The experience of living in Santa Caterina Siena was not only religious and mystical. Canonized by Pius II in 1461, St. Catherine was proclaimed patron saint of Italy , along with St. Francis of Assisi in 1939, Protector of nurses in 1943 (by Pope Pius XII), Doctor of the Church Universal in 1970 (Paul VI), and finally, Patroness of Europe in 1999 (by Pope John Paul II).
The element that characterizes the life of this saint, in fact, is the great practical activities (including political and literary) that involves her for life, fueled by an intense inner struggle and sustained by a profound insight : that of love of God and the world, witnessed more ardent with passion.
From an early age began to mortify themselves physically, and following a vision of Christ, received six years, decided to remain a virgin.
Around the age of twelve his parents decided to take her husband, but she, who secretly devoted himself to ascetic practices, having shaved his hair, covered his head with a veil and shut herself in the house, even without bending to overwhelming domestic hardships which shall submit it to distract from the ascetic purposes.
opposed by parents, for several years led a life of sacrifice, dedicated only to prayer, locked in his room at last, at eighteen, while remaining at home, took the veil of the mantle (so-called sisters because of her black worn on the dress White of the Third Order Dominican).
In 1370 he decided to open his heart to the outside world and began to devote himself caring for the sick in hospital with a group of disciples who followed her in the many movements, Catherine divided his time between the church of San Domenico, the 'and the leper hospital, where he attended the sick and dying.
It is said that one day regret the disgust felt at the sight of the wounds of a madman, Santa has been drinking the water used to wash the wound, saying he had never tasted food or drink so sweet and delicious. I sleep
Catherine were often accompanied by visions. For example, on the night of the Carnival of 1367, appeared to her, accompanied by the Virgin and a crowd of saints, the Christ, who gave her a ring and married her mystically, when the vision disappeared, the ring remained visible only to her. In another vision of Christ took her heart and took it away, returning with another heart even more beautiful and ruddy: his own. Christ gave his heart to Catherine inserting it into the side and in memory of the miracle at that point, was left a scar.
But Catherine was not only a mystic, he devoted himself to charitable activities, healed the sick, ministered to the poor, saw the prisoners, was a missionary of peace, and his small room, a sort of "cell", became a meeting place of people educated and began to crowd of men, artists and learned men, was, however, also a meeting place for the ordinary people and for members of various religious orders (Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustinians), and these became known as "Catherine" because, attracted by his charisma, they saw in you a reference point.
This raised concern in the higher order, who, suspicious, they called to Florence to assess the veracity of its events, and she defended himself beautifully, and remove doubts and misgivings, saw assign a teacher, Brother Raymond of Capua, her future spiritual heir.
soon spread throughout Europe in the voice of his fame and of the sacred stigmata, received April 1, 1375 in a church the Arno River (now called St. Catherine's).
Catherine began, therefore, to be honored as a saint. In 1376 the Florentines
asked her to intercede with Pope Gregory IX in order to remove the excommunication that they had earned for having formed a league against the excessive power of the French, then Catherine went to Avignon with his disciples, three confessors and an altar laptop, and managed to convince Pope Gregory IX is also left to persuade to abandon the "Avignon captivity", bringing the papal seat to Rome after nearly seventy years of exile.
In 1378 Pope Urban VI in Rome called for help to restore the unity of the Church in the Funds, in fact, the French had the newly elected anti-pope Clement VII. Catherine
supported him, writing letters to various heads of state and cardinals from around the world. In addition, with his disciples went to Rome, where Pope defended strenuously.
On 29 April 1380, only thirty-three, died.
She was buried in the cemetery of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, but in October of 1381 Pope Urban VI granted permission to disconnect from the American bust head, which was run by two brothers and taken to secret in Siena. On 11 May 1385, accompanied by an impressive procession, the relic was carried in the church of San Domenico, where he still lies. The remaining parts of the body become too relics, were placed in the sarcophagus under the altar.
Catherine was illiterate and of great culture had not gone to school and had no teachers. However, although painfully learned to read and, later, to write (even though most of his messages were, however, written under dictation).
Although we did not, therefore, literary purposes, the documents that he left us, the "Dialogue of Divine Providence " and "Letters " are among his most beautiful and least known of the '300, though poorly developed and sometimes characterized by an excessive zeal, it is still often of unusual spiritual height.
The "Dialogue of Divine Providence , one of the most remarkable mystical works of all time, is the real sum of his experiences of faith and its doctrine. The
" Letters", around 381, addressed to people of all, fall within the fourteenth century religious literary tradition, primarily addressed not to the creation of poetic images but at a purely practical purpose. Santa Caterina, in fact, he used letters to noble purposes: to alleviate the pain of others, preaching the Reformed Church, the papacy back to Rome.
Driven by an intense religious fervor, fueled by a genuine desire for renewal of humanity, Santa wrote the messages vigorous and strong, characterized by a fascinating language and load.
Among the various letters written by Catherine, the most striking is undoubtedly the one who wrote on the occasion of the death of Nicholas in Tuldo, a young Florentine gentleman accused in 1375 of plotting a conspiracy against Siena.
unjustly sentenced to death, the man did not want to receive spiritual counseling from anyone, only Catherine was able to overcome his resistance, came to him and spoke to him, instilling into his soul peace and serenity.
The letter is of exceptional beauty to the strength and vigor of his language, but also affects the tenderness of passion el'accesa of words.
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