Bernard of Arce

ON ST. BERNARD OF ARCE, CONFESSOR, AT ARCANUM, COMMONLY ARCE, IN ITALY,

PERHAPS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TWELFTH CENTURY.

PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY.

The ecclesiastical cult of the saint, his Acts, native land and time of death, and the translations of his sacred body.

Bernard, confessor, in Latium. (S.)

BY C. G.

Besides the fact that the memory of this St. Bernard is celebrated by Wilson in the English Martyrology at the 14th day of September, [The saint, mentioned in the more recent calendars, and in the diocese of Aquino with a proper ecclesiastical Office,] where he was also deferred by our elders to this day, on which it was established that he was solemnly venerated, and at this day by Castellanus in the Universal French Martyrology, by Wion, Ménard, Ferrarius in the Catalogue of the Saints of Italy, and by Cardinal Baronius himself in the Roman Martyrology, which has this of our saint: In Latium, of St. Bernard, confessor: his legitimate cult is abundantly proved from the ecclesiastical Office with which his annual festivity is kept in the diocese of Aquino: this proper Office of the saint was approved by the praised Wilson and Ferrarius, who composed from it their eulogy of the saint, which may be seen in them; it pleased also the most learned compiler of the Martyrology, Baronius, who praised it thus in the Notes: We have read his (St. Bernard's) deeds in manuscript, sent from Arpino to Rome; so that accordingly there can be no doubt of their antiquity and authentic credit: a transcript of this Office, the original of which is kept in the church at Arpino or perhaps at Arce, our elders received from Sora, to which, for the sake of confirmation, the following testimony of the public notary who copied it with his own hand is subjoined: The present copy has been extracted by the hands of me, the undersigned notary, word for word, syllable for syllable, from beginning to end, according to its series, contents and tenor, from its own original exhibited to me and restored to the exhibitor, with which, diligent collation having been made, it agrees, saving always the better; and in faith thereof I, Thomas Germanus, public notary by royal authority throughout the whole present kingdom wherever, and by apostolic authority throughout whatever parts of the world, being requested, have here subscribed and signed. Thomas, etc.

[2] of which this hymn These things to prove the authority of the said Office, of which I now set before the eyes of the curious reader the hymn and a few other proper things. The hymn at Vespers runs thus:

*Let us rejoice in the solemnity Of most blessed Bernard, By whose help may we all Be made near to God.*

*While he was pilgrim in the world, He came to Arpino on his return; There he lacks life, He was buried at his passing.*

After a long time he had joined To be carried into the Rocca of Arce; The body hastens to the place, Every people obeys it.*

*At the translation of the body From the bells of Arpino A sound is made within and without, No one ringing them.*

*In the said Rocca is placed The sacred body at the tomb; Let no sick man who is borne there Dread the sting of death:*

*A certain woman followed The body with the crowd of peoples, Dumb from birth, At once speech came upon her.*

*Through him a cure is made there On a suppliant priest: He heals one of a rupture, To another he restores hearing.*

*Three women, out of their minds And oppressed by a demon, Go away healed, rejoicing, Henceforth by his aid.*

*O Bernard, with devout mind We pray thee, that thy pious Grace may help us To render our vows to God.*

*Grant, O Father, that the footsteps Of blessed Bernard We may follow, and be laurelled After life in heavenly things. Amen.*

[3] and a few other things are given; his cult, After the hymn follows this proper antiphon at the Magnificat:

*Stretch forth thy help to us, O Bernard; Rule those standing, raise those lying; Correct our morals, acts and life, And direct us into the way of peace.*

