Saturday, February 18, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
BLESSED GIOVANNI (John) DA FIESOLE (b Fiesole 1395, d Rome 1455), Dominican brother, Renaissance painter, Patron of Christian artists
The world knows him best as Fra Angelico, one of the most prolific and universally admired of painters. He was born in the picturesque town of Fiesole that overlooks Florence and took up painting as a boy. He joined the Dominicans when he was 20, taking the name Fra Giovanni, then came to be known as Fra Angelico, perhaps a tribute to both his own personal qualities and the devotional quality of his works. Michelangelo once said of him, “One has to believe that this good monk has visited paradise and been allowed to choose his models there.” He also served in leadership positions within the Dominican Order. At one point Pope Eugenius approached him about serving as archbishop of Florence. Fra Angelico declined, preferring a simpler life. In formally beatifying him in 1982, Pope John Paul II also declared him the Patron of Catholic Artists, saying: "Fra Angelico was reported to say 'He who does Christ's work must stay with Christ always'. This motto earned him the epithet 'Beato Angelico', because of the perfect integrity of his life and the almost divine beauty of the images he painted, to a superlative extent those of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Fra Angelico is buried in the Dominican Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome.
Readings for today's Mass: usccb.org/bible/readings/021812.cfm
NB: I apologize that I mistakenly posted Fra Angelico as saint of the day for Feb. 17 earlier; I have corrected the mistake.
AT THE VATICAN TODAY
The Holy Father presided at a double consistory in St. Peter's Basilica for
- The creation of 22 new cardinals, to each of whom he consigned the biretta, the ring, and the title
to the church or diaconate in Rome of which they are now the titular bishops.
- Ratifying the canonization for seven Blesseds for whom the Congregation for the Causes of Sainthood
earlier certified a second miracle required for canonization. The Pope also set Oct. 21 as the date
for the canonization rites at St. Peter's Square.
In the afternoon, the new cardinals received their well-wishers and guests in various rooms of the Apostolic
Palace and Aula Paolo VI.
The Pope's allocution delivered before the actual rites formalizing the nomination of the new cardinals
was truly memorable - as a response not just to all the unseemly talk in the media about internal Vatican
affairs but as an admonition to all men of the Church who have seemed to lose sight of the faith and Christ's
message in striving for 'power and glory'. Plus his memorable last line:
"Pray also for me, that I may continually offer to the People of God the witness
of sound doctrine and guide holy Church with a firm and humble hand".
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 19/02/2012 15:42]