I S T . - i B f c H ^ ^ ^ f s S a i e S l 
p 0 - X > ' * i S H Blessed ?e4*r Cflhisma. M 

Catholic Historical Brochures—x. 

BLESSED PETER CANISIUS 

BORN MAY 8, 1521 

Foremost Champion of the Church Against 

Protestantism in Germany 

FRANCIS S. BETTEN, S. J . 

Member American Catholic Historical Association 

CENTRAL BUREAU OF THE CENTRAL SOCIETY 

ST. LOUIS, MO. . 

I 9 2 I 



NIHIL OBSTAT 

St. Louia, April 18, 1921. 

John Eothensteiner, 

Censor Deputatus. 

IMPBIMATUR 

+ Joannes Josephus, 

Archieppus Sti. Lüdovici. 

Die Aprilia 19a. 1921. 

1921—2500 

OOÖCfcfifled 



The Germans may well pronounce the names of 
Boniface and Canisius in one breath. (Father Kronen-
burg, C.SS.R., Dutch historian.) 

He is called Germany's Apostle and rightly be-
lieved to have been sent by God for the defence of 
religion in Germany. (From the Office of Blessed 
Peter, Second Nocturn.) 

It must be granted that from the Roman stand-
point Canisius deserves the title of Apostle of Ger-
many. (Paul Drews, Protestant theologian.) 

He was in heart and soul throughout a genuine 
German, and he had the salvation and peace of the 
German nation» unceasingly at heart. (A Protestant 
writer, quoted in Janssen's "History of the German 
People." Vol. IX, page 294.) 

I rejoiced that I was counted worthy to, suffer 
shame for the name of Christ, and to be falsely 
accused and slandered by the enemies of the Church. 
I only longed to secure the salvation of their souls, 
were it even at the price of my own blood. This I 
should indeed have esteemed a gain. (Blessed Peter 
Canisius in his jj' Testament.'') 

Freiburg's Protector; Switzerland's Patriarch; a 
Pillar of Religion; Celebrated throughout the Chris-
tian World; Admired for his Faith and Prudence, 
his Indefatigable Literary Activity, his Constant Self-
Control and Earnestness, his Ardent Love of God, and 
his High Personal Sanctity. (From the Epitaph of 
Blessed Peter Canisius at Freiburg, Switzerland.) 



Blessed Peter Canisius 

The Reformation in Germany. 
At the beginning of the sixteenth century, Germany, like 

all Europe, was entirely Catholic. Its churches and monastic 
establishments were numerous, charity flourished, the divine 
services were conscientiously attended. But abuses also 
existed. One might have discerned an overestimation of 
external observances, a considerable lowering of moials 
among the people, a certain remissness on the part of the 
pastors of souls in performing their sacred duties, and great 
laxity in many convents and monasteries. The various pay-
ments made by ecclesiastics to the Roman Court, though by 
no means unjustified or excessive, were an object of complaint 
and helped to nourish a perceptible current of anti-papal feel-
ing. Similar evils existed in all countries, but they were more 
noticeable in Germany. As yet, however, few if any so much 
as dreamed of a rebellion against Rome or a separation from 
the Church . 

Then, in 1517, arose Martin Luther, the Augustinian 
Friar of Wittenberg, to pose as a reformer of the Church. 
He grew bolder day by day. He attacked not so much the 
immorality among the-laity and clergy or the neglect of re-
ligious duties, or the carelessness of the shepherds of the 
flock, as certain doctrines and institutions of the Church 
themselves. He denied the divine origin and power of the 
papacy and the priesthood, the Sacrifice of the Mass/most 
of the sacraments, the necessity and usefulness of good 



works. Faith in Christ alone, he maintained, is sufficient for 
salvation. He declared the Bible to be the sole source of the 
doctrines he chose to retain. The temporal rulers were to 
take the place of the bishops and might seize all the rich 
property of the Church. Many attempts were made to win 
him back by kindness, but in'vain. Finally, in the beginning 

.of the year 1521, the public excommunication was pronounced 
against him and his followers. 

The death of Emperor Maximilian I, 1519, contributed 
towards the growth of these disorders. For two years there 
was no Emperor, a time well utilized by the innovators to 
spread their pernicious errors. Then Maximilian's grandson, 
Chales V, already in possession of Spain and all its depend-
encies, became emperor. He entered Germany a few months 
after the excommunication of Luther and summoned the 
princes of the empire to a solemn Diet at Worms. To plea*e 
the potent friends of the reformer he allowed Luther to ap-
pear before the august assembly. The apostate friar, backed 
by his protectors, refused to recant his errors, and the Em-
peror not only forbade the new religion, but also placed 
Luther as a heretic under the ban of the empire, May 8, 1521. 
This act made Luther an outlaw and obligated his immediate 
territorial prince to proceed against him. But that prince, the 
powerful elector of Saxony, just appointed head of the im-
perial regency which was to represent the emperor during 
the long and frequent absences which his affairs in other por-
tions of his vast dominions required, favored Luther's cause 
in his own land, and did nothing to stop its progress in other 
parts of Germany. 

Thus things went rapidly from bad to worse. In 152c) 
Emperor Charles V found the adherents of the Lutheran heresy 
well entrenched in Germany. He was hard pressed by the 
Turks and the French, and in order to obtain military help, he 
suspended the Edict of "Worms for the Protestant' principalities, 
forbidding, however, the future extension of the Lutheran 
heresy. This injunction was heeded as little as the Edict of 



— 3 -r-
Worms, and a quarter of a century later nearly half of Ger-
many had become Protestant. 

By the so-called Religious' Peace of Augsburg, 1555, the 
Emperor made further concessions, allowing every prince to 
determine the religion of his subjects, and stipulating only, 
that, should a bishop or other prelate turn Protestant, the 
temporal possession connected with his office should be re-
tained by the Church. Even this restriction was grossly violated 
in the following years. Germany was drifting farther and 
farther from the Church, the source of its former greatness. 

But there stood already in the field the power which God's 
Mercy had provided to stem the tide of defection, to defend 
and strengthen what was still Catholic, and to reconquer much 
of-what had been lost. In 1540 Pope Paul I II gave'his solemn 
approbation to a new religious Order, the Society of Jesus, 
founded by St. Ignatius Loyola. Its purpose was to work for 
the Greater Glory of God in whatever place and occupation 
the Holy Father might see fit to employ its members. The 
Jesuits devoted themselves to preaching, teaching, and hearing 
confessions, and to various works of charity. They at once 
extended their labors to France, Spain, and Portugal, and in 
1541 St. Francis Xavier set out for the foreign Missions in 
India and Japan. 

Distracted Germany soon became a special object of the 
Society's active care. "All work of Catholic reform," says 
Johannes Janssen, the great historian of this troublesome 
period, "which has had any permanence, owes its origin to the 
exertions of the first three Jesuits who labored in Germany, 
(Blessed) Peter Faber, Claudius Lejay, and Nicholas Boba-
dilla." (History of the German people, Vol. I l l , page 215.) 
They were natives of Savoy, France, and Spain respectively, 
which did not prevent them from pursuing their apostolate in 
Germany/The boundaries of nations and states did not yet 
divide Christendom in the same degree as now. Besides, Latin 
was still the common language of the educated classes of all 
countries. The much threatened Church of that country .had 



found able defenders before them, it is true.' But the Jesuits 
followed a new program. They believed that the soul of all 
reform is the reform of the soul. They began by instructing 
the ignorant, high and low. They laid great stress upon the 
thorough education of children arid youths in religion as well 
as in secular branches; and by the "Spiritual Exercises" of their 
Father, St. Ignatius, they guided many to a higher and more 
perfect life of virtue. Their able and indefatigable defence of 
Catholic doctrine and discipline made them objects of fear 
and hatred to the Protestants. But the secret of their success 
lay in the incessant care which they bestowed upon the re-
ligious welfare of the Catholics themselves. 

Blessed Peter Faber was the first to enter the empire and 
he remained there longer than the others. It was his privilege 
to win for the great work of genuine reform the man destined 
to enlarge beyond expectation the beginnings made by the 
first comers. This new paladin of Holy Church was Blessed 
Peter Canisius, the Second Apostle of Germany. 

Childhood of Blessed Peter Canisius, 

Blessed Peter Canisius was.born on the 8th day of May, 
i52i, theFeast of the Apparition of St.Michael theArchangel.lt 
was a memorable day and year. On the very same day Luther's 
doctrine was solemnly rejected by Emperor Charles V in the 
Diet at "Worms. And in the same year St. Ignatius Loyola re-
ceived in the defence of Pampeluna that wound which eventu-
ally caused him to change his life as officer of a worldly army 
into that of a soldier of Christ. Nyiriwegen, Canisius' home-
town, at the present time belonging to the Kingdom of Hol-
land, was then a "Free and Imperial City" of the empire. 
Jacob Canees, or Canis, the father of the future apostle, be-
longed to a wealthy and prominent family. He repeatedly 
held the office of Burgomaster, or Mayor, of his native city, 
and was employed in important-political missions by the Duke 
of Gelderland and by the emperor himself. He was sincerely 



attached to the Church. A pious mother watched over the 
first years of Blessed Peter's childhood, and often with tear-
ful eyes recommended him to the protection of the Almighty. 
When she suddenly died, after giving birth to a daughter, the 
two little ones found in their father's second wife a genuine 
mother who bestowed on them the same love and affection 
as on her own numerous children. Peter himself, however, 
became the object of the special care of his new mother s sister, 
who lived almost the life; of a nun in the world. He ever grate-
fully. remembered the wholesome influence which this excel-
lent aunt had exercised upon the religious training of his 
youthful mind. 

The good seed fell upon fertile soil. The child was un-
usually given to prayer. He soon came to love to assist at the 
beautiful services in the churches, showed great delight when 
presented with holy pictures, and learned to serve in the 
sanctuary. At home he would, as little boys often do, imitate 
the ceremonies of the Mass, sing like the priests^ and even 
give little sermons to the amusement and edification of the 
family and their friends. He early began to approach the 
sacraments. "Woe to me," he writes as an old man in his 
memoirs, "had I not under Thy kind guidance, O my God, 
availed myself frequently of the blessings of the Sacraments." 
It was by these means that he overcame the little faults from 
which his character was by no means free. Occasionally the 
bright lively boy was rather irritable, even pert, resented ad-
monitions, and showed more inclination for play and dissipa-
tion than his educators found it possible' to approve. His stay 
of several years at a small boarding school, where nearly all 
the other boys were of poorer families and few as talented as 
he, made him proud and overbearing. But he evidently did 
not neglect his practices, of piety. It was at this time that 
he was seized with an ardent desire to know his vocation. To 
find out what course God wished him to take in his life be-
came the object of his fervent prayers at the reception of the 
sacraments and in his private visits to the churches. This 



_ 6 — 
sacred craving he called later on the "Teacher and Guardian 
Angel" of his youth. 

The Decision for Life. 
God evidently watched over the pious lad. His father, 

who himself held the degree of Doctor of Law, intended to 
send Pet«- to a higher institution of learning. He no doubt 
knew of the conditions in university towns, and although the 
university of Cologne at that particular period had lost much 
of its former renown, the city was not infected with Lutheran-
ism. "Peter's religion would be safe there. So Peter went to 
Cologne. On January 18, 1536, his name was entered in the 
register of the students of the Faculty of Arts. 

