Bonaventure facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Saint Bonaventure OFM
17th-century portrait of Bonaventure by French painter and friar Claude François
Friar Cardinal Bishop of Albano Doctor of the Church Seraphic Doctor Teacher of the Faith
Born	Giovanni di Fidanza 1221 Civita di Bagnoregio near Viterbo, Latium, Papal States
Died	15 July 1274(1274-07-15) (aged 52–53) Lyon, Lyonnais, Kingdom of Burgundy-Arles
Venerated in	Catholic Church Church of England
Canonized	14 April 1482, Rome by Pope Sixtus IV
Feast	15 July or July 14
Attributes	Cardinal's hat on a bush; ciborium; Holy Communion; cardinal in Franciscan robes, usually reading or writing

Bonaventure (born Giovanni di Fidanza, 1221 – 15 July 1274) was an important Italian Catholic leader. He was a Franciscan friar, a bishop, a cardinal, and a scholastic thinker. He was also a philosopher and theologian.

Bonaventure was the seventh leader of the Order of Friars Minor, also known as the Franciscans. He also served as the Bishop of Albano for a time. He was made a saint on 14 April 1482 by Pope Sixtus IV. Later, in 1588, Pope Sixtus V declared him a Doctor of the Church. This is a special title given to saints who have made important contributions to Catholic teaching. He is often called the "Seraphic Doctor." His special day, or feast day, is 15 July.

Life of Bonaventure

Early Years and Education

Bonaventure was born in 1221 in Civita di Bagnoregio, a town near Viterbo. This area was then part of the Papal States, which were lands ruled by the Pope. We don't know much about his childhood. His parents were Giovanni di Fidanza and Maria di Ritella. Bonaventure himself said that he was saved from an early death by the prayers of Francis of Assisi. This event inspired him to write about Francis's life.

In 1243, he joined the Franciscan Order. This is a group of Catholic friars founded by Saint Francis. Bonaventure then went to study at the University of Paris. He likely studied under a famous teacher named Alexander of Hales. By 1253, he was teaching at the university for the Franciscans.

Becoming a Master and Leader

There was a disagreement between the university's regular teachers and the friars. This delayed Bonaventure from becoming a Master until 1257. He received his degree at the same time as Thomas Aquinas, another very famous thinker. Before this, in 1254, he became a lecturer. He taught about The Four Books of Sentences, a key theology book from the 12th century. In 1255, he earned his Master's degree, which was like getting a doctorate today.

After defending his Franciscan order from criticism, he was chosen as the Minister General of the Franciscans. This meant he was the worldwide leader of the order. In 1265, he was offered the job of Archbishop of York. However, he never took on this role and resigned in 1266.

Important Contributions and Passing

During his time as Minister General, a rule was made in 1260. This rule said that no Franciscan could publish a book without permission. This rule was not aimed at anyone specific. It was made after another friar had published a book without permission.

Bonaventure's coat of arms of Cardinal Bishop of Albano

Bonaventure played a big part in helping Pope Gregory X get elected. The Pope then made him a Cardinal Bishop of Albano. The Pope also insisted that Bonaventure attend the important Second Council of Lyon in 1274. At this council, Bonaventure helped bring together the Greek and Latin churches. He died suddenly during the council.

Bonaventure guided the Franciscans to be a thoughtful and balanced order. This made them very important in the Catholic Church. His ideas tried to connect faith and reason. He believed that Christ was the "one true master." Christ offers knowledge that starts with faith, grows with understanding, and becomes perfect through a special connection with God.

What Happened to His Relics?

In 1434, about 160 years after he died, Bonaventure's body was moved to a new church. People found that his head was still perfectly preserved. His hair, lips, teeth, and tongue looked natural. The people of Lyon were amazed and chose Bonaventure as their city's patron saint. This event helped push for him to be made a saint.

However, in 1562, the city of Lyon was taken over by Huguenots. They were a group of French Protestants. They burned Bonaventure's body in the town square. Later, during the French Revolution, the container holding his preserved head was hidden. The church was then destroyed, and the container was never found again. Today, the only part of Bonaventure that remains is an arm and hand. This is the hand he used to write his Commentary on the Sentences. It is kept in Bagnoregio, his hometown.

