Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster
Encyclopedia
Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster, O.S.B. (January 18, 1880 – August 30, 1954) was a Benedictine
monk
and Cardinal
Archbishop of Milan
during World War II
. He was beatified on May 12, 1996 by Pope John Paul II
.
, Italy
, the son of Giovanni (Johann) Schuster, a Bavaria
n tailor
and double widower, and Maria Ana Tutzer. Schuster's sister, Giulia, entered the Order of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul. Schuster also had three half-siblings from his father's second marriage. As a young child Schuster was briefly kidnapped. He served as an altar boy at the church of the Teutonic Cemetery, next to St. Peter's Basilica
.
Schuster completed his secondary-level studies (ginnasiali and liceali) at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls
in November 1891. On November 13, 1898 he joined the Order of St. Benedict at the novitiate
of the monastery of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, where he took the name Ildefonso and professed on November 13, 1900. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy
on June 14, 1903 and then a doctorate in theology
at the Pontifical Academy of S. Anselmo in Rome.
, its archpriest and vicar general of Rome. He joined the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in 1904. He became master of novices in 1908, prior in 1916, and was elected abbot-ordinary of the abbey nullius on April 6, 1918. He also received the abbatial blessing from Cardinal Basilio Pompilj
on April 14 there.
He was the Procurator General of the Congregation of Monte Cassino from 1914 to 1929 and President of the Pontifical Oriental Institute
from October 7, 1919 to July 4, 1922. He visited the seminaries of Lombardy Campania and Calabria from 1924 to 1928.
on June 26, 1929. On July 13, 1929 he took the oath of loyalty to the Italian state in front of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
, the first Italian bishop to do so, as required by the Lateran Treaty.
on July 15, 1929, receiving the titulus of Ss. Silvestro e Martino ai Monti on July 18, 1929. He was consecrated on July 21, 1929 in the Sistine Chapel
by Pius XI personally, assisted by Carlo Cremonesi
and Agostino Zampini.
He served as a papal legate
on several occasions. On August 15, 1932, he was appointed legate to the celebration of Our Lady of Caravaggio
; on March 21, 1934, to the tenth centennial of Einsiedeln Abbey
in Switzerland
; on September 15, 1937, to the inauguration of the new facade of the cathedral of Desio
; and on August 2, 1951, to the National Eucharistic Conference in Assisi
.
Schuster participated in the papal conclave of 1939
, which elected Pope Pius XII
on the eve of World War II
.
in 1935, comparing it to the Crusades
and viewing it as a potential source of converts. On October 28, 1935, while celebrating Mass in the Cathedral of Milan, Schuster asked God to protect the Italian troops as "they open the door of Ethiopia to the Catholic faith and Roman civilisation", and blessed the banners of the departing troops.
In a speech at the School of Fascist Mystique in Rome in 1937, he spelled out a fanciful direct link
between Imperial Rome, Christian Rome and Fascism: "God has chosen to reward the Duce by drawing his historical figure closer to the great spirits of Constantine and Augustus, through the work of Benito Mussolini reconnecting Rome and its King to a shining new imperial crown of Roman peace."
s and Mussolini
in order to obtain a truce between the two parties, but Mussolini didn't accept the demand for unconditional surrender made by Marazza and Pertini, the partisan delegates. Mussolini arrived punctually at 5 p.m., but nobody from the other side was there. The delegates Cadorna, Lombardi and Marazza arrived an hour later. Mussolini had a chat with Schuster, and gave him a glass of rosolio
to drink and a copy of a book he had written about the life of a saint. Schuster made an effort to preach humility to the Mussolini. Later Graziani and other Fascist leaders arrived, but all the versions given by the people who were present, which include Schuster's, differ greatly from one another.
Schuster died on August 30, 1954 in the Archiepiscopal Seminary Pio XI, at Venegono Inferiore
near Milan. Cardinal Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (the future Pope John XXIII
) celebrated his funeral. He was buried on September 2, 1954 in the metropolitan cathedral of Milan, next to his two immediate predecessors.
was opened on August 30, 1957 by Archbishop Giovanni Battista Montini (the future Pope Paul VI
) and concluded on October 31, 1963. After his tomb was opened on January 28, 1985 his body was found to be intact. Schuster was declared "venerable" on March 26, 1994 by Pope John Paul II
and beatified
on May 12, 1996.