The city of Cologne with its numerous churches, its count-
less relics of Saints, its thoroughly Catholic life, and its many 
excellent men attracted him at once and became for him like 
another home town. He was entrusted to a Canon of the 
Church of St. Gereon, a worthy ecclesiastic, who made it his 
practice to board promising students in his house. In order 
to take the better care of them he even salaried another priest 
to act as their tutor and look after their spiritual welfare. 
This priest, John van Esche, whom bodily infirmity alone had 
kept from joining the Carthusian Order, came across the path 
of Peter Canisius like an Angel from Heaven. The young 
student saw in him the living example of the highest virtue. 
From him he learned to control his passions, to check his im-
petuosity, to curb his desire for pleasure, to be kind and oblig-
ing to others. He adopted the practice of reading every day 
a chapter from the New Testament or some other pious book. 
To this kind and firm spiritual father he repaired every night 
to give an account of the day and to receive words of praise 
or admonition or reproach. Van Esche did not spoil him. 
Once when Peter failed to return promptly from a vacation, 
the faithful shepherd suddenly appeared in Nymwegen and 
brought the lost sheep back with him to Cologne. 

Among the young men who enjoyed the privilege of living 



in the same house there was one from Lubeck who was in-
fected to a considerable extent with Lutheranism. But Father 
van Esche, aided by Peter Canisius, succeeded in winning him 
back to the Church. The youth became Peter's familiar friend. 
Later on he entered the Order of the Carthusians, and is 
known to this day as the learned Laurence Surius, the author 
of many devotional books as well as excellent works on dog-
matical and historical subjects. 

In 1540 Peter Canisius graduated from the Faculty of 
Arts. The question of his vocation, which he had recommended 
to God with undiminished fervor during all the four years, 
now became actual. To please his father he began the study 
of Law. When, however, his father suggested marriage, he 
firmly declared it was not his intention to enter into that state 
at all. He also declined to accept an ecclesiastical benefice 
which it would have been easy for his father to procure for 
him. He did not as yet know his mind, except that he was 
resolved to study theology. After long discussions James 
Canis finally acquiesced to his son's desire, and Peter returned 
to Cologne to join the divinity students. 

While studying the sacred sciences he perused for his 
own spiritual instruction the works of the great mystic doctor, 
John Tauler, of the Order of Preachers, and derived great 
benefit from them. (1300—136 1) It grieved him much to see 
how defective was the only printed edition of these deeply 
spiritual books. Though only a young student of some twenty 
years Canisius resolved to issue a new edition, a resolution 
which he eventually carried out. This enterprise foreshadowed 
one of the most striking features of his later activity. Years 
before this time, a woman who was highly respected by the 
people for her genuine virtue, had declared to him that he 
would some day'render great service to the Church by the com-
position of books. Another saintly woman had spoken to him 
of a new Order, through which God would send humble but 
efficient laborer's into His vineyard; Peter she said would be-
come their companion. 



— 8 -r-
While he was preparing the manuscript for the press, 

<» Peter Canisius made the acquaintance of a young Spanish 
priest. Alvaro Alphonso had come to Germany in company 
with Blessed Peter Faber, of whose virtue he gave the most 
glowing accounts. He praised him in particular for the ability 
with which he could handle a peculiar system of meditations 
and instructions, called "The Spiritual Exercises" which had 
been devised by Ignatius Loyola, a saintly Spanish priest. 
Ignatius, together with Faber and other zealous men, had 
established a new Order, whose members added to the usual 
three religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, a 
fourth one by which they obliged themselves to work for the 
salvation of souls in whatever field the Vicar of Christ would 
assign to them. A few years before, in 1540, Pope Paul III 
had given it his solemn sanction. Canisius' heart was burning. 
He now looked upon the prophetic words once spoken to him 
in another light. 'He resolved to put himself at least for a 
short'time under the guidance of the Saintly Faber. In the 
early spring of 1543 he set out for Mainz (Mayence) where 
Faber was then residing. 

There he soon found that he was in the company of a 
thoroughly spiritual man, and Faber's hearty friendliness and 
winning ways contributed to inspire Canisius with unbounded 
confidence. He requested the favor of going through the en-
tire Spiritual Exercises of thirty days under his direction. 
"Words cannot express," he wrote at the end of this holy 
seclusion to a friend, "how much light I received during these 
blessed days, and how condescending God was towards me. 
These thirty days have made me a different man." During 
this retreat the question of his vocation, the object of so much 
prayer, was definitely settled. "While scrutinizing my interior 
more carefully, I learned how to pray to God in the Spirit 
and in Truth. I understood that the mode of life as outlined 
by the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus is exactly what I 
need to live happily and to serve my God faithfully. And 
hearing, like St. Mathew in his toll booth, not obscurely the 



— 9 -r-
call of the Lord I am not at liberty to resist his invitation." 
Without hesitating a moment he wrote with his own hand: 
"In the year of the Lord i543, on the Feast of the Apparition 
of St. Michael, May 8, my birthday, entering into my twenty-
third year, after giving this important matter due considera-
tion, I vow before God Almighty, the Blessed Virgin Mary, 
St. Michael the Archangel, and all the Saints, to place mysel f 
entirely under the obedience of the Society of Jesus." Blessed 
Peter Faber received him into the order, and after a further 
stay of a few days, Peter Canisius returned to Cologne as a 
novice of the Society of Jesus. 

First Years of Religious Life. 

The Society of Jesus possessed no house at Cologne, in 
fact none in all Germany. So the young novice tried' to make 
up for the lack of the regular training in a noviciate by works 
of charity towards the sick and the poor, so much so that .Fa-
ber, whom he kept accurately informed, saw fit to restrict his 
zeal, lest his studies might be neglected. During this time he 
received the news that his Father was seriously ill. He at once 
hastened to Nymwegen. When he entered the sick room, his 
father recognized him, but was unable to return his greeting. 
It would seem that the desire once more to see his firstborn 
child had been the only force that kept him alive, because he 
died the very moment that he saw Peter and heard his voice. 
Peter ever kept him in loving memory and held him up as 
an example of Christian virtue to his young relatives. 

No one as yet knew of the great step he had taken. He 
now disclosed it to his stepmother, but the good lady could not 
understand it. She thought him to be the victim of an im-
postor whose 'sole purpose was to get the money of the rich 
heir, and she even used violent language against Peter Faber. 
But a letter from Faber, full of meekness and charity, dis-
armed her completely. She not only put no more obstacles in 
Peter's way, but later on gladly allowed another of her sons, 



— 10 -r-
Theodoric, to join the Society. Theodoric Canisius also be-
came an able worker in the vineyard of the Lord. A touching 
love and affection always united the two distinguished brothers. 
When Peter returned to Cologne, three young Nymwegians 
followed him, two to enter the Carthusian Order, one, the So-
ciety of Jesus. 

Part of his inheritance Peter Canisius distributed among 
the charitable institutions of his home town. The greater por-
tion went to establish the first humble foundation of the Society 
of Jesus I n Germany, the residence at Cologne, which soon 
harbored a little community of eight Novices with Blessed 
Peter Faber as superior. But the "enemy of the human race" 
suddenly roused a storm against them. They were to be ex-
pelled from the city. Professorships and other brilliant pre-
ferments were offered to Canisius to separate him from his 
brethren. The fact that as students they were under the civil 
jurisdiction of the university protected them against the worst 
extremes of the persecution, but they were obliged to break 
up their common life and dwell in private houses. In the 
course of time, however, a better type of men came into power 
in the city, and the vexations ceased entirely. 

Though only a deacon, Canisius now began to preach, 
first in a village near Cologne, then in the famous church of 

St. Mary in the Capitol," and the elite of the city crowded 
to his sermons. But he always showed a predilection for young 
students, who in large numbers would visit him in his room, 
and whom above all he sought to encourage to the frequent 
reception of the sacraments. In 1546 he was ordained priest, 
a fact which still more inflamed his apostolic ardor. It was 
not long, however, until a peremptory letter from St. Ig-
natius put an end to this activity. The farsighted founder of 
the new Order desired him to devote all his available time and 
energy to study. It was no small sacrifice for the zealous and 
successful laborer, but he obeyed without hesitation. 

How high an opinion was entertained of the ability of 
the young religious—he was just twenty-five years old—ap-



pears from the fact that on one occasion his superiors sent 
him into Belgium to conduct the negotiations for the establish-
ment of a college of the Society at Louvain. He was to un-
dertake missions of still greater importance. 

The several years which Peter Camsius spent at Cologne 
were coincident with a grave crisis through which the true 
religion in that city was passing. For twenty years Hermann 
von Wied, Archbishop of Cologne, had resisted the inroads 
of Lutheranism into his diocese. In 1536 he celebrated a Pro-
vincial Synod which enacted the most salutary decrees. But 
all this was rather the work of able advisers than his own. 
Goodnatured, weak, yet obstinate withal, in many ways, his 
deficiencies as a scholar were stj.ll more notorious. According 
to an angry utterance of Emperor Charles V he had not said 
Mass more than three times in his life, and did not even know 
the Confíteor by heart. During the stay of Canisius at Cologne 
shrewd Lutheran emissaries won him over to their heresy, 
while his faithful Catholic counsellors found the doors locked 
against them. Blessed Peter Faber made an unsuccessful at-
tempt to open the eyes of the unfortunate prelate. Hermann's 
intention to resign his episcopal office, while retaining his posi-
tion as a sovereign of the territory, subject to the Archbishop-
Elector of Cologne, became more and more apparent. Such a 
development would have,proved a grave misfortune not only 
for Cologne but for the whole empire, because the Archbishop 
of Cologne was One of the seven "Electors," three of whom 
were already Protestant. Under the leadership of the indomita-
ble Canon John Gropper, a Westphalian, the clergy and the uni-
versity of Cologne offered stout resistance, and Peter Canisius 
was destined to play an important part'in the struggle. 

When, in 1544, Emperor Charles V came to Cologne, 
Canisius was deputed to wait upon the monarch and implore 
his active interference. As the promises given to him were 
not carried out immediately, he followed the emperor to 
Brussels, where he also met the Apostolic Nuncio. Things 
now began to move. The pope excommunicated and deposed 



— 12 -r-
the archbishop, and the emperor declared his temporal pos-
sessions forfeited. During another embassy Canisius obtained 
financial aid from the Prince-Bishop of Liege, and again went, 
this time in the name of the administrator whom the pope had 
appointed for Cologne, to treat with the emperor at Ulm in 
Southern Germany. Charles V's victory over the Smalkald 
League, an alliance of rebel Protestant princes, on whom Her-
mann von Wied had relied, secured Cologne for the Church, 
and its electorship for the Catholic cause.—Besides Canisius' 
evident ability the double fact, that his father, James Canisius, 
had rendered noteworthy services to the emperor and was per-
sonally known to him, and that Peter himself spoke the Flemish 
dialect which was Charles' V's mother-tongue, no doubt had 
had much to do with his choice as spokesman and envoy, and 
with the success that attended his efforts. He had thus per-
formed his first great services to the Church and to Germany. 

On his journey to Ulm Peter Canisius met Cardinal Otto 
Truchsess, Bishop of Augsburg, whose acquaintance he had 
made on a former occasion. The cardinal now carried into 
execution the plan which he had long cherished of sending 
Canisius as his theologian to the Council of Trent, which had 
been opened in 1545 and had meanwhile been temporarily trans-
ferred to Bologna in Italy. Canisius there delivered several 
addresses in the consulting meetings of the theologians: From 
Bologna, however, he was summoned to Rome by St. Ignatius; 
and for the first time saw the founder and General Superior 
of the Society, which he had embraced with such high-souled 
ardor. To try his virtue the Saint did not allow him to join 
the community, but kept him for several weeks among the can-
didates of the Order. Canisius had next to go through that 
probation which the Institute of the Society prescribes for 
those who have finished their studies. Then, while many in Ger-
many were urging his speedy return to "his fatherland, and 
while naturally he himself thought of nothing else, St. Ignatius 
decided to send him not to Germany but to Messina in Sicily, to 
become teacher of a college class. Without the slightest mur-



— 13 -r-
mur Canisius went to his new destination and threw himself 
into the work as if he had never thought of anything else. He 
also preached in Latin and Italian, and began to form far-
reaching plans for the conversion of Greece and other Eastern 
countries. But whether St. Ignatius really intended him for 
Italy, or whether he meant this disposition only as another 
kind'of probation: after a year Canisius received orders to 
come to Rome and to prepare for his return to Germany. 

