BONAVENTU'RA, .SAINT, one of the most eminent Catholic theologians, whose real name was John of Fidanza, was h. in 1221 at Bagnorea. in Tuscany. In 1248, he became a Franciscan monk; in theological teacher at Paris, where he had studied; and in 1256, general of his order, which he governed strictly, but affectionately. The influ ence of his character now began to penetrate the church; and it was mainly through his eloquent persuasion that the differences which bad sprung up among the cardinals on the death of Clement IV. in 1268 were reconciled. and all induced to unite in electing to the papal dignity Tedahlus Visconti (Gregory X.). The new pope created B. bishop of Albano, and cardinal in 1273, when he accompanied Gregory to the council of Lyon, where he died. July 15, 1274,. from sheer ascetic exhaustion. He was honored with a splendid funeral, which was attended by the pope, the king, and all the cardinals.
On account of his unspotted character from earliest youth, as well as the miracles ascribed to him. he enjoyed, even during his life-time, especial veneration. Dante, who wrote. shortly after, places him among the saints of his Paradiso; in 1482, he was for mally canonized by Sixtus IV. ; and in 1587, was ranked by Sixtus V. as the sixth of the great doctors of the church. The religious fervor of his style procured for him the title of doctor seraphkus, and his are as proud of him as the Dominicans are of Thomas Aquinas. A great part of his writings is devoted to the praise of his order, and to the defense of M•nclatry, celibacy; transubstantiation, in one kind, and other doctrines and practices of the middle ages, which lie attempts to deal with in a philosophical manner. His most important works, the firtriloipnam and Centiloquium,
are properly text-books on dogmatics. Unfortunately; his efforts to philosophize the church creed, and that deep mysticism in which his spirit reveled, make him often obscure and unintelligible even in his Most popular treatises. With B. theology is the goal of all art and science; and in his itinerarion Ilientis in Deum, as also in his lieductio Artium in Theologium, he represents union with God, to which the soul attains through six stages, as the highest good. He did mote than any other of the early theologians to give it scientific form to the mystical theology. IIis Bilha p«uperam, or " poor man's 31 ible," is a mystico-allegoric explanation of the plain contents of the sacred books for the benefit of the laity. In warmth of religious feeling, however, and in the practical tendency of his ethics, he far excels the hair-splitting scholastics. In his commentary on the Sententite of Peter the Lombard, he acutely argned against the eternity of the world, and also advanced some original proofs of the immortality of the soul. The most complete edition of his works appeared at Rome (8 vols. 1588-96).