Saint Bonaventure of Bagnoregio

The 750th anniversary of the death of the Seraphic Doctor (d. July 15, 1274), gives us an opportunity not only to remember and celebrate the service he rendered to the Order and the entire Church, but also to repropose him as a gift that is still valid for our time. During his visit at the 1974 international conference celebrating the 700th anniversary, Pope Paul VI recommended St. Bonaventure “to all the children of the Church… so that, by careful meditation on his message, they may become an effective witness in the Church and in the world.”Aware of his importance, but also that he is not always as well known and appreciated as he should be, even within our own circles, we want to accept again the invitation of Pope Paul VI by sharing some reflections on his life and message, certain that it will be a useful gift for us in the Franciscan Order to better live our commitment to the Church and the world.

It is not easy to reproduce in a few lines the theological and Franciscan richness contained in the nine volumes of the Opera omnia of Saint Bonaventure. We have chosen, therefore, to highlight some aspects of the three main areas of his activity in chronological order of their development.

First, Bonaventure was a theology master at the University of Paris until 1257, when he left the position after being elected general minister of the Order, a position which he held continuously until the end of his life. Dur ing the time he embraced these two commitments he also revealed himself as a mystic – the third area of his activity which benefited the Order and the Church. Through this, he was able to place his experience of God at the service of others especially through spiritual direction. 

This letter also affords us the opportunity to express our gratitude to the many scholars, friars and lay people who, with passion and perseverance, have dedicated themselves over the last fifty years to this great and complex figure of a theologian, friar and mystic, thereby keeping his memory alive and demonstrating the richness and relevance of his thought.

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