The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-09-10
PADRE

With afechonate remembrance and tribute the Italians have
named the renowned Dante, Padre Anghier-Fathe Aighieri His
teachings and his sermons a.ae IN nv, verse m p the the most 1S.a,a sublime sss doctrine : n
all the sciences and literature Of his day, a consummate poet Dante
perb contribution in the field Of literature. Some Of his works, as
The Monarchy, The Banquet, and others, have left a deep impress on
ever, that places him on a pedestal among the greatest poets of all
time and that causes him to soar above them all.
Pleasure and happiness rarely bring out the best in a man. His
dn,a q qualities 4sa asac; deeper pc d; smoaons, aSFs 81 powerful s = aa sGr ss9s ae s! Thas
while Paul rapt to the highest heaven is glorious in his EMULATION, the
ouch wi with h sublime genius. The stronger powers Of a man lie way
down in the placid pool Of consciousness. Untoward events, extra
dripping with the pure, clear strength of undehled genius.
So it was with Dante. Raised to the heights of power and author
ity in his native Florence as chief Of the Priors Of the city, he SOON
s1nsrie he %o ts t t1saS with Gshn imga aa the I Aeauisd d JEALOUSY doaSze d de slGss
when his aim wa sincere, threatened with vengeance when he tried
without profound resentment he was hurled into exile. A man natu-
rally is attached to his native land; but this sentiment was particu;
TO the city Of their birth. For this reason Dante's exile bore down upon
him with all the more poignant anguish.
Once set adnft from his beloved Florence, the scene OF his birth,
his 1ts, power ss ts and t i55e% Was d tsi Rsst i wsna d 1ssx from number ss p' IL in 10 ssosssr;
personalities The whole country, 70 y , was aligned ID into fni1,u two
e pff THE Am 1as eaa af1 the or H Raga1 a paasg' s sne rse 1 Salssl has been ss 1s q powers
among the Guelphs; but factions in that party, the White and the
81 a't sas E s1nssS nm ai saaPs snd yii a5s ' 9ea = s,G The = p ~s1. seeking szsr g and md h s'as
and IN t there a andiqg Cir refuge aagse and ssi, aG faasd sg;. Wherever sgv ri learning s1s1nf: an; ,sd 5 saa
continually in search of real friends until a kindly fate drew him to
a generous protector, and he settled down n kavenna on the Ad11atac
where finally he ended his days.
Now, it was precisely during these wanderings that the fire Of
pentup genius bazed most brightly. Detached by necessity from
many interests of life, he gave himself up to the work that for years
had grown in his mind.
Thus was born the Divina Commedia, a long poem in one hundred
cantos, that reviews the panorama of life beyond the grave. Starting
with Virgil as guide, he enters the gloomy abode Of the lost souls
With terrible realism and whitening exactness he lmns the torrents
of the damned. With palpMating vividness he places before us oa|
after another the spirits Of many who were famous on earth. Nor
does the exile neglect to assign certain Of his foes to the most exquisite
fortunes, sparing not even prelate or ponMf. 49,
g. t- X X X X = X IA 4@H#-#~ 4
Passing through Purgatory with its myriads Of penitent souls
languishing in the fires of publication, the poet finally is met by his
heavenly guide, Beatrice. She whom he knew as a child, becomes the
idealzed paragon of all feminine loneliness, virtue and grace. Acting
g1ories of heaven.
In the Paradise, wherein are revealed to the poet the splendors
Of God and of the angels and saints, Dante rises to the very topmost
heights Of Catholic doctrine and devotion. With an almost inspired
vision he reviews the stately grandeur, the solemn glories, and the
unutterable joy and happiness of the blessed. There is perhaps no
other work, not even the writings of the Fathers of the Church, that
can surpass the sublime truths illustrated and set forth by Dante in
his description of the celestial abode. For imbued with deep scientific
knowledge Of the scriptures, saturated with theological lore, burning
resplendent light of poetic power and causes the delights of heaven to
stand forth in all their divine anureInent to mortal man.
+ x X 4 x X X .~E .#.ME -@"4
Padre Alighier truly was a preacher Of God, a missionary Of the
hidden recesses of hell purgatory and heaven. As Byron remarked,
he is studied by all but understood by few. An educated and cultured
can enter the portals Of the palace which he erected: only q theologian
is able to wander through the vast preserves and to appreciate at their
full values all the riches of wisdom and science and religion that have
been gathered in this fair structure by Dante, the Poet and philos-
opher, the beloved of the ages and, to the Italian, the good Padre
Aighier