Definite Mission to Germany. 

St. Ignatius had received an urgent request from William 
IV, Duke of Bavaria, to send him a few capable professors 
for the University of Ingolstadt, which was suffering grievously 
from religious confusion of the times. The Duke moreover 
had signified his intention of establishing for the Society of 
Jesus a complete college, which would have been the first insti-
tution, of the kind to be founded in Germany. Disregarding all 
other petitions St. Ignatius resolved to send three men to In-
golstadt. His selections were Salmeron, one of the first seven 
Fathers of the Society of Jesus, Le Jay who had formerly been 
in Germany, and Peter Canisius. 

Canisius alone happened to be in Rome. He received Pope 
Paul I l l ' s apostolic blessing for the great mission which he 
and his two brethren were to undertake. From the audience 
with the Holy Father he repaired to the Basilica of St. Peter 
to implore in fervent prayer the powerful assistance of the 
Most High. "It pleased Thee, O Eternal Highpriest", he writes 
in his memoir, "that I should feel impelled to ask Thy Holy 
Apostles, whose relics are venerated in the Vatican Basilica, 
for the confirmation and efficacy of the papal blessing. I ex-
perienced a great consolation and became conscious of the pres-
ence of Thy grace, which so kindly was granted to me through 
these powerful protectors. They on their part also bestowed 
upon me their blessing and sanctioned my mission to Germany. 
-Thou knowest, O Lord, how often and earnestly on that day 



— 14 -r-
Thou hast recommended Germany to me, that, as the good 
Father Faber did, I might surrender myself entirely to its wel-
fare and live and die for that country." 

While at Rome, Canisius was to take his final vows as a 
member of the Society of Jesus. Great interior favors were 
bestowed on him during his preparations for this important 
step. "While I was praying before the altar of the Holy 
Apostles Peter und Paul, a new grace was granted to me. Thou 
gavest me a special Angel to instruct and aid me by his guid-
ance in the sublime life of a prpfessed member of the Society 
of Jesus. There before me lay my soul in its whole ugliness, 
disfigured by countless faults and passions. The Angel, turn-
ing to the throne of Thy Majesty, pointed to my Utter un-
worthiness, estimating it in quantity and number, to make me 
realize how little I deserved to be admitted to the act of pro-
fession. He emphasized the difficulty he would have in guiding 
such a soul on so sublime a way of perfection. Then, O Lord, 
thou didst show to me Thy sacred heart, didst bid me drink 
from the fountain, didst invite me to draw from Thy sources 
the waters of salvation. I felt an ardent desire that torrents 
of Faith, Hope, and Charity should inundate my soul. I thir-
sted for Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience. I yearned to be 
entirely washed, clothed, and adorned by Thee. Then I had 
the courage to touch Thy most sweet Heart with my lips, and 
to quench my thirst from it. To cover the needs of my soul 
Thou didst promise me a garment consisting of three parts: 
Peace, Love and Perseverance." 

Canisius had never had the opportunity of finishing up 
his academic studies by promotion to the degree of Doctor of 
Theology. In the same condition were the other two Jesuits, 
Salmeron and Lejay , with whom he was set out for Ingol-
stadt. St. Ignatius thought that this title would increase.their 
authority as professors. Arrangements were therefore made 
with the University of Bologna for their promotion. "I was 
in great anxiety", Canisius writes, "on account of the rigorous 
examination. But Thou, O Lord, didst deign to give light and 



clearness to my confused mind. Thou even didst inspire me 
with the desire, that my ignorance which in my pride I had 
wished to remain hidden should be detected." He looked upon 
the promotion with the greatest religious respect and reputed 
it a high honor to be declared a professional "Teacher^ (Doc-
tor) of the sacred sciences. After the examination was over, 
we find him again in prayer, and consolations similar to those 
he had received before taking his last vows filled his heart. 
"All my patron Saints, it seemed to me, gave me their blessing, 
and became sponsors for my success and my reward as teacher. 
To Thee, O Father of all Wisdom, I give thanks for raising 
Thy humble servant to the dignity of the Doctorate and putting 
me on the same level with my two excellent brethren." To be 
a Teacher of the Faith he ever deemed a great privilege and 
sincerely thanked God for having called him "into our Society 
and among the teachers, and given me the grace not to remain 
a dumb "Canis" (dog) but to raise my voice in the chair of 
Orthodox Faith." " . 

t i e ever remained devoutly conscious of the divine mission 
given him for the welfare of Germany. Having in mind the 
religious plight of his fatherland, he wrote a few years later 
to the Duke of Bavaria: "There is no land on earth which we 
Jesuits ought to have so near our heart as Germany." And in 
a memorial composed for Cardinal Hosius, Papal Legate at 
the Council of. Trent, he says, "Among the German heretics 
there are very many, who err without stubbornness, without 
obdurateness. They err according to the manner of the Ger-
mans, who are by nature for the most part honest, and docile 
to what they hear in school and church." Rome, he was con-
vinced would obtain the greatest results by kindness. In ac-
cordance with this principle he obtained dispensations, and leni-
ency in applying certain ecclesiastical penalties, "lest the smol-
dering flax be extinguished." He tried to fill his brethren in re-
ligion with love for the unhappy country, and on suitable occa-
sions, for instance when they came to confession to him, ex-
horted them to pray for Germany. 



— 16 -r-
First Years of the Great Apostolate. 

The three Jesuits found Ingolstadt in a pitiable condition 
indeed. There were few students of theology, and some of 
these lacked even the necessary preliminary knowledge for this 
branch. Among the professors of the other faculties some in-
clined towards the innovations of the day, and others 
were openly Protestant. The town swarmed with Prot-
estant books, even textbooks used in the schools were openly 
un-Catholic. Church-going and the fréquentation of the sacra-
ments had fallen into disrepute, and the commandments of the 
Church were openly ridiculed. The three Fathers were, how-
ever, received with great demonstrations of honor. 

They began their activity in their own characteristic man-
ner. Besides the theological lectures they gave private instruc-. 
tion to the weaker students, and begged money and other alms 
for the poor ones. Canisius here learned the High-German 
language and was soon busy with sermons and catechetical in-
structions for children and adults. The Fathers also procured 
temporal and spiritual aid for the poor, sick, and prisoners. The 
students, at first in very small numbers and to the surprise of 
the citizens, approached the sacraments more frequently. The 
non-Catholic and semi-Catholic books disappeared. 

In 1550 the university elected Canisius Rector, an honor 
which he was unable to decline. The teaching staff even desired 
to make him Vice-Chancellor for life, and after much resist-
ance he accepted the duties of this responsible office for some 
months. It gave him a chance to impart to the Bishop of Eich-
städt, the Chancellor of the university, a clearer idea of the 
sad conditions which prevailed at Ingolstadt. This office also 
enabled him to introduce a little more discipline among the 
students. When admonitions, kind or severe, did not lead to. 
the desired results, he proceeded resolutely to incarceration 
and dismissal. A new spirit became noticeable in the university. 

His renown rapidly spread beyond the confines of Bavaria. 
Bishop Julius Pflug of Naumburg had been driven out of his 
diocese, but was able to return in consequence of the victory 



— 17 -r-
of Charles V over the Smalkald League. He most ardently de-
sired to procure Jesuits for his nearly Protestantized flock. He 
wrote to this effect to Canisius, and although his request could 
not be fulfilled, it was a blessing of importance to the new apos-
tle to have made the acquaintance of the worthy prelate by letter, 
as both of these men Vere destined to labor together for the 
sake of theChurch orimany an occasion. The Bishop of Eichstädt 
wished to send him to Trent, not in the capacity of a theologian 
but as his representative. The Cathedral Chapter of Strassburg 
tried to win him for the pulpit of the Cathedral. But all these 
endeavors were cut short by a new turn of affairs. Duke Wil-
liam IV had died soon after the arrival of the Jesuits in his 
land, and his successor, Albrecht V, influenced by new counsel-
lors made no move toward the erection of the promised college. 
On the other hand, Ferdinand I of Austria, ' King of the Ro-
mans" ihat is the chosen successor of his brother Charles V 
in the imperial dignity, was on the point of establishing a col-
lege at Vienna, where Father Le Jay was already the superior 
of a small community.. So Canisius received orders to join his 
brethren at Vienna. Albrecht V later on fulfilled the promise 
given by his father and founded the college at Ingolstadt, lhe 
year spent in Bavaria had been a real school for Peter Canisius. • 
He was now fairly well initiated into conditions m Germany 
and had accumulated a great deal of experience which served 

him well in his later years. 
The outlook was dark in Vienna and a large part of Austria, 

much more so than in Ingolstadt and Bavaria. Opposition to 
the authority of the Church, contempt for the dogmas of the 
Faith, and neglect of ecclesiastical laws and usages were ram-
pant.' But the king and many of his advisers were staunchly 
Catholic, and constituted well nigh the only support of the true 
religion. Canisius was given the task of supervising the younger 
students of the college and explaining the catechism to them. 
He also began to preach with so much success^ that withm a 
short while the largest church in Vienna after the Cathedral 
was assigned to him. The principal standard by which he 



— 18 -r-
gauged his success was the increase in the number of commu-
nions. He also took upon himself the regular care of the pris-
oners, and after a series of addresses to them, saw the greater 
part at the Holy- Table. Under his direction his younger breth-
ren gave weekly catechetical instructions in the prisons. The 
sacrifices which the Jesuits made when a pestilence swept the 
city, gained them increased popularity. For the poor inmates 
of the public hospital Canisius had printed in several languages 
a little prayerbook, which besides prayers contained short ex-
hortations and instructions. 

About Christmas we find him on a lengthy visit to an aban-
doned parish, which for many years had not seen a priest. He 
preached every day, gathered the children for instruction, and 
spent the rest of his time in the confessional. At the king's 
request he was freed from domestic duties for the time of Lent, 
and journeyed from parish to parish—countless parishes were 
without a priest—for similar work, undeterred by cold and 
snow, by the insults and intrigues of the evil-minded, and by 
the hardships of travelling upon the rude country roads. When 
he returned the king requested his services as court preacher. 
Every Sunday Canisius addressed the court in the royal chapel, 
and preached to the people in St. Stephen's Cathedral. 

His next apostolate was devoted to the institutions of 
learning. The king made him visitor of the university and, 
upon his advice, promulgated new regulations, which did away 
with great abuses and diminished the influence of the religious 
disturbers. Then the king laid upon him the task of reforming 
two older but very important institutions of higher learning, 
an undertaking which caused him so much labor, anxiety and 
worry, that he fell ill and for some time had to interrupt his 
occupations. 

The king's intention was to make Canisius Bishop of 
Vienna. But the genuine son of St. Ignatius strove with might 
and main to evade this dignity, and implored the assistance of 
his Superior General to the same effect. Three times the king re-
newed his efforts, and the pope was not disinclined. But finally 



— 19 -r-
Ferdinand I wrote to his ambassador in Rome to let the matter 
rest "because I do not wish to cause to so saintly a man, whom 
I love and esteem and whom I rather ought to please, any 
more anxiety." However, Canisius could not prevent the pope 
from making him administrator of the important diocese for 

a y e Durine this early activity in Vienna Canisius had won the 
full and implicit confidence of King Ferdinand I, which was 
a great asset in his later work for Germany. This confidence 
enabled him to strengthen the good will of the prince to en-
courage him to works of piety and charity, to open his eyes 
to many dangers and abuses, and to safeguard him against 
taking or sanctioning objectionable measures. Through Cani-
sius the king learned that his eldest son, Maximilian, the later 
Emperor Maximilian II, had as court chaplain an out and out 
Protestant divine. The man was immediately removed, and 
Ferdinand I gave serious and energetic advice to his son. But 
Maximilian never became a really fervent Catholic. Ferdinand 
I too, despite Canisius' restraining influence made several de-
plorable mistakes in his relation with the Church. But they 
never flowed from religious indifference or personal connivance 
at error He never wavered in his confidence in Canisius and 
his reliance upon the zealous Jesuit's advice. On the contrary, 
he acted upon it at several of the most critical moments m the 
history of the Church of Germany. 

