BORROMEO, Carlo, saint and cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, was the son of Ghiberto Borromeo, count of Arona, aud of Mary of Medici, and was born at the Castle of Arona, upon the Lago Maggiore, in the Milanese, October 2, 1538. Wheu he was about twelve years old, Julius Caesar Borromeo resigned to him an abbacy, the revenue of which he applied wholly in charity to the poor. He studied the civil and canon law at Pavia under the learned Francis Alciat. In 1554 his father died; and, although he had an elder brother, Count Frederick, he was requested by the family to take the management of their domestic affairs. After a time, however, he resumed his studies, and in 1559 he took his doctor’s degree. In the following year his uncle Cardinal de’ Medici was raised to the pontificate, by the name of Pius IV.; and Borromeo was made prothonotary, entrusted with both the public and privy seal of the ecclesiastical state, .created cardinal deacon, and soon after raised to the archbishopric of Milan. In compliance with the pope’s desire, he lived in great splendour; yet his own temperance and humility were never brought into question. He established an academy of learned persons, and published their memoirs as the Noctes Vaticanae. About the same time he also founded and endowed a college at Pavia, which he dedicated to Justina, virgin and martyr. Upon the death of his elder brother Frederick, his friends advised him to quit the church and marry, that his family might not become extinct. Contrary to expectation, however, he declined the proposal; and from that time became more fervent than ever in exercises of piety, and more zealous for the welfare of the church....
On the death of Pius IV., January 7, 1566, the skill and diligence of Borromeo materially contributed to stifle the cabals of the conclave. As soon as tranquillity had been re-established he devoted himself wholly to the reformation of his large and important diocese, where the most flagitious irregularities were openly practised. He began by raaking pastoral visits in his metropolis; and by a variety of wise and necessary regulations, he soon restored proper decency and dignity to divine service. In conformity to the decrees of the Council of Trent, he cleared the cathedral of its gorgeous tombs, rich ornaments, banners, arm's, not even sparing the monuments of his own relations. He also divided the nave of the church into two compartments for the separation of the sexes. He proceeded next to the collegiate churches, and even to the fraternities of penitents, particularly that of St John the Baptist. The reformation of the monasteries followed that of the churches; and the vigilance of the archbishop soon extended itself from the city to the country round it. The great abuses which had overrun the church at this time arose principally from the ignorance of the clergy. In order, therefore, to attack the evil at its root, Borromeo established seminaries, colleges, and communities, for the education of young persons intended for holy orders. He met with much opposition in his endeavours to bring about his reforms, but succeeded, nevertheless, in rendering the most important services to the cause of morals as well as religion. The governor of the province, and many of the senators, apprehensive that the cardinal’s ordinances and proceedings would encroach upon the civil jurisdiction, addressed many remonstrances and complaints to the courts of Rome and Madrid. But Borromeo had more formidable difficulties to struggle with, in the inveterate opposition of several religious orders, particularly that of the Brothers of Humility. Some members of that society formed a conspiracy against his life, and a shot was one evening fired at him in the archiépiscopal chapel under circumstances which led to the belief that his escape was miraculous.
In the year 1576 the city and diocese of Milan were visited by the plague, which swept away great numbers. On this occasion he went about giving directions for accommodating the sick and burying the dead, avoiding no danger, and sparing no expense. He also visited all the neighbouring parishes where the contagion raged, distributing money, providing accommodation for the sick, and punishing those, especially the clergy, who were remiss in discharging the duties of their calling.
But continual labours and austerities appear to have shortened his life. He was seized with an intermittent fever, and died at Milan, November 4, 1584. He was immediately enrolled among the saints, but was not canonized till 1610. Besides the Noctes Vaticanae, to which he appears to have contributed, the only literary relics of this intrepid and zealous reformer are some homilies, discourses, and sermons, with a collection of letters. Several lives of him have been published,—by Godeau: by Touron, a Dominican; by Ribadeneira, a Spanish Jesuit; by Bimeus, and by others.
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