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
and Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Archbishop of Milan
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milan
The Archdiocese of Milan is a metropolitan see of the Catholic Church in Italy. It has long maintained its own rite: the Ambrosian rite. It is led by the Archbishop of Milan who serves as metropolitan to the dioceses of Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Crema, Cremona, Lodi, Mantova, Pavia, and Vigevano.The...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was beatified on May 12, 1996 by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
.
Early life and family
Alfredo Ludovico Schuster was born on January 18, 1880 in RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the son of Giovanni (Johann) Schuster, a Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n tailor
Tailor
A tailor is a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, tailor took on its modern sense in the late eighteenth century, and now refers to makers of men's and women's suits, coats, trousers,...
and double widower, and Maria Ana Tutzer. Schuster's sister, Giulia, entered the Order of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul. Schuster also had three half-siblings from his father's second marriage. As a young child Schuster was briefly kidnapped. He served as an altar boy at the church of the Teutonic Cemetery, next to St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
.
Schuster completed his secondary-level studies (ginnasiali and liceali) at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls
Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls
The Papal Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls , commonly known as St Paul's Outside the Walls, is one of four churches that are the great ancient major basilicas or papal basilicas of Rome: the basilicas of St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St. Peter's and Saint Paul Outside the Walls...
in November 1891. On November 13, 1898 he joined the Order of St. Benedict at the novitiate
Novitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
of the monastery of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, where he took the name Ildefonso and professed on November 13, 1900. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
on June 14, 1903 and then a doctorate in theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
at the Pontifical Academy of S. Anselmo in Rome.
Priest
Schuster was ordained on March 19, 1904 at the patriarchal Lateran Basilica in Rome by Cardinal Pietro RespighiPietro Respighi
Pietro Respighi S.T.D. JUD was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Archpriest of the Basilica of St. John Lateran.He was born in Bologna and received the sacrament of confirmation in November 1850...
, its archpriest and vicar general of Rome. He joined the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in 1904. He became master of novices in 1908, prior in 1916, and was elected abbot-ordinary of the abbey nullius on April 6, 1918. He also received the abbatial blessing from Cardinal Basilio Pompilj
Basilio Pompilj
Basilio Pompilj was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Vicar General of Rome from 1913 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1911.-Biography:...
on April 14 there.
He was the Procurator General of the Congregation of Monte Cassino from 1914 to 1929 and President of the Pontifical Oriental Institute
Pontifical Oriental Institute
The Pontifical Oriental Institute is the premier center for the study of Eastern Christianity in Rome, Italy....
from October 7, 1919 to July 4, 1922. He visited the seminaries of Lombardy Campania and Calabria from 1924 to 1928.
Bishop
Schuster was elected archbishop of MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
on June 26, 1929. On July 13, 1929 he took the oath of loyalty to the Italian state in front of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III was a member of the House of Savoy and King of Italy . In addition, he claimed the crowns of Ethiopia and Albania and claimed the titles Emperor of Ethiopia and King of Albania , which were unrecognised by the Great Powers...
, the first Italian bishop to do so, as required by the Lateran Treaty.
Cardinal
Schuster was created cardinal-priest by Pope Pius XIPope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
on July 15, 1929, receiving the titulus of Ss. Silvestro e Martino ai Monti on July 18, 1929. He was consecrated on July 21, 1929 in the Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture and its decoration that was frescoed throughout by Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio...
by Pius XI personally, assisted by Carlo Cremonesi
Carlo Cremonesi
Carlo Cremonesi was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Territorial Prelate of Pompei from 1926 to 1928, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1935.-Biography:...
and Agostino Zampini.
He served as a papal legate
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
on several occasions. On August 15, 1932, he was appointed legate to the celebration of Our Lady of Caravaggio
Our Lady of Caravaggio
Our Lady of Caravaggio is a reported apparition of the Virgin Mary at Caravaggio Italy in 1432.The apparition was reported by Gianetta Varoli, an Italian peasant, whose husband suffered from alcoholism.-References:...
; on March 21, 1934, to the tenth centennial of Einsiedeln Abbey
Einsiedeln Abbey
Einsiedeln Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in the town of Einsiedeln in the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland. The abbey is dedicated to Our Lady of the Hermits, the title being derived from the circumstances of its foundation, from which the name Einsiedeln is also said to have originated...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
; on September 15, 1937, to the inauguration of the new facade of the cathedral of Desio
Desio
Desio is a town and comune in the Province of Monza and Brianza, Italy.-History:In 1277 it was the location of the battle between the Visconti and della Torre families for the rule of Milan. It is also known as the birthplace of Pope Pius XI and the Arsenal goalkeeper, Vito Mannone...