Ferdinand's daughter was married to the King of Poland. 
Upon this fact Canisius built his hopes of gaining entrance to 
that kingdom for the Society of Jesus. In Poland, too, the 
Church was in a critical condition on account of the vacillation 
of the king. A large and powerful party among the nobility 
strongly favored Protestantism, chiefly because they craved 
for the rich property of the bishoprics and monasteries. Later 
on Canisius was sent to Poland by the pope, and it is partly 
to his credit that at the diet of Petrikow the aspirations of the 
Protestants were not realized. He observed, however, that 
despite the machinations of the great, the people had retained 



— 20 -r-
much more religious spirit than those in the Catholic sections 
of Germany. He used to thank God; for the consolation he 
had thus received. He thought, moreover, that through Poland 
the Society would be able to find its way to Russia and the 
Tartars, in the opinion of the time the wildest of all nations. 
To win this people for Christianity seemed to him a most 
worthy object of Jesuit ambition. . 

But while he thus burned with an unquenchable desire for 
the defence and extension of the Kingdom of Christ, Divine 
Providence had already devised another means by which Ca-
nisius was to multiply himself a thousandfold in his apostolic 
endeavors : the Catechism. 

The Catechism. 

We have noticed that one of the occupations which Ca-
nisius tried to take up as soon as possible was the instruction 
of children and the common people. It was the spirit of his 
Order. At Ingolstadt and elsewhere the particular spots are 
still pointed out in the streets, where Canisius used to stand 
and explain the Word of God. Right from the beginning of 
his activity at Ingolstadt regular catechetical instruction be-
came part of the course of education in the university. A good 
textbook, however, was lacking. The several catechisms with 
which Canisius was acquainted were not suitable for his pur-
pose. He often mentioned this want in his letters to Rome, 
but without result. 

The suggestion that he himself should write a catechism 
proceeded from King Ferdinand I. While pondering over the 
needs of his lands this prince had come to the conclusion that 
three books were needed, one for the instruction of the people, 
a 'summary of theology for the students of the sacred sciences, 
and a handbook for the clergy. Of course the overburdened 
Jesuits were to write them. Father Le Jay, then superior at 
Vienna, had accepted the arduous task, but he died shortly 
after Canisius' arrival from Ingolstadt, and the matter de-



— 21 -r-
/olved upon Canisïus. He confined himself, however, to the 
first, the-textbook for popular instruction. The need for the 
other two was soon to be supplied by the official "Roman Cate-
chism," or "Catechism of the Council of Trent," a work 
destined for the clergy. 

Canisius first wrote the Summa Doctrinae Christianae per 
Quaestiones tradita, in usum pueritiae Christianae. "Summary 
of the Christian Doctrine in Questions (and Answers) for the 
use of Christian youth." The language is fluent, without af-
fectation, and very clear and perspicuous. "The book," says 
a Protestant critic, "is a wonder of brevity, precision, and 
teachability." The terms, statements, and admonitions used 
in it are almost exclusively drawn from the Bible and the 
great doctors of the Church, and are most dexterously woven 
together. Although there is a perfect unity of style, one feels 
all through the little book, that it is not Canisius who speaks 
but the Qiurch and her authorities. This method supposes in 
the author an astounding familiarity with the productions of 
patristic literature. 

The Summa Doctrinae Christianae was written in Latin. 
Canisius had in view in the first place the students of the Jesuit 
institutions, in which, as in fact in all the up-to-date institu-
tions of the time, instruction was given in the international 
idiom.The Summa remained the basis of his catechetical works. 
He soon arranged a smaller edition of 122 questions, which he 
called Institutiones Christianae Pietatis sive Parvus Catechis-
mus Catholic orum, "Instructions in Christian Piety, or Little 
Catholic Catechism," and he attached to it a short collection 
of meditations and prayers. Both these Latin books were at 
once translated into German. But Canisius also composed two 
catechisms directly in German, one of 114, the other of 47 
questions and answers. 

Ferdinand I, who meanwhile, after the abdication of his 
brother Charles V, had become enjperor, prescribed the cat-
echism for all the schools of his hereditary states. It spread 
rapidly through the rest of Germany. Its definite, brief, and 



— 22 -r-
yet detailed information was recognized as an incalculable boon 
to the true religion. Its method of appealing to passages of the 
Bible disarmed the Protestants, who had so far imagined them-
selves as possessing a monopoly in the matter of utilizing and 
interpreting Holy Scripture. Th e author aimed at a full and 
positive explanation of the Catholic Faith, but he also explicitly 
attacked the errors of the day, not indeed by hurling oppro-
brious epithets at the erring persons—he did not even mention 
the names of Luther or Calvin, or the word Protestantism— 
but by pointing to the contrary doctrine as it was embodied 
in the Bible and expounded by the great teachers of the 
Christian past. 

Outside of Germany, too, the catechism entered upon a 
veritable march of triumph. After a short time Canisius could 
truly be said to be teaching Christian doctrine not only in Latin 
and German, but also in French, English, Scotch, Bohemian, 
Polish, Spanish, Italian, Ethiopean, Indian, and Japanese. One 
of the Several editions published in France was begun in 1686 
by order of the Archbishop of Paris and was reprinted four-
hundred times. In most parts of Germany it remained the offi-
cial catechism until the end of the 18th century, when Joseph-
ism forced a shallower sort of instruction upon unsuspecting 
populations. In many districts, however, it maintained the field 
until far into the nineteen|h century, and there are still living 
such who learned their Christian doctrine from their "Canisi". 

The catechism was the cause of many conversions. After 
Canisius' death it brought back to the fold Duke Wolfgang of 
Neuburg with his whole dukedom. It was one of the most 
powerful means employed by God to preserve and revive the 
Faith in Germany. Although it is now replaced by other cat-
echisms thought to be more suitable to our own times and 
needs, it will ever remain a monument to its author's name, and 
a widely visible landmark in the development of the art of 
catechising. 

The Summa Doctrinae Christianae was finished in Vienna. 
But much of Canisius' later work for the catechism was wedged 



— 23 -r-
in between the great labors of his apostolate, and was per-
formed in the various places to which his numerous journeys 
happened to take him. In this way many of his other more 
occasional publications originated. Thus, when he stayed for 
a brief space at the court of Cardinal Otto Truchsess Bishop 
of Aug b u 5 , n Dillingen, there appeared there, with some 
additional exhortations, the Litany of Loretto, which up to 
that time had been unknown in Germany No older print of 
this beautiful prayer has been discovered 
vestigations have made it highly probable that this Ddlmgen 
print was prepared by Canisius. His pen was ever ready. As 
soon as his keen eye" perceived the fcg^fc 
ticular publication, he was on the spot with a well P l a l # W 
carefully worked out production to meet the demand. Blessed 
Peter Canisius had in the best sense of the word the writer s 
itch " He was not actuated by a blind passion to rush into 
print but by the earnest desire to counteract the immense 
harm done by the countless heretical and otherwise unsound 
books and pamphlets which flooded the country. 

In Bohemia.—Canisius is made Provincial. 
On the occasion of a visit of King Ferdinand I to his 

kingdom of Bohemia the few prominent Catholic officials ot 
Prague implored him to give them a college of the Society 
of Tesus The religious condition of Bohemia was distressing 
in the extreme. Hussites of all shades Lutherans Calvinists 
Anabaptists, and other heretics controlled the land while not 
even the capital itself could boast of an eminent Cathohe 
preacher, Canisius was invited to Prague, and after consult-
ation with the leading men in Church and State he consented 
in the name of St. Ignatius to open the college. He wrote to 
Rome • "Those who are to come here must be armed with holy 
patience and an ardent zeal. I do not mean zeal to dispute 
with the heretics, but zeal to edify this country by their example. 
They must be prepared to sow in tears in order to reap m jubil-
ation " These words express one of the chief principles which 



— 24 -r-
guided Canisius in his apostolate.—The holy man himself once 
while saying Mass was greeted by a huge stone flung at him 
through the" window, and once a man ran up to the altar to 
revile him. 

The twelve Jesuits who arrived found themselves in great 
poverty. The buildings had not been finished, because the prom-
ised funds were not forthcoming, and even the means for their 
daily sustenance were scant. But they opened the classes, and 
their efficient instruction soon won the admiration and good 
wiU even of non-Catholics. The College of Prague, later on 
enlarged to almost gigantic dimensions, became the mother 
institution of a great number of others in Bohemia, Silesia, and 
Moravia. "From the time that the Fathers of the Society of 
Jesus came to Prague," writes a Bohemian bishop, "the Cath-
olic religion began to revive and to increase gradually, so that 
every successive day presented a brighter aspect than the pre-
ceding." Between the years 1661—1678 the Jesuits in the 
abovenamed countries brought back 29,500 erring souls to the 
true Faith. . . 

During his stay at Prague Father Canisius paid a flying 
visit to Ingolstadt. There he received the official news, that 
St. Ignatius had erected the foundations at Vienna, Prague, 
and Ingolstadt into the Province of Upper Germany, and had 
appointed Canisius, himself who was the soul of all the under-
takings, its first Provincial Superior. (The members of the 
Society in Belgium and Cologne were to form the Province of 
Lower Germany.) Two weeks later the news arrived, that the 
Saint had finished his earthly career. The appointment of Can-
isius as Provincial was St. Ignatius' last gift to Germany. 

The new Provincial found a heavy burden to shoulder. 
The three colleges were in a precarious condition financially. 
It was, moreover, always to be feared that an outburst of 
Protestant fury, especially at Prague or Vienna, or the in-
trigues of liberalizing Catholics might put an end to their act-
ivity. As Provincial it was his duty to inspect the several in-
stitutions from time to time, to see to the observance of the 



— 25 -r-
Rules to supply the necessary teachers, and to promote in 
everv' way possible the welfare of the houses and their indiv-
du f members. He encouraged above all the spmt o p g 
and of self-denial, on which, as he knew so well, everything 
dse depended During his administration of fourteen years 
Austria proper, Bohemia, and H a n g a r ^ 
the Upper German Province and established as the Province 
of Austria. Canisius' influence, however, always extended 
much farther than his official jurisdiction. Twelve colleges-
the college of those days consisted of the highschool classes 
and two or three years of what is called college m this country 
- o w e their origin entirely or largely to his endeavors. These 
institutions he considered the most p o w e r f u l agenc.es for a 
permanent reform of clergy and laity, and in them by far the 
majority of Jesuits in the country fulfilled their vocation by 
laboring in the- improvement of Christian education. Father 
Canisius was provincial from 1555 to 1569 But even a er 
he had been relieved of this office, he remained the actual soul 
of the Order in Germany by the power of his personality his 
sane and unerring judgment, and his indomitable spirit ot 

enterprise. 

The Religious "Colloquy". 

Ferdinand I wished to have Father Canisius with him at 
the great Diet of Ratisbon in 1557, where important questions, 
concerning religion were bound to come up. Incidentally it 
was understood, that while there, Canisius would give the 
sermons in the Cathedral. He preached on all Sundays and 
feastdays from the beginning of Advent to the middle of 
March and during Advent he added three more sermons on 
weekdays. In the Diet the Protestant princes demanded, that 
to end the religious troubles of Germany a so-called Colloquy 
should be held. A number of theologians from both sides should 
come together, debate the controverted points, and come to 
some understanding. Such Colloquies had taken place several 
times in Germany, Switzerland and France, but always with-



— 26 -r-
out the desired effect. Each party had claimed the victory a 
new strife of pamphlets and leaflets and handbills had followed 
S i e o r a l duel, and on the whole the Protestants by their g g | 
blings and noisy boasting had gained more than the Catholics. 

