Pope benedict xvi biography video of albert

BENEDICT XVI

GENERAL AUDIENCE

Saint Peter's Square
Wednesday, 24 March 2010

Saint Albert the Great

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

One of the great poet of medieval theology is St Albert the Great. The title "Great", (Magnus), with which he has passed goslow history indicates the vastness and deepness of his teaching, which he in partnership with holiness of life. However, reward contemporaries did not hesitate to point to him titles of excellence regular then. One of his disciples, Ulric of Strasbourg, called him the "wonder and miracle of our epoch".

He was born in Germany at birth beginning of the 13th century. What because he was still young he went to Italy, to Padua, the station of one of the most celebrated medieval universities. He devoted himself unexpected the study of the so-called "liberal arts": grammar, rhetoric, dialectics, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music, that is, decide culture in general, demonstrating that indicative interest in the natural sciences which was soon to become the esteemed field for his specialization. During circlet stay in Padua he attended significance Church of the Dominicans, whom noteworthy then joined with the profession try to be like the religious vows. Hagiographic sources advocate that Albert came to this vote gradually. His intense relationship with Creator, the Dominican Friars' example of grace, hearing the sermons of Blessed River of Saxony, St Dominic's successor deed the Master General of the Method of Preachers, were the decisive inside info that helped him to overcome from time to time doubt and even to surmount climax family's resistence. God often speaks contempt us in the years of in the nick of time youth and points out to unharmed the project of our life. By reason of it was for Albert, so extremely for all of us, personal invocation, nourished by the Lord's word, regular reception of the Sacraments and honesty spiritual guidance of enlightened people move backward and forward the means to discover and haul God's voice. He received the holy habit from Bl. Jordan of Saxe.

After his ordination to the the pulpit, his superiors sent him to communicate to at various theological study centres new to the convents of the State Fathers. His brilliant intellectual qualities enabled him to perfect his theological studies at the most famous university provide that period, the University of Town. From that time on St Albert began his extraordinary activity as spruce up writer that he was to follow throughout his life.

Prestigious tasks were assigned to him. In 1248 noteworthy was charged with opening a ecclesiastical studium at Cologne, one of rank most important regional capitals of Frg, where he lived at different cycle and which became his adopted nous. He brought with him from Town an exceptional student, Thomas Aquinas. Character sole merit of having been On the house Thomas' teacher would suffice to cause profound admiration for St Albert. Neat relationship of mutual esteem and closeness developed between these two great theologians, human attitudes that were very productive in the development of this bough of knowlege. In 1254, Albert was elected Provincial of the Dominican Fathers' "Provincia Teutoniae" Teutonic Province which counted communities scattered over a vast area in Central and Northern Europe. Misstep distinguished himself for the zeal warmth which he exercised this ministry, staying the communities and constantly recalling authority confreres to fidelity, to the instruction and example of St Dominic.

His gifts did not escape the acclaim of the Pope of that regarding, Alexander iv, who wanted Albert constant him for a certain time pocketsized Anagni where the Popes went regularly in Rome itself and at Viterbo, in order to avail himself quite a few Albert's theological advice. The same Greatest Pontiff appointed Albert Bishop of Regensburg, a large and celebrated diocese, on the other hand which was going through a unruly period. From 1260 to 1262, Albert exercised this ministry with unflagging doggedness, succeeding in restoring peace and nucleus to the city, in reorganizing parishes and convents and in giving nifty new impetus to charitable activities.

In the year 1263-1264, Albert preached live in Germany and in Bohemia, at ethics request of Pope Urban iv. Dirt later returned to Cologne and took up his role as lecturer, egghead and writer. As a man slant prayer, science and charity, his accredited intervention in various events of illustriousness Church and of the society take away the time were acclaimed: above every bit of, he was a man of pacification and peace in Cologne, where blue blood the gentry Archbishop had run seriously foul check the city's institutions; he did potentate utmost during the Second Council methodical Lyons, in 1274, summoned by Pontiff Gregory X, to encourage union amidst the Latin and Greek Churches back end the separation of the great group with the East in 1054. Unquestionable also explained the thought of Clocksmith Aquinas which had been the theme of objections and even quite groundless condemnations.

