FRANCIS
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FRANCIS
Francis de Sales, Saint, Bishop of Geneva,
Doctor of the Universal Church ; b. at Thorens, in the
Duchy of Savoy, 21 August, 1567; d. at Lyons, 28
December, 1622. His father, Franijois de Sales de
Boisy, and his mother, Fran^oise de Sionnaz, belonged
to old Savoyard aristocratic families. The future
saint was the eldest of six brothers. His father in-
tended him for the magistracy and sent him at an
early age to the colleges of La Roche and Annecy.
From 1583 till 1588 he studied rhetoric and humani-
ties at the college of Clermont, Paris, under the care of
the Jesuits. While there he began a course of the-
ology. After a terrible and prolonged temptation to
despair, caused by the discussions of the theologians
of the day on the question of predestination, from
which he was suddenly freed as he knelt before a
miraculous image of Our Lady at St. Etienne-des-
Gres, he made a vow of chastity and consecrated
himself to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1588 he
studied law at Padua, where the Jesuit Father Posse-
vin was his spiritual director. He received his di-
ploma of doctorate from the famous Pancirola m 1592.
Having been admitted as a lawyer before the senate
of Chamb^ry, he was about to be appointed senator.
His father had selected one of the noblest heiresses of
Savoy to be the partner of his future life, but Fran-
cis declared his intention of embracing the eccle-
siastical life. A sharp struggle ensued. His father
would not consent to see his expectations thwarted.
Then Claude de Granier, Bishop of Geneva, obtained
for Francis, on his own initiative, the position of Pro-
vost of the Chapter of Geneva, a post in the patronage
of the pope. It was the highest office in the diocese,
M. de Boisy yielded and Francis received Holy orders
(1593).
From the time of the Reformation the seat of the Bishopric of Geneva had been fixed at Annecy. There with apostolic zeal, the new provost devoted himself to preaching, hearing confessions, and the other work of his ministry. In the following year (1594) he volunteered to evangelize Le Chablais, where the Genevans had imposed the Reformed Faith, and which had just been restored to the Duchy of Savoy. He made his headquarters in the fortress of Allinges. Risking his life, he journeyed through the entire district, preaching constantly; by dint of zeal, learn- ing, kindness, and holiness he at last obtained a hear- ing. He then settled in Thonon, the chief town. He confuted the preachers sent by Geneva to oppose him ; he converted the syndic and several prominent Cal- vinists. At the request of the pope, Clement VIII, he went to Geneva to interview Theodore Beza, who was called the Patriarch of the Reformation. The latter received him kindly and seemed for a while shaken, but had not the courage to take the final steps. A large part of the inhabitants of Le Chablais returned to the true fold (1597 and 1598). Claude de Granier then chose Francis as his coadjutor, in spite of his refusal, and sent him to Rome (1599).
Pope Clement VIII ratified the choice; but he wished to examine the candidate personally, in pres- ence of the Sacred College. The improvised ex- amination was a triumpli for Francis. " Drink, my son", said the Pope to him. "from your cistern, and from your living wellspring; may your waters issue forth, and may they become public fountains where the world may quench its thirst. ' ' The prophesy was to be realized. On his return from Rome the religious affairs of the territory of Gex, a dependency of France, necessitated his going to Paris. There the coadjutor formed an intimate friendship with Cardinal de Ji6r- uUe, Antoine Deshayes, secretary of Henry IV, and Henry IV himself, who wished "to make a third in this fair friendship" {<'ire de tiers dans celte belle amitii). The king made him preach the Lent at Court, and wished to keep him in France. He urged him to continue, by his sermons and writings, to teach
those souls that had to live in the world how to have
confidence in God, and how to be genuinely and truly
pious — graces of which he saw the great necessity.
On the death of Claude de Granier, Francis was consecrated Bishop of Geneva (1602). His first step was to institute catechetical instructions for the faitliful, both yoimg and old. He made prudent regulations for the guidance of his clergy. He care- fully visited the parishes scattered through the rugged mountains of his diocese. He reformed the religious communities. His goodness, patience, and mildness became proverbial. He had an intense love for the poor, especially those who were of respectable family. His food was plain, his dress and his household simple. He completely dispensed with superfluities and lived with the greatest economy, in order to be able to provide more abundantly for the wants of the needy. He heard confessions, gave advice, and preached in- cessantly. He wrote innumerable letters (mainly letters of direction) and found time to publish the numerous works mentioned below. Together with St. Jane Frances de Chantal, he founded (1607) the Institute of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin, for young girls and widows who, feeling themselves called to the religious life, have not sufficient strength, or lack inclmation, for the corporal austerities of the great orders. His zeal extended beyond the limits of his own diocese. He delivered the Lent and Ad- vent discourses which are still famous — those at Dijon (1604), where he first met the Baroness de Chantal; at Chamb6ry (1606); at Grenoble (1616, 1017, 1618), where he converted the Mar^chal de Lesdiguieres. During his last stay in Paris (Novem- ber, 1618, to September, 1019) he had to go into the pulpit each day to satisfy the pious wishes of those who thronged to hear him. "Never", said they, "have such holy, such apostolic sermons been preached." He came into contact here with all the distinguished ecclesiastics of the day, and in particular with St. Vincent de Paul. His friends tried energetically to induce him to remain in France, offering Inm first the wealthy Abbey of Ste. Genevieve and then the coad- jutor-bishopric of Paris, but he refused all to return to Annecy.
In 1022 he had to accompany the Court of Savoy into France. At Lyons he insisted on occupying a small, poorly furnished room m a house belonging to the gardener of the Visitation Convent. There, on 27 December, he was seized with apoplexy. He re- ceived the last sacraments and made his profession of faith, repeating constantly the words: "God's will be done! Jesus, my God and my all!" He died next day, in the fifty-sixth year of his age. Immense crowds flocked to visit his remains, which the people o Lyons were anxious to keep in their city. With much difficulty his body was brought back to Annecy, but his heart was left at Lyons. A great number of wonderful favours have been obtamed at his tomb in the Visitation Convent of Annecy. His heart, at the time of the French Revolution, was carried by the Visitation nuns from Lyons to Venice, where it is venerated to-day. St. Francis de Sales was beatified in 1061, and canonized by Alexander VII in 1665; he was proclaimeil Doctor of the Universal Church by Pope Pius IX, in 1877.
The following is a list of the principal works of the holy Doctor: (1) "Controversies", leaflets which the zealous misxioner scattered among the inhabitants of Le Chablais in the beginning, when these people did not venture to come and hear him preach. They form a complete proof of the Catholic Faith. In the first part, the author defends the authority of the Church, and in the second and third parts, the rules of faith, which were not observed by the heretical ministers. The primacy of St. Peter is amply vindi- cated. (2) "Defense of the Standard of the Cross", a demonstration of the virtue (a) of the True Cross;