Canisius was strongly opposed to the measure and sub-
mitted to King Ferdinand, who at that time was still acting 
as Regent and Representative of Charles V at the Diet, a 
memorial to this effect. The ecclesiastical princes also declared 
that there was no prospect of reunion except through the 
General Council of Trent, though this Council was now not 
actually in session. But Ferdinand was m greatest distress. 
An immense army of Turks was approaching the boundaries 
of Austria, and there was no force to ward off the attack. I he 
Protestants made the grant of military assistance dependent 
upon his consent to the Colloquy, and the king yielded, stating, 
however, explicitly that the Colloquy should m no way form 
a prejudice to the Council. Each party officially appointed 
speakers. Canisius and another Jesuit were among the twelve 
representatives of the Catholics. The Protestants chose the 
famous Melanchthon as leader of their deputation. The Col-
loquy was to be held in the city of Worms on the Rhine (see 
p 

As some months intervened before the opening of the 
Colloquy, Father Canisius in the meantime went to Rome, to 
take part in the election of a new Superior General of the 
Order. But the strife between Pope Paul IV and King Philip 
II of Spain prevented the arrival of the Spanish deputation, 
and the election had to be postponed indefinitely. While the 
Fathers were waiting for a better turn of affairs, Canisius 
employed his time in patristic studies in the Eternal City. 
There existed an edition of the works of St. Cyprian, issued 
by Erasmus of Rotterdam, that erudite but shallow humanist 
of Luther's time, who despite an acrimonious feud with the 
heresiarch, and despite the saving mercy that he died a Catho-
lic, had greatly contributed to the spread of error in Germany. 
Erasmus' Cyprian proved to be highly unsatisfactory, and Ca-



nisius had long ago resolved to issue a better edition. In Rome 
he noted down about a thousand emendations of the .text, en-
trusting the rest of the work to his brethren. But he gave up 
the plan eventually, when he heard that other men were work-
ing at the same task. In fact several good editions soon ap-
peared in Rome, Paris and Antwerp. 

f Germany, Catholic as well as Protestant, and in a way all 
Europe, eagerly looked forward to the coming Colloquy, which 
in the eyes of the non-Catholics stood far above the General 
Council in importance. A rather brilliant assembly of partici-
pants, representatives of the princes, theologians of all Creeds, 
interested people of all classes, gathered at Worms. For weeks 
the Jesuits were kept so busy that they had hardly time to 
say Mass and take their meals. Canisius, though not the offi-
cial head, was by way of fact the intellectual leader of the 
Catholic deputation. On the day appointed the meetings be-
gan, and the opening speech of Melanchthon f u n d e d like a 
declaration of war rather than the introductory address at a 
peace conference. But the fond hopes of the Protestants were 
scattered by a difficulty which arose from the very nature of 
the religious innovation. The Catholics justly insisted that 
only those Protestants were entitled to participate, to whom 
the Diet had given this right. But the Diet mentioned, besides 
the Catholics, only the adherents of the "Augsburg Con-
fession," the official Creed of the Lutherans. The Catholics 
therefore demanded, that all their opponents should expressly 
declare their full assent to that document and their rejection 
of all doctrines contrary to it. The strict Lutherans at once 
approved of this proposal. But the Zwinglians, Calvinists, 
Osiandrists, and others loudly protested. "Then it could be 
seen," writes Canisius, "that the giants were erecting a Babel. 
God sent among them the spirit of discord, so that they fell 
one upon the other, and Melanchthon was torn to pieces by 
his own disciples." The strict Lutherans, in a towering rage, 
published a memorial to vindicate their own attitude, and left 
Worm§ in a body. 



— 28 -r-
Thereupon the Catholics refused to continue the Colloquy, 

because they had no orders to debate with any but those who 
admitted the official Protestant Creed. Had they done so, the 
Orthodox Lutherans would have had a just reason to com-
plain. To show their good will, however, the Catholic speakers 

. consented to submit the matter to the decision of the King. 
Ferdinand I demanded the return of those who had left. As 
this could be in no way effected, the Colloquy, which had been 
opened with so grandiose expectations on the part of Protest-
antism, disbanded without even entering upon the discussion 
of any of the controverted subjects. Never had the internal 
dissensions among the Protestants, and on the other hand the 
glorious unity of the Catholic Church been demonstrated so ef-
ficaciously before the eyes of the whole world. No religious. 
Colloquy was ever again demanded by the innovators. "From 
this moment", says the Protestant historian Maurenbrecher, 
"dates the ebb, the retrograde movement, the decline of the 
Protestant current in Germany." 

As soon as the deliberations connected with the Colloquy 
began to flag, Father Canisius utilized his sparé hours in giving 
instruction to the children in the schools. A trip to Zabern in 
Alsace, the residence of the Bishop of Strassburg, brought the 
indefatigable man to a number of Alsatian towns, where he 
also instructed the children and preached to the adults. He 
found there many people who faithfully adhered to the Church 
and religious practices. His interview with the bishop led to 
the establishment of the college of the Society at Freiburg in 
Breisgau. 

Canisius and the Council of Trent. 

The Council of Trent had assembled in 1545. Two years 
later it was temporarily transferred to Bologna, where Canisius 
participated in some of the meetings of the theologians (see 
page 12). After it had been reopened at Trent, in 1551, its 
sessions were suddenly interrupted by the treacherous inroad 
of Maurice of Saxony into the Tyrol. It remained prorogued 



— 29 -r-
until, in 1561,. it was reopened again for its final and most 
brilliantly successful sessions by Pope Pius IV. 

Canisius' whole soul was with the Council. He preached 
about it ; he exhorted the people to pray for its success ; by his 
order the students of the college of Vienna, and proèably of 
all the colleges under his jurisdiction held special devotions 
every Monday to implore for it the divine blessing. To his 
utter surprise he was himself called to Trent as one of the 
pope's theologians. Pius IV's order was transmitted to him 
by Cardinal Hosius, the great defender of the Catholic cause 
in Poland, and now one of the presidents of the Council. The 
Cardinal, whose esteem for Blessed Peter bordered on venera-
tion, was critically ill, when Canisius arrived at Trent, but at 
the very sight of the apostle he recovered immediately. 

Besides being a member of the Commission for the Prohib-
ition of Books Canisius took active part in the consultations 
of the theologians, which were held twice a day. The Blessed 
Sacrament was just then the subject of the debates, and in 
particular the question whether communion under both species 
should be allowed to laymen, was being spiritedly discussed. 
The Spaniards and Italians spoke strongly against this con-
cession. There was a great interest, when Canisius arose. What 
was the German doctor going to say? Canisius thought that 
the chalice should never be granted generally, but it might, 
perhaps, be allowed to those living in non-Catholic surround-
ings, as the refusal would expose them to unnecessary annoy-
ances, provided always, that the genuine doctrine of the pres-
ence of Our Lord under each species be inculcated. This view 
gave great satisfaction to the imperial ambassador, who wrote 
to his master : "The Spaniards and Italians speak learnedly, 
but they know nothing of our difficulties. Canisius alone hit 
the nail on the head." As a matter of fact, however, the Coun-
cil made no regulation, but expressly committed the settlement 
of the question to the pope. 

This decision did not please Emperor Ferdinand I. This 
ruler, though personally above reproach, suffered keenly at the 



— 30 -r-
sight of the increasing boldness of . the heretics. Many of his 
advisers represented the general concession of the chalice as 
the one great remedy against further defections, and an in-
fallible means of regaining those already fallen away. There 
were also not a few echoes of the idea, once very general that 
the Council is above the Pope and has power even to reform 
the Pope and pass laws over his head. When Camsius went 
back across the Alps, he and other theologians were consulted 
by the emperor concerning the steps to be taken m this matter. 
Canisius reiterated the principles he had put forth at I rent, 
but took occasion to remind the emperor forcibly, that there 
can be no salvation without close adherance to the successor 
of St. Peter. " . 

But Ferdinand's mind had become confused. The religious 
difficulties in his hereditary estates were indeed extremely 
acute. Once it even seemed that he would be unable to retain 
the Jesuits in Vienna against the opposition that arose from 
various quarters. Like King Charles IX of France he had 
transmitted to the Council a long list of proposals and felt 
vexed that not each and everyone of them was taken up in the 
assembly. It was suggested to him to go to Trent and rattle 
the sabre. This step would have made the Sacred Synod ap-
pear an imperial council and would have undermined its 
prestige throughout the entire world. He took up his residence 
at Innsbruck, to be as near as possible to Trent. To Innsbruck 
he summoned a commission of theologians, among whom was 
our apostle, to aid him with their advice. Canisius prevailed 
on the emperor to give up the idea of going to Trent, although 
even Cardinals were urging him on. 

But the danger was by no means over. The emperor de-
manded that a common memorial be submitted by the theo-
logical commission. And such was the spirit of that body, that 
the document jointly composed by them, of course not with 
the concurrence of Canisius, served only to irritate the em-
peror the more. Had he acted on this memorial, the very ex-
istence of the Council would have been put in jeopardy. It 



— 31 -r-
might have broken up, and national synods, followed by schisms, 
•would have been the almost infallible result, not to speak of 
the immense advantage that would have been afforded to thex 
heretics by so pitiable a failure of the worldwide efforts made 
by the Catholic Church. Germany would have been practically 
lost. What should Canisius do? At first he thought of submit-
ting a separate memorial, but finally he decided to ask for an 
audience. He showed the emperor in detail how unsound were 
the suggesions made in the memorial of the commission. He 
implored Ferdinand to remember his position as protector of 
the Church and the Papacy. Why should he not go hand in 
hand with Pope Pius IV, who was so seriously endeavoring 
to promote the renovation of Christendom? Why should he 
not consent to a personal interview with Cardinal Morone 
the First President of the Council, who had come up to Inns-
bruck to show his willingness to arrive at an understanding? 
The emperor was ovecome. The same day he paid a visit to 
Cardinal Morone, and the imperial demands and proposals 
had been so modified, that the Cardinal failed to discern in 
them any serious difficulty. Blessed Peter Canisius' prudence 
and courage had averted a grave crisis for the Tridentine 
Synod and the whole Church. 

, I S l l l Council Pope Pius IV selected Canisius, who 
happened to be in Rome at the time, to take to the German 
bishops and Catholic princes the official decrees of the Sacred 
bynod and urge their execution. At the same time he was to 
call attention to the great importance of an Imperial Diet 
which the emperor had called to meet at Augsburg in the 
spring of 1566 All the bishops and princes shfuld fttend it 
m person and be ready for the defence of the interests of the 
Church. Canisius was to go on his mission with all the powers 
and dignity of a papal delegate, but without any exterior dis-
play of pomp Ostensibly he travelled as visitor ^ x t r a o i L a r v 
of the Jesuit houses in Germany extraordinary 

fefehJS S f i f l p h e J 0 U I ™ y e d to the bishops and arch-
bishops of Wurzburg, Mainz, Treves, Münster, and Osna-



_ 32 — 
brück, and to the Duke of Jülich Though this prince, who re-
sided at Düsseldorf, had not fallen away from the Church 
the clergy at his court could hardly be called Catholic The 
zealous papal envoy tried every means to recall the duke to 
his duty, but seemingly in vain. With sadness m his heart he 
left Düsseldorf. But within three weeks he received the wel-
come news that the duke had banished the Protestantizing 
preachers, and insisted on the observance of Catholic cere-
monies in his court church. Henceforward he was guided by 
the advice of better counsellors. ! 