Then the following prayer or collect is subjoined: O God, who didst mercifully visit blessed Bernard Thy confessor while he was making pilgrimage through the world rendering vows to Thee, and didst translate him from his earthly steps to the heavenly border of Thy kingdom, grant, we beseech Thee, that we, who rejoice in his translation, may deserve to receive his help with Thee. Through our Lord, etc. A Mass is also read on the feast of the same saint, in which whether any proper things are also recited I do not know, since these are lacking in our copy. Besides this, indulgences have been granted in the church of Arce, a town in the province of the kingdom of Naples called Terra Laboris, (commonly) Terra di Lavoro, distant about four miles from Arpino, which in the Acts is called the Rocca of Arce, to be gained on the feast of the saint and on the anniversary of the consecration of the little building, or chapel, and of the altar which, as the Acts relate, the citizens of Arce, after obtaining the sacred body of the saint, erected in their church over his tomb: so I found it noted beneath the Acts in our copy in these words: His (St. Bernard's) feast day is the 14th of October … the consecration of the altar and of the little building where the body of St. Bernard is was made in the year of the Lord 1585, on the 21st of the month of May, … and there are there 40 days of indulgence on that day, and on his feast as many, both at Vespers and at Mass: this little building or chapel, as I indeed conjecture, since the saint's body is here said to exist in it, which the Acts testify was translated from the first place of his burial to Arce and laid up in the church of this town (whence it is clear that Wilson erred, who writes that it was translated to Arpino), is a part of the same church of Arce, comprising the altar erected by the citizens over the saint's tomb, and accordingly different from that chapel which the people of Arpino are related in the same Acts to have built, as a posthumous memorial, over the first place of his burial, between Arpino and Arce, near the chapel of St. John. Hitherto we have shown the saint's cult; now certain things are to be said about the Acts to be edited after this Commentary.

[4] he was born in England, as is noted beneath our copy of the Acts to be edited, We have two exemplars of the Acts, one more prolix, the other briefer, both of which were transcribed from a manuscript which is kept at Arpino or Arce, and transmitted to our elders; these exemplars agree, though not everywhere in words, yet in the historical narration, so that the briefer is a mere compendium of the more prolix, if you except one or two miracles which the more prolix copy narrates more distinctly and better, certainly more conformably with the hymn given above: thus for the woman dumb from birth and miraculously healed the briefer exemplar erroneously substitutes a dumb priest, whereas this defect is not wont to come upon one at birth, and it omitted the miracle wrought in the healing of the deaf priest; and since, moreover, the more prolix exemplar relates not a few other things more explicitly, we shall edit it, keeping the original phrasing: further, these Acts, which are divided into 9 lessons customarily recited in the ecclesiastical Office, as I shall note in the margin, narrate at length indeed the finding and translation of the sacred body, with certain miracles wrought on that occasion, which they also insinuate were customarily repeated frequently at the saint's tomb at the time when they were composed, in these words: Those frequenting the place, with whatever disease they have been weighed down, recover health; there the blind are healed, hearing is restored to the deaf, and every weak person returns from the tomb safe and sound; but they relate very few things about the saint's deeds, which, as being those of a pilgrim, were without doubt unknown to the Italians: it is established from them only that St. Bernard, having made pilgrimage from his native land (which Ferrarius not rightly suspected was Apulia, since the Acts indicate not obscurely that he arrived in Apulia a pilgrim and a stranger) in order to visit the holy places, met a happy death by chance near Arpino when returning from the pilgrimage; nor do they have anything whence you could determine the age in which the saint lived or died, or the native land from which he sprang: this, however, I again found noted beneath the Acts in our copy thus: This blessed man was an Englishman, S. D. P., found in the Latin fatherland.

