JEAN CHARLIER DE GERSON, "DOCTOR CHRISTIANISSIMUS" - 12 JULY

 

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Saints celebrated on the 12th of July

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JEAN CHARLIER DE GERSON, "DOCTOR CHRISTIANISSIMUS"

Jean Charlier de Gerson 

Johannes Charlierus, actually called Jean Charlier de Gerson, was born in Gerson near Reims in 1363. Along with Nicholas of Clemange, Gerson studied under the famous Peter d'Ailly, whom he later succeeded as teacher and chancellor of the University of Paris. Of unusual learning and piety, this holy man is also known by the title "Doctor Christianissimus". 

A very determined and energetic character, Gerson was one of the prominent personalities at the Council of Constance, at which he advocated for the elimination of the papal schism by deposing the antipopes and electing a new pope, as well as for the necessity of a general council. He also worked tirelessly in word and deed to improve the ecclesiastical situation at the time, displaying warmth and genuine Christian charity. Moreover, despite his criticism of certain practices, he always proved himself, and especially in all his mystical writings, to be a faithful Catholic. 

Until recently, many considered Gerson to be the real author of the world-famous book "Imitation of Christ", which is usually ascribed to Thomas à Kempis. Other sources reckon that, rather than our Gerson, Johannes Gersen of Rohrbach (Canabacum), a Benedictine abbot of Vercelli, had penned the "Imitation of Christ."

Following the Council of Constance, however, his career took a turn for the worse. The Duke of Burgundy sentenced him to exile for life because he had publicly denounced the murder of the Duke of Orleans. [Gerson had also spoken out in favour of Saint Joan of Arc.] Therefore Gerson quietly withdrew from Constance, donning a pilgrim's garb and heading for the solitude of the southern Bavarian mountains. He then stayed for some time in Rattenberg in Tyrol. The remainder of his life he spent at the Celestine monastery in Lyon, where his brother was prior, and where he died about ten years after his arrival on July 12, 1429 in the 66th year of his life, in isolation and poverty. His collected writings were published by Dupin in 5 folios in 1706. Saussayus* mentions Gerson with the title "venerable." The Bollandists* list him among the Praetermissi on July 12.

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 3, Augsburg, 1869, pp. 376-77)

*A hagiography source used by the authors 

Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations

Sources of these articles (in the original German): books.google.co.uk, de-academic.com, zeno.org, openlibrary.org