Canisius carried with him a special papal brief for the 
Citv and University of Cologne, where he was received with 
great honor. The pope allowed the university to draw the 
revenues of certain ecclesiastical benefices for the purpose oi 
increasing its staff of professors. He then called attention to 
certain abuses, and the effect of this fatherly admonition was 
immediately noticeable. 

Among the proposals which the apostolic envoy sent to 
Rome none was more important, than that coadjutors with 
the right of succession should be given to all bishops. This 
would forestall the troubles and risks which regularly attend-
ed the elections after the death of the incumbents of episcopal 
sees, and which had already led to the loss of eight bishoprics. 
The Holy See eventually adopted this recommendation as a 
principle to be followed whenever circumstances would permit. 

Incidentally the trip gave a welcome opportunity to sev-
eral bishops of concluding their transactions concerning the 
establishment of Jesuit colleges in their diocese. 

While Canisius was on the lower Rhine, he could not well 
ignore the urgent invitations of his relatives and the magi-
strate of Nymwegen to honor his native city by a visit. Local 
historians assure us that this visit resulted in a wonderful 
strengthening of the Catholic part of the population in their 
Faith. Canisius' own numerous relatives remained Catholic 
under the most trying circumstances. It has recently been dis-
covered that.many of the families of the Catholic nobility of 



— 33 -r-
Holland today are in some way descendants of Gisbert Cani-
sius, brother of the saintly Jesuit. 

When in Cologne the apostolic wanderer learned that 
Pope Pius IV had been called to his reward, a fact which 
ended his own powers and duties as delegate. The new Pope, 
St. Pius V, at once sent him word to repair to Augsburg and 
await the opening of the Diet. 

At the Diet of Augsburg 1566. 

Emperor Maximilian II had summoned the Diet chieflv 
to obtain aid against an army of 200,000 Turks which threat-
ened the eastern boundaries. But everybody knew that the ir-
repressible religious question would come up again, and that 
the Protestants would make new demands to favor the dif-
fusion of their errors. Upon the urgent suggestion of Canisius, 
Pope Pius V sent a special Nuncio to Augsburg, Cardinal 
Lommendone, a prelate who thoroughly knew German con-
ditions. Beside Canisius two other Jesuits and two secular 
priests were to act as his advisers. 

The Protestant princes at once declared they would re-
fuse to grant any subsidies to the Emperor, unless two im-
portant clauses the the Religious Peace of the year 1 5 « were 
abolished By one of these clauses the adherents of the Augs-
burg Confession 1. e. the Lutherans alone were to be tolerated 

shn ,Vi e /T r e ^ : ? Wau d e m a n d e d t h a t the same toleration 
should extend to other Protestants also. By the other clause 
u was ordained thai if a Catholic bishop or abbot should turn 
Protestant he was to lose his office with its temporal posses" 
sions though without prejudice to his private property this 

entirely hSKSSX ^ »° W d ™ d ^ 
S r o L 1 n nn h v, t e ' t h e . ' H ™ n n von Wied 
of the See of PnT. h a v e / e t a i " ^ the temporal possessions 
elector g W ° U l d h a V e b e c o m e a Protestant 

At first it looked as if the dissensions between the strict 



— 34 -r-
Lutherans and the Calvinists etc., would break up the Pro-
testant front, as it had been the case in the Colloquy at Worms. 
But the emperor waved this question, and left it entirely to 
the heretics to determine which parties were genuine followers 
of the Augsburg confession. This concession led them to drop 
their opposition to the Ecclesiastical Reservation. With the 
new imperial explanation of the first clause, the Religious 
Peace of 1555 was to be reenacted. But just at this juncture 
came, like a thunderbolt from the blue, the notification from 
Pius V to his legate, to oppose with a solemn protest any and 
every resolution which might be counter to the decisions of 
the Council of Trent. Was not this the case with the Religious 
Peace, which recognized another religion besides the Catho-
lic ? had not that document been solemnly condemned by Pope 
Paul IV? On the other hand, would not a protest under the 
present circumstances form a most powerful weapon in the 
hands of the opponents? Would they not point to it as a proof 
that the pope desired no peace ? that he was meddling with the 
internal affairs of Germany? The emperor, known to be a 
lukewarm Catholic, might align himself against the papacy 
simply to obtain the necessary help against the Turks. Of a 
civil war might ensue. 

Cardinal Commendone was in the greatest consternation. 
His advisers, above all Father Canisius, were kept busy day 
and. night. Canisius was obliged to have himself replaced by 
another Father as preacher in the Cathedral. The three Jesuits 
and one of the secular priests, an Englishman, were con-
vinced that the protest could not be made without grave in-
jury to the Catholic cause. Only one of the five, an Italian, 
held the opposite opinion. The four convinced Commendone, 
that in 1555 the Catholics, being absolutely unable to enforce 
their just claims, had simply stated existing conditions and de-
clared that they would refrain from an enforcement of their 
rights which had become an impossibility. At any rate the 
re-affirmation of the Religious Peace would not be against the 
Council of Trent. They demanded, however, that the Catholic 



— 35 -r-
princes who were present at the Diet, should in some official 
way declare their submission to all the decisions and enact-
ments of the Council. 

A messenger was dispatched to Rome with a letter from 
the Legate. Canisius and his two brethren sent a separate 
communication to their Superior General, St. Francis Borgia. 
St. Francis at once conferred with Cardinal Granvella, the 
Spanish embassador, who fully realized the correctness of the 
attitude taken by the three Jesuits, but lacked the courage 
to intercede with the pope. In this quandary the Jesuit General 
himself undertook the office of peacemaker between the Ger-
man Catholics and Pius V. At first the saintly pope was utterly 
surprised, but, as he always did, he listened patiently to St. 
Francis' words. In the end he remarked he Would pray for 
light. Francis Borgia also prayed. Two great Saints prayed. 
The protest was omitted. The Catholic princes at Augsburg 
gave before the Legate the desired solemn declaration of faith-
ful submission. For the first time since the beginning of the 
religious troubles did the Catholics weather an Imperial Diet 
without suffering any disadvantage, on the contrary, "from 
this moment on," writes the Protestant Ranke, "a new life 
began in the Catholic Church of Germany." 

Canisius' Books on St. John the Baptist and the Blessed 
Virgin Mary. 

In 1559 the Lutheran Matthias Flacius began the publica-
tion of a gigantic Latin work on Church History, in which 
he intended to prove that, while Catholicism was a degenera-
tion, the Lutheran religion represented original Christianity, 
It appeared in eight huge folio volumes, and is commonly re-
ferred to as the Magdeburg Centuries from its division of 
universal. Church History into periods of a century each. 
Flacius and his many collaborators had gathered material 
from countless libraries and archives (sometimes cutting the 
passages they desired bodily out of the original). This show 



— 36 -r-
S learning eave to the work a vastly overrated authority. 
The authors SJerted numerous unproven facts and distorted 
oth e r s th a t were genu in e so as to suit their preconceived pur-, 
pose The ' M agdeburg Centuries" had a very large sale and 
d i d fcfwi i f e had already been written 

I T E ® »FA 
be S zed by the appearance of the first instalments of the 
monumentaf Ecclesistkal Annals. But for the present Pope 
S t " V wanted a book equally deep but ess extensive, and 
he ¿ave to Father Canisius orders to write it. Canisius was to 
sekc? several individual passages or Matures and expose the 
misrepresentations and false conclusions embodied m t k m 
thus to show in a few instances the character of the method 
followed by the compilers. The humble religious had his mis-
goings concerning his competency g the. field of history, but 
he went with a will at the assigned task. He selected three 
personages, whose character had been comp etely disfigured 
bv the Centuriators," namely, St. John the Baptist the 
Blessed Virgin, and St. Peter. His first step was to ask for 
the blessing of St. Pius V and of St. Borgias, Superior Gen-
eral of the Society of Jesus. i WB 

He began his studies for the work m 1567 at Dillmgen, 
where the university library offered the best material and fa-
cilities, and where he could enjoy the advice of learned friends. 
Whatever he undertook throughout the whole course of Ins 
life was done thoroughly, but for this work he made almost 
svroer-human efforts. Some passages he recast as often as ten 
times His brethren became seriously apprehensive for the 
health of the aging man. But in 1571 the first instalment, » 
good-sized quarto volume on St. John the Baptist, appeared 
and was greeted with words of sincere praise by men of 
prbminence all over Europe. Canisius' wish for a plenary in-
dulgence as his private reward was joyfully granted by St. 
Pius V. 



Meanwhile the indefatigable author had been relieved of 
his duties as Provincial. His successor, Father Hoffaeus, was 
not so deeply impressed by the usefulness of work such as 
this. He and others were inclined to think that a man with the 
experience of Canisius could accomplish more good by de-
voting himself to preaching and teaching and to the writing 
of more strictly popular books. . But the pope urged the con-
tinuance of the work. Canisius was, however, to his great sor-
row, transferred to Innsbruck as preacher for the court of 
Archduke Ferdinand, a son of Emperor Ferdinand I and then 
ruler of the Tyrol. This office it was presumed would not inter-
fere much with his writing. Thus he was deprived of the 
company of the eminent men in the university of Dillingen. 
And although a wagonload of books, weighing fifteenhundred 
pounds, followed him to his new home, this could not console 
him for the loss of the university library. His health, also, 
suffered under the" influence of the Fohn, a warm wind which 
blows periodically on the northern slope of the Alps. But 
faithful to his principle he made no attempt to have the order 
rescinded. 

In his sermons before the court he was far from imitating 
the example of those whom he was wont to call sugar preach-
ers, who spoke ever of the Mercy but never óf the Justice of 
God. He believed in pouring not only soothing oil but also 
sharp wine into the wotinds of the sinful soul. Still he never 
demanded the impossible. Concerning the customs of the 
Carnival he said, "no king or emperor, nor even Sts. Peter 
and Paul, could ever succeed in abolishing them. The preach-
er's task will therefore be to show the people how to enjoy 
themselves in decency, and without committing excesses." 
Upon his advice a regular crusade was inaugurated against 
bad books. But the wise reformer insisted that it was not 
enough to take the heretical writings from the people; good 
books must be put in their place. So the government made 
large purchases in Augsburg. The poor received Catholic 
books gratis. Those who could afford it were expected to re-
fund half of the price. 



— 38 
To assist the zealous author in the composition of his 

volume on the Blessed Virgin, Archduke Ferdmand hjred a L V s t . - ^ . - ^ ^ » s f & s s r ^ ^ 0 ^ 
books for his studies, it is increaiuic, w 

LIFE ' I F w m 
have been impossible to find elsewhere af,dshut 

While the author was staying a short time at Laftdshut 
the residence of young Duke William, the later William V 
of Bavaria it happened on a certain occasion that the lay-
S ofher t" whom housed to dictate, asked permission to absent 
himself for an hour. Canisius, buried m this thoughts, re-
mSned seated at his desk. Then he heard the door open, but 
it ^vas the young duke that entered. Without looking up Ca-
nisTus presuming it was his brother, began dictating. The 
3 3 at once grasping the situation, sat down and wrote on 
until the brother r L f n e d . There followed of course^mucb 
consternation and begging of pardon all to Ae great giee 
of the duke, who modestly declared, that he was only too 
happy to have contributed a little to so worthy a work m honor 
of the Queen of Heaven. • H g l | 

The new volume appeared in 1577. It 1« a complete Mario -
logy, treating of a l l questions .that are connected with the 
dignity, position and veneration of the Virgin of Virgins It 
met with even greater favor than the volume on St John 
the Baptist. The Catholic critics praised in particular not only 
the immense erudition, solidity, and reliability of the work, 
but also the enthusiasm of the author for his great subject, 
and the piety and unction manifested in every line 
In spite of its size it was reprinted a few years later and 



— 39 -r-
several times in the course of the following centuries, the last 
edition being that of Paris which appeared in the nineteenth 
century. 