[5] [and as a pilgrim, perhaps about the beginning of the 12th century, he died in Italy near Arpino.] Wilson writes in the English Martyrology that the saint undertook a pilgrimage from this his native land, England, towards Jerusalem, to venerate the sacred sepulchre of the Lord, and adds to him as companion of the pilgrimage St. Gerard, likewise an Englishman by birth; and he weaves the eulogy of this St. Gerard at the 27th day of December from the monuments of the church of Castrum Gallinarii in the same province of Terra Laboris, to which he ascribed St. Gerard as to the chief place of his cult: but this St. Gerard is solemnly venerated in the mentioned castle on the 11th day of August, at which day, for that cause, Cuper edited his Acts in our work, and gathered that he departed from this life about the year 1100 or at the beginning of the twelfth century, not on his return but on the journey, while he was about to go to Jerusalem; if, therefore, the things which Wilson relates agree with the truth on every side, it must be laid down that our St. Bernard exchanged this life for a better somewhat later, namely in the first years of the twelfth century: but that St. Gerard is said in his own Acts to have been born in the province of Auvergne, from which, since Arvernia or Alvernia is a known province of Gaul, not of England, the praised Cuper taught that he was a Gaul by birth: nor in the praised Acts of St. Gerard, in which indeed two companions of his are mentioned, but the one is named Stephen, the other Peter, nor in his own Acts, is St. Gerard joined to our St. Bernard as companion of the journey; whence, then, Wilson learned these things I do not know. I would not, however, deny that St. Bernard made pilgrimage to Jerusalem to visit the Lord's sepulchre; since the Acts not only do not oppose this, but seem to insinuate the same in some measure in these words: Blessed Bernard … loved Christ firmly; and … not fearing the length of the journey, he eagerly exercised himself (in visiting) the places in which the saints of God adored; and below: When (they say) he had walked through a great part of this world, frequenting the temples of God, desiring to obtain from the Lord by his labour and weariness of body rest for his soul in heavenly things*, etc. All of which suit quite well a Jerusalem pilgrimage; which he could have undertaken at the same time as St. Gerard, namely about the year 1100 (for after Jerusalem had been snatched from the power of the infidels by the pious arms of the Christians in the year 1099, very many faithful betook themselves thither from all sides to venerate devoutly the holy places), and died near Arpino on the return. But since these things are very doubtful, I have also placed the saint's death doubtfully at the head of this Commentary at the beginning of the twelfth century.

[6] [His sacred remains were afterwards translated to Arce about the end of the same century.] This conjecture about the saint's age being laid down, the time also at which his sacred body was found and honourably laid up in the church of Arce is gathered in some way from the Acts: for a certain old man of ancient time is related, while the inhabitants of Arce were secretly translating the body of St. Bernard to their town, to have said this to his fellow-citizens of Arpino, wondering at the bells of Arpino ringing of their own accord: Why do you wonder, looking at those bells? Whence these things proceed I hope to explain to you truly; it is long since chance brought hither a certain pilgrim, full of good morals, honourable, while he was walking through the world ; and here, sickness oppressing him, giving thanks to the Lord, he fell asleep; then near the road of the Rocca*

of Arce he was buried: perhaps God works thus for love of him. And this old man seems to have been living at the time when St. Bernard came to Arpino and died and was buried there, which these words, It is long since chance, etc., clearly hint, which manner of speaking indicates a space of time not more extended; and to have drawn from sight the opinion which he had of his holiness: certainly he could not have had it from tradition or report, which, as the Acts testify, was either slight or none: for the people of Arpino (they say), although they had seen him giving thanks to the Lord and suffering kindly, yet were altogether ignorant of his holiness, and also of what patience he had been: supposing, then, that that old man had exceeded the age of 90 years at the time when he was relating these things to his countrymen, and had seen our saint at Arpino in his youth, this finding and translation of the sacred body can be placed when the same twelfth century was verging to its end. Now nothing remains but that we exhibit the Acts themselves, and illustrate them with the accustomed annotations.

Perhaps fluxerat*.

Read fatigatione* weariness.

Read adduxerit* brought.

ACTS AND MIRACLES BY AN UNCERTAIN AUTHOR

From a manuscript which is kept at Arpino or Arce.

Bernard, confessor, in Latium. (S.)

BHL Number: 1202

BY AN UNCERTAIN AUTHOR.

LESSON I.

LESSON II.

