St. Robert Bellarmine

St. Robert Bellarmine was born on October 4, 1542, in Montepulciano, Italy, to an impoverished noble family. His uncle was Cardinal Marcellus II, who later became Pope. Bellarmine joined the Society of Jesus in 1560 and studied philosophy in Rome before teaching humanities. He then pursued theological studies, culminating in his ordination in 1570 in Belgium. Bellarmine became renowned for his sermons, which attracted both Catholics and Protestants. In 1576, he returned to Italy to teach polemical theology at the Roman College, where he spent 11 years writing his seminal work, *Disputations on the Controversies*, a three-volume defense of Catholicism against Protestant doctrines. He was appointed rector of the Roman College and later provincial of the Naples province. In 1599, Pope Clement VIII named him a cardinal, and he served as Archbishop of Capua from 1602. Bellarmine was a key advisor to several popes and played a significant role in Vatican affairs. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1930 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1931. Bellarmine died on September 17, 1621, in Rome, leaving behind a legacy as a defender of the faith and a patron of catechists. His writings, including catechisms and spiritual works like *The Art of Dying Well*, remain influential in Catholic theology.