Quote of the day, 9 January: St. Andrew Corsini

This wise leader knew how to temper the rigour of a judge with the gentleness of a pastor. He never tired, year after year, of decreeing that priests reside in their parishes. In the first place, most priests were ignorant of the doctrine of the Church and of their proper duties. Understandably, they were of no benefit to the people; on the contrary, because of their ignorance they were a negative factor, especially in the case of those who by their scandalous lives gave bad example.

Consequently, on his canonical visitations of the diocese, the saintly bishop was obliged to examine his clergy as to their knowledge of doctrine. Those whom he found to be little suited for Church offices and for working for the salvation of souls—and their number was great—he removed from their benefices, which he granted to others who were more suited.

We are aware that much of what we have said has frequently been practiced by other pastors of the Church. Some might say that these things are not especially worthy of recall. However, we are of the opinion that whatever the saints have said or done for the increase of divine worship and the good of the people should be proclaimed.

Bishop Francesco Venturi (1576–1641)

Bishop of San Severo, Italy
Life of Saint Andrew (excerpt)

Catholic Church 1993, Proper of the Liturgy of the Hours of the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and the Order of Discalced Carmelites (Rev. and augm.), Institutum Carmelitanum, Rome.

Featured image: The Carmelite church in Florence—Santa Maria del Carmine—features the Corsini Chapel with its monumental marble bas-relief of St. Andrew Corsini in Glory, the work of Florentine sculptor Giovanni Battista Foggini (1652–1725). Image credit: kotomi-jewelry / Flickr (Some rights reserved)

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