; and on August 2, 1951, to the National Eucharistic Conference in Assisi
Assisi
- Churches :* The Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi is a World Heritage Site. The Franciscan monastery, il Sacro Convento, and the lower and upper church of St Francis were begun immediately after his canonization in 1228, and completed in 1253...
.
Schuster participated in the papal conclave of 1939
Papal conclave, 1939
The Papal conclave of 1939 was convoked on the brink of World War II with the death of Pope Pius XI on 10 February that year in the Apostolic Palace. With all 62 living cardinals in attendance, the conclave to elect Pius' successor began on 1 March and ended a day later, on 2 March, after three...
, which elected Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
on the eve of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Relations with Fascism
There were claims during the process for Schuster's beatification that he was sympathetic to Italian Fascism. While there is evidence of some support for Italy's military ambitions, there is also evidence that he denounced the anti-Christian element of Fascist philosophy. He reportedly refused to participate in ceremonies involving Mussolini, and condemned racist legislation during the Fascist period.Before World War II
Schuster was an enthusiastic supporter of the Italian invasion of EthiopiaSecond Italo-Abyssinian War
The Second Italo–Abyssinian War was a colonial war that started in October 1935 and ended in May 1936. The war was fought between the armed forces of the Kingdom of Italy and the armed forces of the Ethiopian Empire...
in 1935, comparing it to the Crusades
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
and viewing it as a potential source of converts. On October 28, 1935, while celebrating Mass in the Cathedral of Milan, Schuster asked God to protect the Italian troops as "they open the door of Ethiopia to the Catholic faith and Roman civilisation", and blessed the banners of the departing troops.
In a speech at the School of Fascist Mystique in Rome in 1937, he spelled out a fanciful direct link
between Imperial Rome, Christian Rome and Fascism: "God has chosen to reward the Duce by drawing his historical figure closer to the great spirits of Constantine and Augustus, through the work of Benito Mussolini reconnecting Rome and its King to a shining new imperial crown of Roman peace."
Relationship with Mussolini
On April 25, 1945, Schuster hosted in the archbishop's palace in Milan a meeting between Italian partisanItalian resistance movement
The Italian resistance is the umbrella term for the various partisan forces formed by pro-Allied Italians during World War II...
s and Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
in order to obtain a truce between the two parties, but Mussolini didn't accept the demand for unconditional surrender made by Marazza and Pertini, the partisan delegates. Mussolini arrived punctually at 5 p.m., but nobody from the other side was there. The delegates Cadorna, Lombardi and Marazza arrived an hour later. Mussolini had a chat with Schuster, and gave him a glass of rosolio
Rosolio
Rosolio is a type of Italian liqueur derived from rose petals, and which is often used as the basis for the preparation of other liquors of various flavors. The liqueur is prepared from alcohol, sugar, and water in the same proportion, to which is then added a rose essence.The liqueur is common...
to drink and a copy of a book he had written about the life of a saint. Schuster made an effort to preach humility to the Mussolini. Later Graziani and other Fascist leaders arrived, but all the versions given by the people who were present, which include Schuster's, differ greatly from one another.
Death and legacy
Venegono Inferiore
Venegono Inferiore is a comune in the Province of Varese in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 35 km northwest of Milan and about 11 km southeast of Varese...
near Milan. Cardinal Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (the future Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
) celebrated his funeral. He was buried on September 2, 1954 in the metropolitan cathedral of Milan, next to his two immediate predecessors.
Beatification
The diocesan process of his cause for sainthoodCongregation for the Causes of Saints
The Congregation for the Causes of Saints is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the complex process that leads to the canonization of saints, passing through the steps of a declaration of "heroic virtues" and beatification...
was opened on August 30, 1957 by Archbishop Giovanni Battista Montini (the future Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
) and concluded on October 31, 1963. After his tomb was opened on January 28, 1985 his body was found to be intact. Schuster was declared "venerable" on March 26, 1994 by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
and beatified
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
on May 12, 1996.
External links
- Bl. Ildefonso Schuster (an article by Father Robert F. McNamara)