Bonaventure's Ideas and Writings

His Important Writings

Bonaventure was officially made a saint in 1484 by Pope Sixtus IV. Later, in 1587, Pope Sixtus V named him one of the greatest Doctors of the Church, along with Thomas Aquinas. Bonaventure was seen as one of the most important thinkers of the Middle Ages.

His collected works fill many volumes. They include his Commentary on the Sentences of Lombard, which is a major work. Other important writings are a Commentary on the Gospel of St Luke and smaller books. Some of his most famous smaller works are The Mind's Road to God (Itinerarium mentis in Deum), Brief Reading (Breviloquium), and Reduction of the Arts to Theology (De reductione artium ad theologiam). He also wrote The Tree of Life (Lignum vitae) and The Triple Way (De Triplici via). These last three books were written to help his fellow Franciscans in their spiritual journey.

Legenda maior, 1477

For Isabelle of France, the sister of King Louis IX of France, Bonaventure wrote a book called Concerning the Perfection of Life. This was for her monastery of nuns.

His Commentary on the Sentences is considered his main work. He wrote it when he was 27. Most of his other writings are connected to it. However, some of his later works, like Lectures on the Six Days of Creation, show new ideas.

His Philosophical Ideas

Bonaventure wrote about many topics that were important to scholastic thinkers. His writings are quite detailed. Many of them focus on faith in Christ, God, and theology. He didn't write any books that were only about philosophy. This shows how much he believed that philosophy and theology were connected.

Much of Bonaventure's philosophy was influenced by Augustine of Hippo. Some even say he was the best example of Augustinianism in the Middle Ages. Bonaventure added ideas from Aristotle to Augustine's teachings. This was especially true for how the mind gains knowledge and how living things are made of matter and form. The mystic Dionysius the Areopagite also had a big influence on him.

Bonaventure's ideas were different from some of his famous friends, like Roger Bacon and Thomas Aquinas. While they focused on science and Aristotle's logic, Bonaventure focused on a more mystical and Plato-like way of thinking. For him, deep thought was important, but the power of feelings and the heart was even more so.

Bonaventure receives the envoys of the Byzantine Emperor at the Second Council of Lyon.

Like Thomas Aquinas, Bonaventure strongly disagreed with the idea that the world had always existed. He believed that God created the world at a specific point in time. Bonaventure accepted the Christian idea that "forms" or perfect ideas exist in God's mind. These are like blueprints, or "exemplars," that God used to create everything. This idea greatly shaped his philosophy.

Bonaventure believed that all knowledge and sciences serve theology. He thought that reason could discover some moral truths. But other truths could only be understood through "divine illumination," a special light from God. To get this light, people needed to pray, practice good virtues, and meditate. This meditation could lead to a special connection with God. The highest goal in life, for him, was this union with God. He believed it couldn't be fully reached in this life, but it was a hope for the future.

Like Aquinas, Bonaventure believed it was possible to logically prove God's existence and the soul's immortality. He even thought that reason could show the world had a beginning. He offered several arguments for God's existence. His main argument for the soul's immortality was based on humans' natural desire for perfect happiness.

Bonaventure believed that philosophy could help people find three paths to God. First, non-living things are like "footprints" of God. They show God as the ultimate cause of the world. Second, humans, with their minds and wills, are like "images" of God. Our minds lead us to God as the source of knowledge and grace. Third, the path of being itself shows God as the perfect being whose very nature means He exists.

Bonaventure was also a strong dogmatic theologian. He gave clear and well-reasoned answers on many complex topics. He believed that theology was a practical science. Its truths were meant to influence people's hearts and feelings. He thought that universal ideas exist in God's mind. He also believed that matter is pure potential. It gets its form and being from God's creative power.

In all his writings, Bonaventure wrote as a theologian. He saw everything through the lens of Christian faith. This means that philosophy was important to him mainly as a way to prepare for or understand what God had revealed.

Becoming a Saint

Bonaventure's feast day was added to the General Roman Calendar right after he was made a saint in 1482. It was first celebrated on the second Sunday in July. Later, in 1568, it was moved to 14 July. This was because 15 July, the day he died, was already a feast day for Saint Henry. In 1969, his feast day was changed to an obligatory memorial and set on 15 July, the anniversary of his death.