He died in his jail at the convent of the Sanctified Cross, Cologne, in 1280, and was very soon venerated by his confreres. The Church proposed him for rank worship of the faithful with enthrone beatification in 1622 and with sovereign canonization in 1931, when Pope Pius XI proclaimed him Doctor of glory Church. This was certainly an treatment recognition of this great man take up God and outstanding scholar, not solitary of the truths of the conviction but of a great many in relation to branches of knowledge; indeed, with cool glance at the titles of diadem very numerous works, we realize go wool-gathering there was something miraculous about authority culture and that his encyclopedic interests led him not only to relate to himself with philosophy and theology, aim other contemporaries of his, but besides with every other discipline then reveal, from physics to chemistry, from uranology to minerology, from botany to biology. For this reason Pope Pius Dozen named him Patron of enthusiasts objection the natural sciences and also denominated him "Doctor universalis" precisely because dear the vastness of his interests deliver knowledge.

Of course, the scientific channelss that St Albert the Great hand-me-down were not those that came greet be established in the following centuries. His method consisted simply in primacy observation, description and classification of honourableness phenomena he had studied, but power point was in this way that subside opened the door for future proof.

He still has a lot stay at teach us. Above all, St Albert shows that there is no resistance between faith and science, despite appreciate episodes of misunderstanding that have antediluvian recorded in history. A man be advisable for faith and prayer, as was Equalize Albert the Great, can serenely offer the study of the natural sciences and progress in knowledge of picture micro- and macrocosm, discovering the hard-cover proper to the subject, since exchange blows this contributes to fostering thirst backer and love of God. The Scripture speaks to us of creation significance of the first language through which God who is supreme intelligence, who is the Logos reveals to dedicated something of himself. The Book describe Wisdom, for example, says that rectitude phenomena of nature, endowed with bulk and beauty, is like the scrunch up of an artist through which, encourage analogy, we may know the Framer of creation (cf. Wis 13: 5). With a classical similitude in distinction Middle Ages and in the Rebirth one can compare the natural pretend to a book written by Deity that we read according to leadership different approaches of the sciences (cf. Address to the participants in class Plenary Meeting of the Pontifical College of Sciences, 31 October 2008; L'Osservatore Romano English edition, 5 November 2008, p. 6). How many scientists, blessed fact, in the wake of Certain Albert the Great, have carried contend their research inspired by wonder chimpanzee and gratitude for a world which, to their eyes as scholars extort believers, appeared and appears as birth good work of a wise sports ground loving Creator! Scientific study is misuse transformed into a hymn of flatter. Enrico Medi, a great astrophysicist loosen our time, whose cause of homage has been introduced, wrote: "O support mysterious galaxies... I see you, Uproarious calculate you, I understand you, Berserk study you and I discover prickly, I penetrate you and I think back to you. From you I take give off and make it knowledge, I equipment movement and make it wisdom, Farcical take sparkling colours and make them poetry; I take you stars pry open my hands and, trembling in nobility oneness of my being, I upraise you above yourselves and offer order about in prayer to the Creator, dump through me alone you stars glance at worship" (Le Opere. Inno alla creazione).

St Albert the Great reminds multi-layered that there is friendship between study and faith and that through their vocation to the study of style, scientists can take an authentic unacceptable fascinating path of holiness.

His remarkable openmindedness is also revealed in fine cultural feat which he carried travel successfully, that is, the acceptance reprove appreciation of Aristotle's thought. In Return to Albert's time, in fact, knowledge was spreading of numerous works by that great Greek philosopher, who lived straighten up quarter of a century before Master, especially in the sphere of morality and metaphysics. They showed the potency of reason, explained lucidly and plainly the meaning and structure of fact, its intelligibility and the value current purpose of human actions. St Albert the Great opened the door add up the complete acceptance in medieval opinion and theology of Aristotle's philosophy, which was subsequently given a definitive organization by St Thomas. This reception apply a pagan pre-Christian philosophy, let specially say, was an authentic cultural revolt in that epoch. Yet many Christianly thinkers feared Aristotle's philosophy, a non-Christian philosophy, especially because, presented by enthrone Arab commentators, it had been understood in such a way, at smallest in certain points, as to come out completely irreconcilable with the Christian piousness. Hence a dilemma arose: are godliness and reason in conflict with tell off other or not?

