To Bruno, Archbishop-Elect of Cologne
ST. BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX
[9] To Bruno, Archbishop-Elect of Cologne In spite of the doubts of St. Bernard, Bruno accepted the Archbishopric of Cologne. He was consecrated in the year
1 132 and died in Italy four years later. He left a reputation for great learning.
YOU ask my advice, most illustrious Bruno, whether you should yield to those who would raise you to the episcopate. But what mortal would venture to decide such a matter?
Perhaps God calls you, and then who would dare to dissuade you? Perhaps he does not call you, and then who would dare to persuade you? But whether or not he does call you, who can tell save the Spirit, who can search even the hidden things of God, or one to whom God himself might perhaps reveal it? The humble but terrible confession you make in your letter, accusing your past life so gravely yet not, I believe, untruly, renders advice on the matter even more doubtful.
It cannot be denied that the sort of life of which you accuse yourself is not worthy of the sacred ministry. But again you are afraid, and not without reason, for I also fear the same thing, that you might do wrong if you did not trade with the talent of knowledge which has been committed to you, because you feel unworthy; unless there is some other sphere in which you could use it, less fruitfully perhaps, but also with less peril. I confess (for I must tell you what I feel in the matter) that I tremble for you when I consider from what depths you are being called to such heights, especially as there is no time for you to prepare yourself by penance for the perilous transition. Anc^^eed right order requires that you should learn to look after yourself before you undertake care of others. It is written that the first step in piety is to 'have pity on your own soul, pleasing God'. And from this an orderly charity proceeds on right lines to the pity of others,
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inasmuch as it is laid dow n that we should love others as we love ourselves. But were you to love others as you have hitherto loved yourself, I for one would not wish to be committed to your care. Learn first to love yourself, and then you can love me.
2. But wriatirGod were to hasten his graces and multiply his mercies so that your innocence is restored to you more effectively by his prompt compassion than it would be by years of penance, according to the words: 'Blessed is the man to whom the Lord hath not imputed his sin'. Who shall indict the elect of God? Who is he that condemns if God justifies? The good thief took this short way to salvation. On one and the same day he confessed his sin and was brought to glory, satisfied to use the 1 into the land cross as a short bridge from the state of otherness of the living, from the filth of this life to the paradise of delights.
And the sinful Magdalen was also blessed with this same prompt remedy of piety, when grace began immediately to abound in her soul where iniquity had superabounded. Without any great labour of penance many sins were forgiven her because she had loved much, and in a short time she deserved to receive the abundance of charity which covers a multitude of sins. And the paralytic in the Gospels immediately experienced the double favour of being cured first in his soul and then in his body.
3. But it is one thing to obtain immediate forgiveness of sins and quite another to step immediately from enormities into the bishop's throne. I see Matthew raised immediately from the seat of custom to the dignity of an Apostle, but what disturbs me here is that he did not immediately hear with the other Apostles:
'Go ye into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature'. Before hearing this he had first to do penance by enduring with the Lord in his trials and by following him for a i. De regione dissimilitadinis.
This is almost a technical phrase with St.
Bernard. Created by God in his own likeness, man has become disfigured by sin and so exiled from the land of Likeness to God to the land of Unlikeness
. Regio dissimilitudinis. Actually the phrase is taken from St. Augustine (Confessions, Book vii, ch. 10), but St. Bernard makes a very personal use of the expression. See St. Bernard, Sermo 'de diversis\ XLII.
ST. BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX
long time and with great labour withersoever he went. If Ambrose occurs as an example of one who was raised immediately from the secular tribunals to the dignity of the priesthood, it is no comfort because from boyhood he had lived in the world but not of the world and, deeming himself unworthy of the dignity, he tried to avoid it by flight, by hiding himself, and by other ruses.
If Saul becoming immediately Paul the vessel of election and Doctor of the Gentiles is cited, the example lacks force because although he sinned, he did so, as he himself tells us, in ignorance and firm incredulity. Although there may be other good and excellent instances of what the Scriptures call
'the change of the right hand of the Most High', they are to be regarded more as miracles of grace than examples to be followed.
4. For the time being you must be satisfied with this provisional answer. I cannot give you a certain answer because I am myself uncertain about the matter. And unless a Prophet is consulted this must always be the case. Clear water cannot be drawn from a muddy pond. But there is one thing we can always do for a friend without any danger and with great advantage, and that is to offer him such help as our prayers to God can achieve.
Leaving therefore to God his hidden counsels, of which I am ignorant, I pray him with humble devotion and devout humility to bring to pass in you and for you what most becomes his glory and your good. You have Father Norbert 1 to consult quite near you. As he lives closer to God he would be better able to know his hidden mysteries.
[10] To Bruno, now Archbishop of Cologen I HAVE received with devotion the letter of your Grace and I have been careful to do what you asked. It will be
1. This is St. Norbert, the founder of the Premonstratensian Order.
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for your Grace to judge how far I have been successful. But enough of this.
I am writing what follows in the same spirit of charity. If it is certain that all wf?o are called to the ministry are also called to the Kingdom of heaven, then the Archbishop of Cologne has nothing to fear. But if it is true that Saul was called to the kingship and Judas to the priesthood by no other than
God himself; and the evidence of Scriptur-. caimot be gainsaid; then the Archbishop of Cologne has every reason to fear. And if, as is indeed true, the sentence of Scripture stHJ holds good for to-day, that not many noble, not many might)
, not m^ny wise according to the flesh are chosen, has not the Archbishop of Cologne a threefold cause to fear? Let us in high places have a care that we become not high minded, but walk with the humble, and fear. 'Have they made you ruler?' says Scripture.
'Be amonsf them as one of them'. And again: 'The Greater thou art, humble thyself the more in all things'. Very wise is this counsel and not other than the w Tords of Wisdom himself saying: 'He that is greater among you, let him become as the younger'. Otherwise 'a most severe judgment shall be for them that rule', so let the powerful fear. And the servant who know the will of the Lord but does it not, shall be beaten with many stripes; so let the man of letters fear. And let the noble also fear, for the judge of all is no respecter of persons. This three-strand rope of necessary fear is difficult to break. Does it seem hard that I do not flatter you, but incite you to fear, that for my friend I wish the beginning of wisdom? It is my wont ever thus to favour my friends, inciting them with wholesome fear rather than with deceitful flattery, and to this I am urged by the words,
'Blessed is the man that is always fearful', and I am recalled to it by him who says: 'O my people, they that call thee blessed, the same deceive thee'.