Canisius had already gathered much material for the vol-
ume on the third object of Magdeburg misrepresentation, St. 
Peter, and the success he experienced with the first two vol-
umes inspired him with the desire to finish the third one also. 
But Father Hoffaeus, the Provincial, thought differently. Men 
were too urgently needed for more direct work in the Vine-
yard of the Lord. The health of the celebrated author, too, 
seemed to be seriously on the decline. It was no small trial 
for good Father Canisius, to learn of the Provincial's view. 
But, as he had always done, he entered heartily into his supe-
rior's plan. He himself remarked, that Gregory XIII, who 
had succeeded St. Pius V, would easily release him from the 
duty imposed upon him by the latter. Thenceforward he de-
voted himself, as of old, to the more or less ordinary duties 
of the members of the Society as Preacher, catechist, and con-
fessor. Several remarkable conversions of prominent Prot-
estants soon were the fruit of his untiring zeal. 

A Busy Life. 

The last few chapters have shown, how on several mo-
mentous occasions Blessed Peter Canisius either alone or in 
union with others exercised a paramount influence upon the 
fortunes of the Church in Germany and throughout the world. 
But to make the reader realize the untiring zeal of the man 
as well as to throw more light upon his personal character and 
the manysidedness of his activity, we shall now briefly re-
count a- few other noteworthy events which happened in var-
ious years of his busy life. 

When in Rome in 1568 he had several audiences with 
Pope Pius Y, and contributed much to the appointment of a 
Cardinalitial Commission on German affairs, which, especially 
under the next pope, Gregory XIII, accomplished much m 



— 40 -r-
the interest of the Church in Germany. So long as his sojourn 
in the Eternal City lasted, Canisius did not cease to exert 
influence upon the proceedings of this Commission. On one 
occasion the caixlinals had decided to deal severely with cer-
tain German bishops. The papal briefs were ready to be des-
patched. Our apostle heard of it, and by his explanations and 
representations brought it about, that the plan was abandoned, 
and gentler measures were tried with eminent success. 

Pius V intended to raise Canisius to the cardinalate. But 
the humble religious, so writes the imperial ambassador, got 
wind of it, and is now beseeching the cardinals to change the 
pope's mind. A personal audience with the holy Father had 
the desired result, and Canisius was allowed to return to Ger-
many without the cardinal's purple. 

The Protestant Elector of Saxony and the landgrave of 
Hesse tried to influence the Prince-Abbot of Fulda to expel the 
Tesuits and hand over their college to Protestant teachers. 
Under the pressure of rebellious subjects the abbot seems to 
have wavered. When Canisius received the news, he at once 
wrote to the Bishop of Augsburg, and through him prevailed 
on the duke of Bavaria and the emperor to put a stop to those 
machinations. . 

The Hapsburg rulers of the Tyrol had been for a long 
time engaged in a dispute with the Bishops of Trent concern-
ing certain territorial privileges. Archduke Ferdinand, though 
a very pious man, (see page 37) was so .convinced of his right 
that he would listen to no proposal even of a compromise. 
Upon the request of the Papal Nuncio Father Canisius made 
a new attempt and succeeded. Ferdinand was now ready to 
yield, and thus a feud, which had assumed the proportions of 
a standing scandal, was brought to a satisfactory conclusion. 

In 1558 King Ferdinand followed his brother Charles V 
as emperor. But Pope Paul IV, who rightly adhered to the 
medieval idea of the Holy Roman Empire, could not make up 
his mind to recognize as emperor a man in whose election 
heretics had cooperated, and who claimed the imperial title 



— 41 -r-
after his predecessor, Charles V, had abdicated without the 
pope's consent. Blind zealots helped to widen the breach be-
tween pope and emperor. In Rome Fe.rdinand was considered 
no less than a semi-heretic. "And still just now," wrote 
Canisius to Rome, "nobody tries more seriously to stand with 
a clear conscience before God and good men than this prince 
does." As Provincial of the Jesuits in Germany he had many 
Masses, prayers, and works of penance offered up to end the 
dissension. The Superior General of the Society also informed 
him that in Rome everything possible was tried for the same 
purpose. At last Divine Providence interfered. Paul IV, 
personally a blameless character, died, and under his succes-
sor, Pius IV, all the difficulties disappeared. 

Since 1559 Father Canisius had been preacher at the 
Cathedral of Augsburg. This position was by no means a 
sinecure. It called for a sermon on all Sundays and Feast-
days, the latter then much more numerous than now, and for 
three additional sermons every week during Advent and Lent. 
The zealous Canisius added two catechetical addresses eyery 
week all the year around. When he accepted the office hardly 
8000 of the 80,000 inhabitants of the city could still be called 
Catholics. At first he had often no more than thirty of fifty 
persons present at his sermons. But their number increased 
rapidly. At the next Easter, there were ninehundred commu-
nions more than the year before. Slanders by the Protestants, 
and small nagging on the part of the very men who had enthu-
siastically greeted his coming were not lacking. But when 
seven years later he surrendered the post to one. of his breth-
ren, half the population of Augsburg was Catholic. 

The boys who sang in the choir of the Cathedral of Augs-
burg and attended the Cathedral school were forced to find 
lodgings in the city among surroundings in which they were 
exposed to many dangers. When Canisius observed this, he 
suggested to the bishop the plan of founding a common home 
for them. He himself collected part of the funds by begging 
among the rich citizens and the Catholic princes who happened 



— 42 -r-
to be at Augsburg for Imperial Diets. A suitable building was 
acquired, and Canisius composed the rules of discipline for 
the new institution. As preacher in the Cathedral he ever kept 
these poor students in sight and continued begging for them 
and appealing to his hearers on their behalf. "It is now cold, 
he once said in November, "and they need warmer clothes. 
Please give your contribt-uion as you did last year. They pray 
and sing for us every day, and they are forbidden to beg." 

In 1566 Cardinal Truchsess, Bishop of Augsburg, asked 
Father Canisius to spend some time at the residence of Count 
Helfenstein, who was considering to return to the Faith of 
his fathers. The count had forcibly introduced Protestantism 
into his district, only to find that morality was visibly declin-
ing among his people. Of himself he confessed: "Since that 
step I can no longer pray as I could before." Canisius stayed 
with him for a week and cleared up his dicffiulties. The apos-
tle improved the occasion by instructing in the Catholic religion 
two women who were under sentence of death on the charge of 
witchcraft and had been abandoned by the Protestant preach-
ers. The little County of Helfenstein has .ever since remained 
an oasis of fervent Faith in the midst of Protestant neighbors. 

In the same year we find Canisius at Wiirzburg to lend 
his assistance to the negotiations for the establishment of a. 
Jesuit college in that city. He had to promise to give the 
Lenten sermons the following year. During that Lent he 
preached three times every week and gave besides two catech-
etical instructions in another church. At the same time he 
prepared the regulations which were to.be discussed at the 
Diocesan Synod during Easter week. 

The Roman publishes, Paul Manutius, was in possession 
of a privilege which prohibited under pain of excommunica-
tion the reprint of any work issued by him. Some of his pub-
lications were, of course with impunity, reprinted in Germany 
by Protestants, and often with grave errors and even falsifica-
tions, while the cost of transportation made his genuine works 



— 43 -r-
prohibitively expensive in Germany. Canisius seized the occa-
sion of the visit of a prominent Roman prelate to shoW how 
much this interfered with the interests of religion in Germany. 
After a short while Manutius saw his privileges curtailed in 
favor of German printers. 

Pius V ordered the Jesuits of Upper Germany to prepare 
a German translation of the Roman Catechism (see page 36). 
It was written by Father Hoffaeus, but Canisius himself took 
great pains in revising it. About the same time a Spanish 
Jesuit, Jerome de Torres, consulted him concerning a Latin 
work, "^The Creed of St. Augustine." The German Provincial 
saw immediately the usefulness of such a publication in the 
struggle with the Protestants, who constantly appealed to the 
great Doctor of the Church. He requested the author to have 
it printed in Dillingen. But he himself, upon his own respon-
sibility, toned down several strong expressions, which the fiery 
Spaniard employed in treating of the heretics of the day. "Fa-
ther de Torres," he said, "would not write that way if he 
knew Germany." (In the same spirit he prohibited in the 
houses under his'jurisdiction the reading of the works of cer-
tain Catholic apologists who failed to keep within the bounds 
of charity when speaking of the religious innovators.) He also 
gave encouragement and assistance to the Augustinian Friar 
Panvinio for works on the history and the antiquities of the 
Church, in particular Panvino's work on the catacombs. 

In Rome Father Canisius*saw the Latin reports of the 
missionaries from India, Japan, and other foreign countries. 
He sent some of them to Duke Albrecht of Bavaria, on whom 
they made a deep impression. "The Word of God," Canisius 
said in an accompanying letter, "is not identified with any 
nation. If ungrateful Christians in Germany reject it, it goes 
to races of which our fathers had no idea." Later on he plan-
ned a regular publication under the title of "Indian Letters." 
It was the beginning of a whole literature on missinoary activ-
ity, a literature to which is due much of our knowledge of the 



— 44 -r-
history and work of Catholic missions in all countries, America 
included. 

In a similar way Canisius extended a helping hand to the 
friend of his yotith, the Carthusian Lawrence Surius (see 
page 7). He searched the-libraries to find material for Surius' 
Collection of the Councils, and his critical Lives of Saints. 
(The last-named work made Surius the forerunner of the 
great enterprise of the Bollandists.) 

When Pope Pius V proclaimed a Jubilee-to obtain God's 
aid against'the Turks, secular and ecclesiastical authorities 
applied to Canisius for a detailed plan of announcing in an 
appropriate manner to the people this great means of winning 
Divine Assistance for the enterprise. 

While occupied, at Innsbruck, with the writing of his 
work on the Blessed Virgin, he composed an instruction of 
the clergy of the Diocese of Brixen, concerning' the adminis-
tration of the sacraments. It had been discovered that many 
abuses had crept into these ministrations. The Vicar General 
sent this instruction to all the pastors. 

A Zwinglian preacher, John Brunner, had been converted 
in consequence of his studies in the works of the early Doctors 
of the Church. As he was married, however, he could not 
think of entering the ranks of the Catholic clergy and was at a 
loss how to support his wife and children. Canisius pro-
cured for him a position as teacher in the university of Ingol-
stadt. 

One of the most important foundations of St. Ignatius 
was the German College at Rome, which had been established 
for the purpose of sending well instructed and trained priests 
to Germany. After the holy founder's death, however, the 
institution suffered greatly from lack of funds. Canisius 
used the confidence with which Gregory XIII honored him to 
direct the pope's attention to its precarious 'condition. He 
was not the only one that did so. But it is remarkable, that 
only a few 'months after Canisius' departure from Rome the 
pope put the German College upon a sound financial basis. 



— 45 -r-
During the next thirty years alone about eight hundred young 
Germans received in it their education for the priesthood. It 
has ever remained one of the exterior bonds that unite Ger-
many with Rome, and has served as a model for similar insti-
tutions in the Eternal City and elsewhere. 

Canisius had often assisted bishops and cardinals in com-
piling reports on the condition of Germany. One by Cardinal 
Truchsess has long been considered as entirely the work of 
Canisius. The pope expressed the desire to have one directly 
from the great Jesuit. In this memorial the writer gave ut-
terance to a wish he had been cherishing for a long time, name-
ly, that Papal Seminaries, like the German College at Rome, 
be established in Germany itself. Such seminaries were even-
tually founded in several German cities. 

