesius, for his memory was already being celebrated in the time of Bernard de Bessa, companion of St. Bonaventure; and certainly not except from ancient tables did John Molanus receive what he added to the Martyrology of Usuard" — namely, those things which we reported above.

[4] Bernard de Bessa, moreover, flourished, as Wadding reports in his Writers of the Order of Friars Minor, when he flourished in the time of St. Bonaventure: around the year 1278, and was secretary to St. Bonaventure when the latter was Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor. He wrote, among other things, a Booklet on the Triple State of the Minorite Religion, in which the Life and many miracles of St. Francis and the Chronicles of the Ministers General up to the tenth are contained. But we have seen neither these nor his other books. From his Chronicles, Wadding brings forward the following about Blessed Roger: "Roger entered the Order under the very founder Francis himself; Bl. Roger was admitted to the Order of Friars Minor by St. Francis, under whose teaching he so perfectly put on the spirit of poverty that he admitted absolutely nothing except the habit and breeches. By the prophetic spirit he clearly foretold many things. Having attained all the noblest virtues, on account of which, immediately after his death, the Pontiff did not hesitate to proclaim him truly a Saint and to permit his feast to be celebrated in the city of Todi, where he rests."

[5] What St. Francis thought about the virtue of this Roger can be seen from the Appendix of Rudolph of Tossiniano to the first book of his Histories of the Seraphic Religion, where he writes: his charity commended by St. Francis; "Besides these twelve whom we have just enumerated, our blessed Father Francis also had, after the example of Christ, seventy-two disciples, men of upright life and perfect in all holiness, whose lives and practices, arranged in alphabetical order, we shall explain below. Concerning whom Blessed Francis used to say that he is truly a Friar Minor who has the faith of Brother Bernard, the simplicity and purity of Brother Leo, the kindliness of Brother Angelo, the gracious appearance of Brother Masseo, the patience of Brother Juniper, the charity of Brother Roger, the solicitude of Brother Lucidus." These, therefore, Blessed Francis sent throughout the whole world to preach and sow the good seed of the Christian faith. The same thing, concerning the charity and the grace of prophecy of Blessed Roger — or Ruger — this same Todi one, is transmitted by Jacobilli in his Life; but he also numbers many other disciples of St. Francis, of whom some outstanding virtue was commended by the holy Patriarch.

[6] This same Roger is said to have been sent by St. Francis to Spain, which Francis Gonzaga thus relates in part 3 of the Seraphic Religion, treating of the Convent of Villafranca, which is the eleventh of the province of St. James in the diocese of Astorga: he himself was sent to Spain, "Thirty Brothers, the inhabitants of this place, reverently preserve in the Sacristy half of the head of Blessed Father Roger. This Father was an Italian by nationality, and by the command of the Seraphic Father Francis, still living, he crossed over to these regions." That this is the Roger of Todi about whom we are treating is clear from the fact that the same Gonzaga, in the first part, among the Blessed of the Seraphic Order, lists only one Blessed Roger, whom Gregory IX called truly a Saint and ordered his memory to be celebrated at Todi, and who also lies at Todi. (a Priest, or a layman?) I am surprised, however, that one whom Gonzaga called Father — a title given in that order only to Priests — is called a layman by Wadding. For thus he writes in volume 2 of the Annals for the year 1285, number 15, treating of this very Convent of Villafranca: where some of his relics are at Villafranca: "In the Sacristy is reverently preserved half the head of Blessed Roger, an Italian layman and disciple of St. Francis, whom he sent to Spain among the first whom he dispatched." In an old painting, the memory of a singular

miracle is conspicuous, he himself receives the Infant Jesus in his arms; in which Christ the Lord (whose infancy and nakedness lying in the manger that man venerated with the greatest affection) with supreme condescension entrusted himself in the form of a little child to his arms. That he was illustrious for miracles, our ancient writers record. Thus Wadding, who cites in the margin Bernard de Bessa's ancient Chronicles, which we also cited above, and presently again. He also cites Pisanus, book 1, fruit 8, where on folio 73 verso, under the heading "the Place of Todi," the following is found: buried at Todi in Umbria: "In the said place of Todi is also buried the holy Brother Roger, who shone with such evident holiness that the Lord Pope Gregory IX called him truly a Saint and permitted his memory to be celebrated at Todi." This, therefore, is the Roger, part of whose relics were translated to Villafranca. Whether he was a layman, as Wadding maintains, or a Priest, as Gonzaga implies, is not clear to us.