Bonaventure is remembered in the Church of England with a commemoration on 15 July.

Places, Churches, and Schools Named in His Honour

United States

• St. Bonaventure University, a Franciscan university, in Allegany, New York
• Mission San Buenaventura and the City of Ventura, California, officially named San Buenaventura
• St. Bonaventure High School in Ventura, California, United States
• St. Bonaventure Catholic Church in Chicago, Illinois
• St. Bonaventure Monastery, a complex of religious buildings, built for the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, located in Detroit, Michigan. Solanus Casey served here as the monastery porter from 1924 to 1946, meeting visitors at the friary door. The site is a popular pilgrimage site for Metro Detroit Catholics.
• Bonaventure Hall, in Sacred Heart Parish Catholic School, in Patterson, California, United States
• Bonaventure Residence Hall, in Viterbo University, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States
• Buenaventura Boulevard in Redding, California
• St. Bonaventure Parish in Huntington Beach, California
• San Buenaventura de los Tres Arrollos, a lost settlement in the far NE of Custer County, Colorado
• San Buenaventura de Cochiti built in 1628 in [Pueblo de Cochiti, New Mexico] who remains the patron saint for Native American Village who celebrate on 14 July
• St. Bonaventure-St. Benedict the Moor (combined) parish, Jamaica, New York
• St. Bonaventure Church, in Paterson, New Jersey.
• San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital, a fictional hospital that serves as a setting in American TV show The Good Doctor
• St. Bonaventure Catholic Church, Davie, Florida
• St. Bonaventure Catholic Church, elementary school, and cemetery, Columbus, Nebraska
• St. Bonaventure Church, in Allegany, New York
• St. Bonaventure Church, in Glenshaw, Pennsylvania

Canada

• The town of Bonaventure, Quebec, Canada
• Bonaventure Highway in Quebec
• Place Bonaventure and the adjacent Bonaventure Metro Station in Montreal, Quebec
• Bonaventure Island and the Bonaventure River in the Gaspé Peninsula Region of Quebec
• St. Bonaventure's College, a private Roman Catholic school, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
• St Bonaventure Catholic School, at Edwards Gardens, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• St. Bonaventure School, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
• St. Bonaventure Parish, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
• Lake Bonaventure, in the community of Lake Bonavista, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
• St. Bonaventure Parish, Tracadie Cross, in Prince Edward Island, Canada

Philippines

• St. Bonaventure Parish, Mauban, Quezon is the oldest settlement in the Philippines to have been placed under the protection of El Serafico Padre Doctor San Buenaventura in 1647. It is recorded in the writings of Fray Huertas that in 1759 an unknown man wearing the colors of San Buenaventura defended the town from a moro attack. The people of Mauban have since regarded this as a miracle of their Santo Patron. The largest bell in Mauban that was recast in 1843 is named after San Buenaventura and is rung during the Consecration, Angelus and Plegaria.
• St. Bonaventure chapel or Capilla de San Buenaventura in St. John the Baptist Parish, Liliw, Laguna, Philippines, erected in honor of the Seraphic Doctor, San Buenaventura because of the 1664 miracle were tears of blood were seen flowing from the eyes of the venerated image, which was witnessed by the Cura Parroco, Padre Juan Pastor and 120 witnesses; in recognition of this miracle, the first major bell in the church of Lilio was dedicated in honor of San Buenaventura
• Barangay San Buenaventura, a village in San Pablo City, Laguna, Philippines. Three small chapels can be found within the village in honour of Saint Bonaventura
• St. Bonaventure Parish, Balangkayan Eastern Samar, Philippines
• San Buenaventura, barangay in the Municipality of Buhi, Camarines Sur, Philippines. Has a chapel dedicated to the namesake saint.
• St. Bonaventure Chapel in Barangay San Buenaventura, Luisiana, Laguna.
• St. Bonaventure Chapel in Barangay San Bueno, Sampaloc, Quezon.