One of Canisius' journeys to Rome took place while he 
was preacher at the court of Archduke Ferdinand at Inns-
bruck (see page 37). When he returned he found that an-
other court preacher had been appointed, the Franciscan John 
Nas. It was a keenly felt humiliation. Worst of all, good 
Father Nas, who was a convert and had made rather brief 
studies, occasionally said strange things about good works and 
the sacraments, and also inveighed against the Jesuits. But 
Canisius was far from losing his composure. The man pos-
sessed an unusual gift of popular eloquence and did an im-
mense amount of good by his powerful if at times uncouth 
sermons. Only on one occasion did Blessed Peter reply in 
his own sermon to F. Nas' invectives, and this simply by way 
of stating the correct Catholic teaching and proving it from 
Scripture and Tradition. In a kind voice he added the re-
mark, "This is what priests mean to say on these points. 
Sometimes they use strong language, and people are inclined 
to misunderstand them. But we should always beware of im-
puting to them any ignorance in theological matters." His 
moderation was amply rewarded. The talented friar rose to 
important positions in his Order and in the Church, defended 
religion successfully by preaching and writing, and more than 



— 46 -r-
once spoke of the Society of Jesus in terms of high praise. 

Blessed Peter Canisius' latest biographers concludes a 
similar chapter with these words: "He preaches and catechises 
so much, that he seems to be born exclusively for the pulpit; 
he writes, and he promotes literary enterprises, as if there 
were nothing else to engage his attention; he deals with city 
councils, with dukes and bishops and emperors and popes, and 
advises them on the most vital interests of the Church, as if 
he were a professional diplomat with no other occupation. 

Last Years and Holy Death. 

In 1579 Pope Gregory XIII sent Bishop Bonhomini, a 
man filled with the spirit of love and ardent zeal, as his rep-
resentative into Switzerland. While the bjshop found the 
Canton of Freiburg still steadfastly adhering to the Catholic 
religion many of its inhabitants were lukewarm in the Faith, 
and the Calvinism and Zwinglianism of the surrounding can-
tons were seriously threatening this stronghold of Catholicity. 
There was already a Jesuit college at Lucerne, and Bonhomini 
now induced the Freiburg Magistrate to invite the Order to 
that city also. The Upper German Province was requested to 
send "a man of prudence and moderation," to take the initial 
steps. In the beginning nobody thought*1 of the aging Canisius. 
But finally it was he that was selected, and with the ready 
obdience that had always been so wonderfully characteristic 
of him he at once set out. for Switzerland. The journey 
through the Zwinglian Canton of Bern was not without risk. 
But although Bonhomini, the Papal Nuncio, was subjected to 
petty annoyances, nobody suspected that_ the modest elderly 
man in his company was the dreaded Canisius. , , _ 

The magistrates <of Freiburg profusely thanked the Pro-
vincial for having given to their city a man, "whose fame re-
sounds in all Christendom, above all in the German nation. 
Father Canisius here concluded a most intimate friendship 
with the Reverend Provost Schnewlin, of the Church of St. 



— 47 -r-
Nicholas, who acted as Vicar General for the Bishop of Lau-
sanne. The schools were eventually opened in temporary 
quarters. Within a few months they counted more than a 
hundred students, most of whom had been recalled by their 
parents from the Protestant schools of the neighboring French 
Cantons. It was only a few years, until the college building, 
a substantial, well-planned structure, arose. But Canisius did 
not live to see the splendid new college church of St. Michael 
the Archangel. 

For several years the indefatigable preacher "continued to 
announce the Word of God from the pulpit. Thus for- the 
period from March 12 to May 28, 1581, no less than thirty-
seven sermons are still extant in manuscript. He also explained 
the Christian doctrine to the children in the streets of the city. 
One of the results of the new efforts made at Freiburg by the 
Jesuits, the Franciscans, and the many zealous secular priests, 
was an astounding increase in the number of communions. 
For all the priests Canisius for many years gave conferences 
on Cases of Conscience, which were always well attended. 
But in the course of time he was obliged to confine himself 
to the private instruction of individuals, in particular of pro-
spective converts, who were, for the most part, poor immigrants 
from Protestant Cantons. 

Meanwhile he induced the ecclesiastical and secular au-
thorities to inaugurate a crusade, against heretical books, and 
to revive the old custom that at the beginning of Lent every 
citizen should publicly renew his Profession of Faith. He 
could no longer make extensive journeys, but the influence of 
his advice and direction extended over all Switzerland. St. 
Charles Borromeo desired to take him along as companion on 
a journey of visitation in the Grisons, the eastern part of the 
country, and as this was impossible asked him for his views 
on a number of practical questions. Canisius, by several let-
ters to Rome, prevented the excellent Provost Schnewlin from 
resigning his office of Vicar General, and even caused him to 
be appointed Apostolic Visitor of the Canton, a measure which 



— 48 -r-
resulted in an immense amount of good. St. Francis of Sales, 
not as yet Bishop of Geneva, wrote to Blessed Peter a very 
flattering letter and wished to enter into a correspondence 
with him. 

Nor did Canisius' pen rest. He published brief biographies 
of Sts. Ida, Meinrad, Fridolin, Beatus, Ursus, Maurice, and 
of Blessed Nicholas von der Flue, all of whom had sanctified 
Switzerland by their holy lives. To procure material for these 
booklets, he procured manuscripts from libraries as far distant 
as Fulda. A collection of "Catechism Hymns," an Instruction 
for Confession, and an exposition of the Psalm Miserere are 
other fruits of his untiring apostolic zeal. A little "Catholic 
Manual" was thirty times reprinted and soon translated into 
other languages. He also composed a Latin "Prayerbook for 
Princes" which in handwritten copies was used by the members 
of the Austrian, Bavarian, and Spanish dynasties. The most 
extensive work of this last period of the great writer's activity 
was a volume of Latin notes on the Gospels of the Sundays 
and Feastdays, by which he sought to give assistance to preach-
ers. It should still be noted that during this time the man of 
-labor and prayer gave the usual instructions to the members 
of his religious community. He even assisted in. the lowly 
domestic occupations, and might be seen washing dishes in the 
kitchen, or with a broom sweeping the corridors of the house. 

The more he realized his increasing inability to work, the 
more time did he give to devotion. Here is the place to state 
that nothing, perhaps, is more remarkable in this great man 
than his continuous'spirit of prayer. In spite of his restless 
activity, with his many and far-reaching plans, with his many 
irons in the fire, during the more than fifty years of his public 
career, he never neglected his own soul. He found time to 
make a surprisingly large number of notes concerning his 
spiritual progress; he jotted down his resolutions and points 
for meditation, drew up sets of questions for his examination 
of conscience, composed prayers for various occasions and in-
tentions, wrote out lists of institutions and persons fbr whom 



— 49 -r-
he determined to pray, or litanies of Saints whom he was wont 
to invoke. Among them stood out prominently the Guardian 
Angels and heavenly Patrons of the cities and countries, for 
which he and his brethren were laboring. He enumerated in a 
kind of auto-biography, which he called his Testament, the 
many favors received from God during his long life. A very 
large place he gave to the veneration of the Sacred Heart of 
Jesus. He had composed for himself morning and night 
prayers in Its honor and a short invocation to be repeated 
every hour. 

His prayer was a real conversation with God. Once a 
young member of the Order thought he heard loud speaking 
in the room of Father Canisius which was next to his own. 
Fearing the good Father might be in some distress he went 
out and listened at the door. Blessed,Peter was conversing 
with God. He pleaded with Him, remonstrated with Him, 
argued with Him, sometimes raising his voice and proving to 
Him that certain things had to be granted. The young man 
at once made up his mind not to get involved in this duel be-
tween Canisius and Almighty God. "The two will soon again 
come to an understanding," he reflected as he retired to his 
own room. 

The spirit of prayer is one of the great characteristics 
which Blessed Peter possessed in common with St. Boniface, 
the first Apostle of Germany. Like him, too, he possessed an 
unswerving attachment to the Holy See, and the conviction 
that only through St. Peter and his successors could salvation 
come to Germany. Like him, moreovei, he understood the 
necessity of solid study and of schools for the education of 
the young. 

Canisius had always shown 'great love for the members 
of other religious Orders. In Switzerland the Capuchins at-
tracted his attention by their efficient work among the people. 
Although they possessed no house in Freiburg, he had the con-
solation of seeing two Capuchin priests, together with his own 
brethren? present at his death. 



— 50 -r-
On the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle he received the 

Last Sacraments. To Provost Werro, the noble successor of 
his friend Schnewlin, he recommended the Church of Freiburg. 
He spoke similarly to two members of the Cantonal Council. 
Then he todk the booklet in which he had written his familiar 
devotions and said the prayer for a happy death. Suddenly 
he cried out, "Don't you see ? don't you see there ?" and began 
to say the rosary. It is presumed that he was favored by an 
apparition of the Blessed Virgin. The simple assurance of the 
Rector of the house, that his brethren were praying for him, 
gave him joy. He asked that they should say the Penitential 
Psalms. During these prayers, about four o'clock in the after-
noon, December 27, 1597, Peter Canisius closed his life of Love 
for God and men, of prayer and penance and indefatigable 
labor. He was buried, amid an immense concourse of people, 
in the church of St. Nicholas whence his remains were later on 
transferred into the church of the Jesuit college. 

The news of his death reechoed far and wide. Within a 
short time his life was written and read practically in all the 
languages and countries of Europe and in the foreign missions. 
And people prayed to him. In 1655 a publication, with the 
approval of the ecclesiastical authorities, reported in detail 
more than eighty cases in which remarkable favors had been 
obtained through his intercession. In 1741 the number had 
risen to two hundred and fifty. About this time the procedure 
for the beatification of the Servant of God was taken up. But 
the storm that broke upon the Society of Jesus a little later, 
and the political and ecclesiastical convulsions which followed 
in the wake of the French Revolution caused the matter to be 
dropped for another hundred years. On November 20, 1864, 
however, Pope Pius IX proceeded to the solemn act of enroll-
ing Peter Canisius among the Blessed, to the joy of the Cath-
olics of Holland, Germany, Austria ,and Switzerland, and of 
all those who love the religion he so ably defended. Fifty years 
later, when the golden Jubilee of the beatification was cele-
brated at Freiburg, Pope Leo XIII granted that the relics of 



— 51 -r-
Blessed Peter be carried in procession, a privilege ordinarily 
reserved to the canonized Saints. The only difficulty which 
stands in the way of his canonization is the lack of new mira-
cles. But there is at present a crusade of prayers going on in 
the countries he benefited so much and in other'countries of 
the Catholic world that it may please Almighty God to show 
the power of His arm by removing this obstacle and thus mak-
ing possible the canonization of His servant, Blessed Peter 
Canisius. 



BOOKS CONSULTED 

Braunsberger, Otto, S.J.: Petrus Canisius. 
Ein Lebensbild. 1917. 

Riess, Florian, S.J.: Der Selige Petrus Cani-
sius. 1865. 

Janssen, Johannes: History of the German 
People at the Close of the Middle Ages. 
Volumes VIII and IX. 

Stone, (Miss) J. M.: Studies from Court and 
Cloister. 1905. Pages 95 ff.: The Cath-
olic Reformation in Germany. 

Catholic Encyclopedia. Article "Peter Cani-
sius." 

Duhr, Bernard, S.J.: Geschichte der Jesuiten 
in den Ländern deutscher Zunge. 1907. 
Erster Band. 

Braunsberger, Otto, S.J.: Pius V. und die 
deutschen Katholiken. 1912. 

(F. Braunsberger devoted a lifetime to the gather-
ing and publication of the letters of Bl. Peter Cani-
sius and other sources of his life. Eight volumes are 
in print. The ninth is ready for the press. But under 
present conditions in Germany, it will require 75,000 
Marks to have it printed. 1. Braunsberger is en-
deavoring to secure this sum.)