PASTORAL LETTER of Mons. Luigi Lippomano, Bishop of Bergamo - 1533

Be merciful as your Father in heaven is merciful (Matthew 5; Luke 6).

He who reflects well and uses the warm reason of intellect, clearly will understand that the first and foremost foundation of the Christian religion is mercy, clemency, and compassion because every our human and divine perfection consist of them. By them, we conform to the likeness of God. Therefore, he who examines well the evangelical text and the precepts exposed by our compassionate redeemer and contained in the Christian law, in truth finds that the above mentioned law of mercy and perfection does not claim anything but perfect love, and mutual delight, and support among mortals, though such a delight is extended to God first.

This mercy and its sharing among Christians has to be as such and much that every our possession of spiritual as well as material goods should be shared among all faithful, as we read in the Acts and deeds of the Apostles in chapter 2, where we find that all those who believed lived together and had everything in common; they sold their possessions and goods and shared out all the proceeds among themselves according to what each one needed. And in the chapter 4: none of their members was ever in want. In fact, the holy Apostle Barnabas sold his own possessions and brought the proceed to the feet of the Apostles to be distributed among the needy. Therefore, from God he obtained such a gift of grace that he was called to the status of Apostle. Then, such a rite was observed by the other apostles, who, invited by Christ to follow Him, after having left behind and distributed in works of mercy their earthly possessions, began their spiritual life that led them to incorruptible and eternal life. Therefore, we conclude that the principle and foundation and perfection of our Christian religion is but a bond of perfect brotherly mercy and love. He, who is endowed with it, can truly call himself Christian because, as St. Ambrose maintains, all the knowledge of the Christian religion consists in mercy and compassion.

To such a mercy, when it is explained with enthusiasm and spread around in abundance, we have to attribute numerous sound fruits, mainly three, which are bestowed by God.

Illumined by such a consideration, enkindled by divine grace, and inflamed by perfect love, the magnificent and generous Sir Jerome Miani, Venetian nobleman, wanted to institute a rule and a way of living and doing good not as much for his own salvation, but as a common documentation and example for everyone in this mortal pilgrim life. This rule was instituted first for himself and then for those who wanted to imitate him. No doubt, in persevering in it, with divine grace, one can be sure of his final salvation. The reason is, as we have said at the beginning of our speech, that the principle and foundation of the Christian religion consists in renouncing and giving up the earthly, fragile and fleeting riches and powers, and convert them to the common use for the poor beggars and needy, according to Jesus Christ’s teaching, If you want to be perfect, go and sell everything you have and give to the poor, then come and follow me. Wishing to obey and follow this sound advice, he got rid of every fear of future poverty and need, with joyful heart and prompt will he distributed not a small quantity of earthly goods and riches for the common support of the needy, as he knew well their necessities and needs.

He also considered being a little thing to have shared such riches, which are not really ours. In fact, they are not given to us, but they are only lent to us by God under the power of the unstable fortune.  Believing that he did not distribute his own things, but that he was only God’s deliverer, after such donation he dedicated all himself, with all his corporal strengths and the power of his soul, to the honor, aid, instruction, teaching, custody, defense and material and spiritual support of any miserable, sick, afflicted, abominable and calamitous person, either man or woman, above all if they were widows and orphans. Great admiration is raised in the faithful who look at so profuse and immense a charity, so much mercy and compassion: to wash disgusting wounds with his own hands, to wipe the plagues, to cure with sound remedies and bandages, to bear with stinking odors and other dirts which cause nausea and abomination in both nurses and supervisors, while not only not abhorring them, but touching them with his own hands as if they were fragrant of sweet odor.

What unheard-of tolerance! What immense compassion! What virtues in our days a man so generous and nourished in delights expresses for our benefit! Truly happy are and will be those who, despising the fleeting worldly delights, follow his footsteps and examples. We can truly believe that God, who sees (with the eye of his divine and eternal Providence) and governs every human creature in this happy age of ours, has illustrated him so much that today’s mortals, led astray from the sanctity of Christian religion, much enraged and alienated from any form of meekness and compassion, through him may be recalled to the right, honest, compassionate, catholic and Christian rite. In fact, we can already see the clear example of some once public prostitutes, who, left behind their dishonest, infamous, and lusting life, are led to sound penance. And many others of both sexes, once nourished in carnal delights and passions, after many attempts, much care, mercy, and exhortations, he has bent to be more generous and charitable, and to give up dishonest and vicious conversations.

In order to have this good beginning grow and bear fruits, the above praised Sir Jerome, eager to provide universal health to his followers and growth and perseverance to his children and disciples, but above all in order to have the means to feed the above-mentioned miserable people, orphans and widows, for the sake of charity begs the Christian faithful to let themselves be moved by piety and compassion for so many poor sick and troubled, who are already so numerous under his care, while others are going to join in, and to help them mercifully with large alms, according to their quality and abundant possibilities.

Moreover, he makes each person aware that the alms donated by faithful and devotees will not be wasted or swayed to any other cause, but will be only used for the support of the above mentioned troubled people. In order that Sir Jerome may more easily help such miserable people, it has been ordered that three men tailored for this task be appointed in every neighborhood of our town to raise the above mentioned alms and to deliver them according to the needs.

As almost a religious act, all those appointed to such a task and charity will meet at least once a week to discuss the things useful or necessary for the support of these children, orphans, widows and other miserable people who are under the care and education of Sir Jerome. He does not want any other care of those troubled people but procuring physical health, if they are sick, with his own hands, and serving, educating, and bringing them to the fear of God, as well as to a just, honest religious living and conversing. By leaving to the appointed men the task of collecting alms, he will raise this company as a devout religion, so that God be praised and our town and fatherland be edified, while the givers of alms will receive merit and immortal reward.  In order to acquire the latter, the Bishop will also grant, besides what has been said above, forty days of indulgence to those who will give alms to the mentioned poor, for every alms, for any work, advice or favor to their benefit.

Moreover, some noble gentlewomen of good reputation, honesty, prudence and good morals, are appointed to handle the government and management of those who have left their dishonest lives and have turned to true penance. Such gentlewomen have to teach a just, honest and moral living. They will receive the care and management of all the other sick, orphans and miserable girls who entered or will enter in such a Congregation. In order that this benefit be useful to everybody, not only to the people of our town, but to all our fatherland, it is ordered that in all the lands of our Diocese will be appointed some devout persons who are going to provide the alms to feed such miserable poor. To them it is also enjoined that they should be solicitous to find out if in their lands or towns or villages where they are appointed, there were such poor people: sick, worn out, children, widows and others who do not have the means for living because of great want and poverty, or do not have support; they should notify them to the Congregation. In turn, it must welcome them, feed them and assist them together with the other poor. It has also been ordered that the alms given by devout people will not be accumulated for buying properties or real estates, but that, day by day, they will be delivered for the benefit of the poor. In this way, they are going to live in poverty and that, in the current day, they will not know what kind of food they will have the following day, so that it will be fulfilled the saying of our Lord Jesus Christ, who said to his disciples: Do not worry about what you are going to eat and drink; in fact, your Father in heaven knows what you need.