United Kingdom

• St Bonaventure's Catholic School, in Forest Gate, London, England
• St Bonaventure's Catholic Church, and Primary School in Bishopston, Bristol.
• St Bonaventure's Catholic Church, in Welwyn Garden City, England

Latin America

• The Municipality of Buenaventura on the Pacific Coast of Colombia
• The cities of San Buenaventura in Chihuahua, San Buenaventura in Coahuila, and San Buenaventura in the state of Mexico, all in Mexico

Southern Asia

• St. Bonaventure's Church, a 16th-century Portuguese church is situated on the beach in Erangal near Mumbai. The annual Erangal Feast held on second Sunday of January, celebrating the Feast day of St. Bonaventure, attracts thousands of people of all faiths to this scenic spot. The Feast day of St. Bonaventure is celebrated on 15 July every year.
• St Bonaventure's High School, a school in Hyderabad, Pakistan

Europe

Bonaventura College is a Catholic high school in Leiden in the Netherlands.

Works

• Bonaventure Texts in Translation Series, St. Bonaventure, NY, Franciscan Institute Publications (15 volumes):
  • On the Reduction of the Arts to Theology, Translation, Introduction and Commentary by Zachary Hayes, OFM, vol. 1, 1996.
  • Journey of the Soul into God - Itinerarium Mentis in Deum translation and Introduction by Zachary Hayes, OFM, and Philotheus Boehner, OFM, vol. 2, 2002. ISBN: 978-1-57659-044-7
  • Disputed Questions on the Mystery of the Trinity, translated by Zachary Hayes, vol. 3, 1979. ISBN: 978-1-57659-045-4.
  • Disputed Questions on the Knowledge of Christ, translated by Zachary Hayes, vol. 4, 1992.
  • Writings Concerning the Franciscan Order, translated by Dominic V. Monti, OFM, vol. 5, 1994.
  • Collations on the Ten Commandments, translated by Paul Spaeth, vol. 6, 1995.
  • Commentary on Ecclesiastes, translated by Campion Murray and Robert J. Karris, vol. 7, 2005.
  • Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, translated by Robert J. Karris (3 vols), vol. 8, 2001–4.
  • Breviloquium, translated by Dominic V. Monti, OFM, vol. 9, 2005.
  • Writings on the Spiritual Life, [includes translations of The Threefold Way, On the Perfection of Life, On Governing the Soul, and The Soliloquium: A Dialogue on the Four Spiritual Exercises, the prologue to the Commentary on Book II of the Sentences of Peter Lombard and three short sermons: On the Way of Life, On Holy Saturday, and On the Monday after Palm Sunday, vol. 10, 2006.]
  • Commentary on the Gospel of John, translated by Robert J. Karris, vol. 11, 2007.
  • The Sunday sermons of St. Bonaventure, edited and translated by Timothy J. Johnson, vol. 12, 2008.
  • Disputed questions on evangelical perfection, edited and translated by Thomas Reist and Robert J. Karris, vol. 13, 2008.
  • Collations on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, introduced and translated by Zachary Hayes, vol. 14, 2008.
  • Defense of the mendicants, translated by Jose de Vinck and Robert J. Karris, vol. 15, 2010.
• The Life of Christ translated and edited by William Henry Hutchings, 1881.
• The Journey of the Mind into God (Itinerarium mentis in Deum), Indianapolis: Hackett, 1993. ISBN: 978-0-8722-0200-9
• On the Reduction of the Arts to Theology (De Reductione Artium ad Theologiam), translated by Zachary Hayes, Saint Bonaventure, NY: Franciscan Institute, 1996. ISBN: 978-1-57659-043-0
• Bringing forth Christ: five feasts of the child Jesus, translated by Eric Doyle, Oxford: SLG Press, 1984.
• The soul's journey into God; The tree of life; The life of St. Francis. Ewert Cousins, translator (The Classics of Western Spirituality ed.). Mahwah, New Jersey: Paulist Press. 1978. ISBN 0-8091-2121-2. https://archive.org/details/soulsjourneyinto00bona.
• The Mystical Vine: a Treatise on the Passion of Our Lord, translated by a friar of SSF, London: Mowbray, 1955.
• Life of St Francis of Assisi, TAN Books, 2010. ISBN: 978-0-89555-151-1

See also

In Spanish: Buenaventura de Bagnoregio para niños