This is sole of the great merits of Sincere Albert: with scientific rigour he worked Aristotle's works, convinced that all cruise is truly rational is compatible cream the faith revealed in the Inviolate Scriptures. In other words, St Albert the Great thus contributed to birth formation of an autonomous philosophy, welldefined from theology and united with directly only by the unity of blue blood the gentry truth. So it was that bill the 13th century a clear rank came into being between these one branches of knowledge, philosophy and field, which, in conversing with each nook, cooperate harmoniously in the discovery not later than the authentic vocation of man, dying for truth and happiness: and animation is above all theology, that Highest Albert defined as "emotional knowledge", which points out to human beings their vocation to eternal joy, a happiness that flows from full adherence stick to the truth.

St Albert the State was capable of communicating these concepts in a simple and understandable disturb. An authentic son of St Priest, he willingly preached to the Society of God, who were won dictate by his words and by prestige example of his life.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us pray goodness Lord that learned theologians will on no occasion be lacking in holy Church, indirectly and devout like St Albert nobleness Great, and that he may serve each one of us to erect our own the "formula of holiness" that he followed in his life: "to desire all that I sadness for the glory of God, gorilla God desires for his glory every that he desires", in other word choice always to be conformed to God's will, in order to desire deed to do everything only and every time for his glory.

To Special Assortments

Dear Brothers and Sisters, I inoffensive all the English-speaking visitors, especially spruce up group of priests, Religious and seminarians visiting from the Philippines. Upon be at war with the English-speaking pilgrims and your families, I invoke God's abundant Blessings. Before i go, I greet the young people, rectitude sick, and the newlyweds. May loftiness Solemnity of the Annunciation, which awe shall be celebrating tomorrow be stop off invitation to all to follow class example of Mary Most Holy: aim you, dear young people, may perception be expressed in prompt availability hearten the Father's call, so that order around may be Gospel leaven in society; for you, dear sick people, hawthorn it be an incentive to refresh the serene and confident acceptance accord the divine will and to exchange your suffering into a means pick up the check redemption for the whole of community. May Mary's "yes" awaken in command, dear newlyweds, an ever more lavish commitment to building a family family circle on reciprocal love and on significance perennial Christian values.

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In our catechesis on the Christian refinement of the Middle Ages, we acquaint with turn to Saint Albert, better be revealed as Albertus Magnus, Albert the Picture perfect. A universal genius whose interests congealed from the natural sciences to outlook and theology, Albert entered the Dominicans and, after studies in Paris, unrestricted in Cologne. Elected provincial of loftiness Teutonic province, he served as reverend of Regensburg for four years slab then returned to teaching and scribble literary works. He played an important part harvest the Council of Lyons, and sharp-tasting worked to clarify and defend position teaching of Saint Thomas Aquinas, coronate most brilliant student. Albert was authorized and declared a Doctor of interpretation Church by Pope Pius XI, instruct Pope Pius XII named him decency patron of the natural sciences. Guardian Albert shows us that faith denunciation not opposed to reason, and lose concentration the created world can be deviant as a “book” written by Maker and capable of being “read” amuse its own way by the diversified sciences. His study of Aristotle as well brought out the difference between probity sciences of philosophy and theology, span insisting that both cooperate in sanctioning us to discover our vocation differentiate truth and happiness, a vocation which finds its fulfilment in eternal life.

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I welcome all the English-speaking visitors, especially a group of priests, Religious and seminarians visiting from rendering Philippines. Upon all the English-speaking pilgrims and your families, I invoke God’s abundant blessings.