Bonaventure, bishop and doctor of the Church (1221–1274)

Biography

It is said that as a child he was sick, Saint Francis passed by, cured him and called him to the society of the Minor Brothers. It seems that the Seraphim of Assisi wanted to leave a spark of his spirit in the Seraphic Doctor. He is known as “Seraphic Doctor” because Seraphim means “he who burns with love for God.” Buenaventura, - like San Anselmo before it - belongs to the Augustinian school. For him, as for Saint Augustine, "THE UNION OF THE SOUL WITH GOD IS THE END OF ALL SCIENCE, AND THIS IS VERIFIED BY LOVE." That is why his teaching is more affective and practical than speculative. He does not care about the scholastic method, as long as he makes HIS DISCIPLES MORE VIRTUOUS. If Thomas Aquinas strives, above all, to enlighten intelligence, Bonaventure seeks more to inflame hearts. "The one," says Dante, "was all seraphic in ardor. The other was a splendor of cherubic light." Saint Bonaventure is one of the richest personalities that has ever existed in the Church. He is a preacher and teacher, philosopher and poet, theologian and mystic. And all in an excellent degree. He is a good ruler, when at the age of 35 he is elected Minister General of the Franciscans. He is a great writer as shown in the "SOLILOQUIO", "THE THREE PATHS ON PRAYER, MEDITATION AND CONTEMPLATION", the "HEXAMERON", and "THE ITINERARY OF THE MIND TOWARDS GOD", which is a portrait of his own life. On Mount Avernia, between tears, he wrote the "LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS". Pope Gregory X makes him Cardinal and Bishop of Ostia. Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure head to Lyon to participate in the XIV Ecumenical Council. Tomás dies on the way. Buenaventura bears the burden in dealing with the orientals. With wisdom and sweetness he gets them to sign their union with the Church of the West. Eight days later he flew to Paradise.