[7] We do not adequately grasp why Wadding, in the year 1236, number 1, calls this Roger "of the Marches," not rightly called "of the Marches"; since no such thing is transmitted about him by Pisanus or other ancient writers of the Order, at least among those we have seen. Indeed, Louis Jacobilli, volume 1 of the Lives of the Saints of Umbria, expressly says he was a native of Todi. The same Wadding, volume 1, for the year 1220, number 8, writes: "Marianus confuses Rigerius with Roger, a holy man who lies at Todi, illustrious for miracles, whom Gregory IX called a Saint and ordered his memory to be celebrated there." Certainly Bartholomew of Pisa, book 1 of the Conformities, fruit 8, part 2, excellently distinguishes the two, different from Rigerius of the Marches: and concerning the Todi Roger, we have already related what he wrote. But Rigerius (whom he calls Rizerius de Mucia, Gonzaga calls Rizerius of Modena, Tossiniano calls Rigerius of Mutia, and some also Roger) the same Pisanus praises at length and writes that he was Minister of the Province of the March of Ancona. Jacobilli calls him Roger, surnamed Riccieri, and says he was a native of Muccia in the Marches; and this is more believable than what Wadding conjectures, that he was born among the Insubrians, where in Transpadane Lombardy Mutia is a large stream and Mutianum is a town near the stream, not obscure — from which, if he had originated, he should have been called Mutianensis, not, as Wadding calls him, Mutianus. And indeed Pisanus calls Rizerius de Mucia "a nobleman of the Marches."

[8] For the Todi Roger, however, not all assign the same birthday or feast day, his feast is on March 5, or, as Wadding calls them in volume 2 for the year 1254, number 47, "solemn festivals." For Molanus and Galesinius place it on January 4, while Arthur du Monstier in his Franciscan Martyrology places it on January 5. on other days according to others: But John Baptist Possevino in his Lives of the Saints and Blessed of Todi places his eulogy on March 3; others finally, as Arthur also acknowledges, on March 5. Thus Philip Ferrarius in his Catalogue of the Saints of Italy, from the Office of the Church of Todi, as he cites. The same author in his general Catalogue of Saints, on the same day, cites in his Notes the Tables of the Church of Todi, which recites the Office concerning him on this day. Louis Jacobilli, volume 1 of the Lives of the Saints of Umbria, testifies that he is venerated on March 5, and cites the proper Office and the table of feasts of the city of Todi — even though others record him on other days.

[9] The same Jacobilli transmits that this Roger was clothed in the habit of the Order of Friars Minor by St. Francis around the year 1216; admitted to the Order in the year 1216, and was then adorned with other gifts of God, including the Spirit of prophecy, by which he foretold many things that afterwards came to pass; and that he also performed many miracles during his lifetime. illustrious for miracles in life, But he performed more after his death, which Bernard de Bessa narrates as follows, as cited by Wadding:

[10] and even more after death: "A certain woman, paralyzed, was carried to his tomb at his death, and having briefly prayed for mercy from God through the merits of his servant Roger, in the sight of Brother Conservus, a companion of the holy man, when a paralyzed woman was healed; and of very many other men, she suddenly became well. On the same day, another woman named Sonina, lame with distorted feet and deformed in other members, a lame, deformed woman. prolonging her vigils at the tomb of the holy man, obtained perfect health. Brother Simeon of Narni testified under oath that he and others present saw a boy, lame from birth, a lame boy; suddenly leap up healed at the same tomb. The boy Valentinus recovered the sight of his left eye; a one-eyed boy; Mary of Castro Megii, afflicted with a frenzied passion and changed into various forms, tearing her clothes, sometimes barking like a dog, at other times bellowing like an ox, emerged with her mind fully restored. Sabina of Sorgola, wife of Peter Bonfili, suffering from a very severe illness for two years two mad women; and having fallen into madness, was restored to her former wholeness. Terracellus of Todi, having an albugine offending his eyes and seeing nothing, placed at the tomb of the holy man, a blind man. through his merits beheld the desired light of heaven." The same miracles are related by Jacobilli and others.