St. Robert Bellarmine has been "bad-mouthed" in the past decades because of his part in the Galileo Controversy. Saints are not infallible and remember, that the issue concerning Galileo was not his idea that the earth goes about the sun, but that he stated in matters of truth, science trumps Scripture. That was his mistake, and one can study this on one's own.
Robert Bellarmine arrived at a crucial time in the history of the Church. The confusion following the Protestant Revolt demanded theologians and Church leaders with brilliance and the ability to write. He has both.
For my purposes, I shall be looking at one document carefully which is connected to the ideals of perfection. Bellarmine wrote The Art of Dying Well, a title which should appeal to many of my readers.
One of the biggest problems I have encountered in Catholics concerning the road to perfection is that many simply do not believe we are all called to start upon and come to the goal of this journey.
How many people I have met in a short period of time who believe only in universal salvation; that is, the salvation of all people regardless of their lives. It is as if the idea of the Merciful Saviour has deadened some Catholics view of consequences for evil, or merely, tepidity. The way of perfection begins with orthodoxy and faith. Bellarmine makes an excellent point on the difference between real faith and fake faith. His words are echoed later, down the centuries, in Bonhoeffer.
Let me start with this section from the cited book:
Let us begin with faith, which is the first of all the virtues that exists in the heart of a justified man.
Not without reason, doth the apostle add " unfeigned" to faith. For faith begins justification, provided
it be true and sincere, not false or feigned. The faith of heretics does not begin justification, because it
is not true, but false; the faith of bad Catholics does not begin justification, because it is not sincere,
but feigned. It is said to be feigned in two ways: when either we do not really believe, but only
pretend to believe; or when we indeed believe, but do not live, as we believe we ought to do.
In both these ways it seems the words of St. Paul must be understood, in his Epistle to Titus: "They
profess that they know God: but in their works they deny him." (chap. i. 16.) Thus also do the holy
fathers St. Jerome and St. Augustine, interpret these words of the apostle.
Now, from this first virtue of a just man, we may easily understand, how great must be the multitude of those who do not live well, and who therefore die ill. I pass by infidels, pagans, heretics, and atheists, who are completely ignorant of the Art of dying well. And amongst Catholics, how many are there who in words, " profess to know God, but in their works deny him?" Who acknowledge the mother of our Lord to be a virgin, and yet fear not to blaspheme her? Who praise prayer, fasting, alms deeds, and other good works, and yet always indulge in the opposite vices ? I omit other things that are known to all. Let not those then boast that they possess “unfeigned” faith, who either do not believe what they pretend to believe, or else do not live as the Catholic Church commands them to do; and therefore they acknowledge by this conduct, that they have not yet begun to live well: nor can they hope to die happily, unless by the grace of God they learn the Art of living well.
Another virtue of a just man is hope, or "a good conscience," as St. Paul has taught us to call it. This
virtue comes from faith, for he cannot hope in God who either does not know the true God, or does
not believe Him to be powerful and merciful. But to excite and strengthen our faith, that so it may be called not merely hope, but even confidence, a good conscience is very necessary. For how can any one approach God, and ask favours from Him, when he is conscious of heaving committed sin, and of not having expiated it by true repentance ? Who asks a benefit from an enemy? Who can expect to be relieved by him, who he knows is incensed against him ?
I have met many, many converts in the past two years here in England and some have formed good consciences and some have not. The latter group, mostly, has been, sadly, badly catechized. But, a good conscience is the beginning of the purification stage. Without this formation of conscience, perfection is, simply, impossible.
To be continued....