Robert Bellarmine
Saint Robert Bellarmine is the patron of catechists because, like Peter Canisius, he gave the Counter-Reformation Church two beloved catechisms — a small one for children and a fuller one for teachers — that were translated across the world and used for centuries to hand on the faith. He is the patron of canon lawyers and is honored among theologians because he was the foremost controversialist of his age: his great Disputationes (the “Controversies”) laid out and defended Catholic doctrine point by point against the reformers with such order and learning that he was made a cardinal and, in time, a Doctor of the Church. Those who must teach, argue, or define the faith with precision look to this gentle, brilliant Jesuit as their model.
Saint Robert Bellarmine was an Italian Jesuit and Doctor of the Church, one of the most important figures of the Counter-Reformation. Born in 1542, he was a brilliant theologian who defended Catholic doctrine against Protestant reformers. He served as a cardinal and was known for his humility, his catechism, and his spiritual writings.