Dearly beloved, it befits us to venerate the saints of God solemnly, The saint, having made pilgrimage from his native land, dies unknown at Arpino, so that, by their interceding for us with the Lord, we may be able to be mercifully cleansed from our sins, and also, after the circuit of our life, to be happily placed with them in the heavenly court. Therefore in blessed Bernard, whose feast we keep today, ^a let us chiefly contemplate, and let us assiduously imitate with devout heart the footsteps of his works, so that at the end of our time, clean and filled with divine grace, we may be fittingly separated from the unclean spirits. Blessed Bernard, a man indeed humble and devout, loved Christ firmly, and, not fearing the length of the journey, eagerly exercised himself in visiting the places in which the saints of God adored; and moreover, that these might render him pleasing to the Lord, he humbly offered himself to them with prayers. For the love of Christ the holy confessor of God macerated his body with many abstinences as long as he lived, but of these no narration is made at present, inasmuch as on this day commemoration is made of his translation. ^b Yet it is fitting to approach the end of his life, so that, the place of his burial being known , we may be able to narrate whence and whither his most holy body was translated with sensible G. …; therefore, passing over for now his principal good deeds, let us approach his end. It is manifest that, when he had walked through a great part of this world, frequenting the temples of God, desiring to obtain from the Lord by his labour and weariness of body rest for his soul in heavenly things, ^c returning, however, about the parts of Apulia, at length, as by chance he was moving in his going hither, he came to Arpino; and here, wearied by labour and the going of the journey, and also driven by excessive pain in the body … he lay down sick; and when he had been ill elsewhere for a long time, oppressed by greater infirmity … in a few days, giving thanks to the Lord, he departed from the world.

LESSON III.

[2] The blessed man being dead, his most holy body is buried outside Arpino, and yet in its territory, near the chapel of blessed John on the road of the Rocca of Arce; and is buried outside Arpino. and the people of Arpino Arpinates left the body of the most holy man there, as that of a pilgrim and stranger, within a hidden place; who, although they had seen him giving thanks to the Lord in his infirmities and suffering kindly, yet were altogether ignorant of his holiness, and also of what patience he had been: O how great a fault it would have been for them to leave the saint of God there, if they had recognized him as so near to the Lord! Him, thus left for a great space of time and given to oblivion, [God] never left; for the labourer is worthy of his hire; and because in his life he always strengthened his heart in good works, therefore at his end he deserved to obtain the best hire; the just and merciful Lord beatified him in glory, and allotted him a place among His holy confessors; whence his beatitude is manifestly approved by many miracles, many seeing them.

LESSON IV.

LESS. V.

LESSON VI.

[3] One night the blessed servant of God, a great length of time having elapsed after his death, appeared in sleep to a certain man of the Rocca of Arce, [His body afterwards, as, appearing once and again to a certain man, he had commanded,] to whom he said: Friend, do not fear, I am Bernard, whose body lies long since buried near the church of blessed John beside the road of the Rocca of Arce leading to Arpino; and now I counsel you to procure, with the archpriest of the Rocca of Arce, that my body be translated from its place into the same Rocca: rise and go to him, and relate all things to him as they have been told you. And the night being past, in the morning he rose from his chamber and went at once to the aforesaid archpriest, and related to him what he had seen in sleep, according as they had been committed to him. But that man was filled with great simplicity, who on account of his very great simplicity, as one foolish , seemed to be altogether ignorant of temporal things; wherefore the priest forbade him to mutter about such things, believing that his vision had been vain. On another night blessed Bernard stood before the bed of the aforesaid man, saying: What I had enjoined on you to announce to your curate, truly I know you have spoken with him about these things; but he did not believe them, wherefore he ordered you to be silent, bringing your words [to] the archpriest; return again to the same priest, to whom you shall announce such things publicly before the people: what I have told you are not superfluous, for I am more certain of these things now than before, and you will be able to prove them; go to the place already announced to you with a crowd of people, and understanding will be given you to be instructed where you will be able to find his body: such words you shall relate to the curate himself on my behalf, enjoining him to make them manifest to his parishioners as granted by God, constraining them to come with him to the place; but if they will not obey what is said, they will know that I have truly obtained from God great tribulation against them. The words being finished, the man of God became invisible before him; and the messenger rose from his little bed to set forth to the common people what had been told him.

