June 13th – Saint Anthony Of Padua My Son’s birthday. Were both born on the 13th
By the late Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira: (died 1995)
Today is the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua, called “Ark of the Covenant” for his profound knowledge of Scriptures and “Hammer of Heretics” for his skill in applying that knowledge in polemics. It is customary in the churches of many Western nations to place the statue of St. Anthony in a special place of honor to be venerated by the faithful on his feast day.
When I visited Assisi in 1950, I admired a picture of the Saint painted by
Giotto, which is said to be the image most closely resembling him that exists.
It presents a strong man with a thick bull-like neck, a serious expression, an
imperious gaze, and a majestic attitude that gives the impression of the Doctor
of the Church he was later declared to be. I bought some reproductions of this
picture by Giotto.
I also bought some other picture that represented St. Anthony that was sold at
the door of the church. This one was not by Giotto, but by some unknown author
who portrayed the common picture of St. Anthony. It showed a young man with soft
skin, pink cheeks, and the mindless and somewhat foolish air of one who does not
understand anything. In his arms he is holding a Child Jesus, who appears to not
understand what he is doing in the arms of that man. He has the air of someone
who says: “I am sorry to be here, it probably happened by some mistake. But it
seems that we will still have to bear this for a while.” In St. Anthony’s face,
there is nothing that expresses the Doctor of the Church, the man who was
considered the greatest expert in Scriptures of his time.
He knew everything in Scriptures and used to quote it by heart; he knew even its
most arcane and difficult passages. He was not only able to quote such texts,
but used to comment on them and draw concrete consequences from them to smash
the heretics and to encourage the faithful.
He was also an extraordinary polemicist who would debate the heretics – not have
ecumenical dialogues with them, let me note in passing – and destroy them by
demolishing their arguments. God used to confirm His support for St. Anthony by
working miracles while he was preaching. This twofold show of arms: a powerful
debate followed by miracles was what earned him the title “Hammer of Heretics.”
His life had nothing to do with the insipid and ecumenical St. Anthony presented
on the holy cards that so many people have.
The militant St. Anthony is the authentic one, depicting the way he lived on
earth in his times and the way he is now in Heaven. But today his true moral
physiognomy, which the Church presents as a model, has almost completely
disappeared. The figure that replaced him is a sentimental one only concerned
about giving graces and favors. There is a fundamental difference in the
physical figure, but most of all, there is a fundamental difference in the moral
figure of St. Anthony.
In addition to being honored with the aforementioned titles – Ark of the
Covenant and Hammer of the Heretics – St. Anthony is also the Patron of the
Army. The reason for that is linked to two incidents where, from Heaven, he
intervened in a militant way.
The first was when a Spanish fleet was besieging the Muslim city of Oram and
facing a long and fruitless siege. In such circumstance, the Spanish Admiral
went to a statue of St. Anthony to ask his intercession. He told St. Anthony
that he, the Admiral, could do nothing more without some extraordinary help.
Then he turned over his insignias of command to the statue and placed his
Admiral’s hat on its head. Then he asked St. Anthony to take command of the
siege against Oram and conquer the city.
Soon after this, the Moors suddenly left the city. Some who were captured and
interrogated related that they had seen a Friar coming from Heaven with an
Admiral’s hat on his head. He threatened the Moors that he would send fire from
Heaven upon them unless they left the city. In face of this peril, the Muslims
found it more prudent to leave.
The second incident took place in Rio de Janeiro when it was being attacked by
the French Calvinist fleet. The Calvinists had a great advantage over the
Brazilian Catholics, who could no longer offer an effective resistance. At that
point, the Franciscan Friars took a statue of St. Anthony from their monastery
to a central square in Rio and set it on a column.
The simple presence of the statue began to provoke a general enthusiasm for the
fight. Very soon a large number of young men entered the army. With this, it was
possible to retake lost positions, reorganize the resistance and make an
efficacious counter-attack. In a short time, the Calvinists were defeated and
left the Brazilian shore. The fact that Brazil did not become a Calvinist
country is due in no small part to that marvelous presence of a statue of St.
Anthony.
The common devotion to St. Anthony normally does not mention things like this.
He is presented as a sweet, foolish saint who only likes to arrange marriages
and enjoy his feast day. This kind of sentimental piety distorted the
physiognomy of the great St. Anthony to hide his militancy.
I think that we have the obligation to correct this false piety and help restore
the true moral physiognomy of the saints. For it is easy to see that this
distortion has been effected not only with St. Anthony, but also with many other
saints.
Let us ask St. Anthony to give us the necessary graces to help extirpate this
false piety and to become enthusiastic admirers of Catholic militancy, as he
was.
Quote:
One great means of preserving a constant peace and tranquility of heart is to
receive all things as coming from the hands of God, whatever they may be, and in
whatever way they may come.
-St. Dorotheus
Bible Quote
26 But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he
will teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall
have said to you. (John 14:26)