[4] translated to Arce, in the church, Before he roused the people, he announced to his curate all things which had been told him by the saint of God. Hearing these things, the curate trembled with exceeding terror, confessing that he had sinned against God and blessed Bernard his confessor on account of disobedience to the former command, and quickly roused his parishioners, that he himself might urge them on in turn to doing the commands of the holy confessor. The people being gathered, the curate ordered the messenger of the blessed confessor to repeat there all things that had happened to him, from first to last; then the messenger says to them: Hear and understand: there was formerly a certain faithful man of God buried outside Arpino on the road of the Rocca of Arce, whom the people of Arpino left there for a long time; and it has pleased him to choose this place of the Rocca of Arce, which the truthful God has granted him. ^d Wherefore through me, his messenger, he counsels us to go to the place, and to draw the holy body out from it, and thence to translate it into this Rocca; this will truly be shown to us if we go, but on those refusing the most holy man has pronounced tribulations and anguishes.* Hearing the commands of St. Bernard, they were moved, and, terrified on account of the threats held out to those refusing, on the following night they went together to the place of the most holy body; and when they had come to the place, they could not pass further; and there, searching, they found the most holy body, and drew it out thence, and then, carrying it with them, they withdrew, praising together the Creator of all.

LESS. VII.

LESS. VIII.

[5] See the miracles which almighty God wrought for love of blessed Bernard His confessor, the bells of Arpino ringing miraculously that He might extend to us him sanctified by Himself. And while they had begun to draw the most holy body out of the place in which it had first been placed, secretly from the people of Arpino, all the bells of Arpino, no one ringing them, gave forth great sounds together. The people of Arpino, seeing these signs, began each to wonder; there was there a certain old man of ancient time, who says to them in their astonishment: Why do you wonder, looking at these bells? Whence these wonders proceed I hope to explain to you truly: it is long since chance brought hither a certain pilgrim, full of good morals, honourable, while he was walking through the world ; and here, sickness oppressing him, giving thanks to the Lord, he fell asleep; then near the road of the Rocca of Arce he was buried; perhaps God works thus for love of him; wherefore hasten to the place, lest perhaps a furtive taking away of the most holy body be made there. ^e The word being finished, they ran swiftly to the place. And coming to the place, a double cause moved them to anger: one, because through their ignorance they had left the holy body there; the other , because they saw it taken away from the place, and, bearing it ill, could not reach it; who, after they had returned, proposed to build a church over the place in honour of blessed Bernard. ^f

LESS. IX.

[6] is honourably laid down, and there shines with miracles. But what is done about his most holy body? Those who had taken up the body translated it with joy into the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Rocca of Arce … and entombed it within the same church, and then, to the praise of the most blessed confessor, founded a certain altar over the tomb; and while the holy body was being placed there, all the peoples of the place ran thither, desiring to see the wonders which are done through him. Among which a certain woman, who had been dumb from her birth, came to the place, and at once, blessed Bernard helping, speech is restored to her. ^g Those frequenting the place, with whatever disease they have been weighed down, recover health; there the blind are healed, hearing is restored to the deaf, and every weak person, by the prayers of the most blessed confessor, returns from the tomb safe and sound. And when fame published the miracles of the most blessed confessor through the whole country, a certain priest, who had lost his hearing, perceiving these things, at once hastened to the place, and when he came to the place, he quickly threw his hand over the tomb, then, having put his finger to each ear, he then recovers his hearing. Another also coming thither, who had been weighed down with a rupture …, calling upon blessed Bernard to bring him help, his prayers being finished, without * any incision being made, at once, by the intercession of blessed Bernard, he was whole at the altar. Three women out of their minds, brought before the tomb of blessed Bernard, who were greatly tormented by a demon, by his help went away healthy and cheerful, and also freed from the demon: and seeing the wonders which were done through him,

they rejoiced, and praised the Lord for his translation, saying: Wonderful art Thou, O Lord, in Thy saints, who hast wonderfully placed there the body of blessed Bernard Thy confessor, and hast given him power and strength to heal so great a people; to Thee be praise, honour and glory for everlasting ages. Amen.

ANNOTATIONS.

Read agnito* being known.

Read possimus* we may be able.

Read fatigatione* weariness.

Read diuturnitate* length.

Read ab archipresbytero* by the archpriest.

Read quasi fatuus* as if foolish.

Read a*.

Perhaps cohortando* exhorting.

Read ostenderet* might show.

Read adduxerit* brought.

Read reliqua* the other.

Read quondam* formerly.

Read nulla* [no].