St. Peter Canisius, Second Apostle of Germany

This Thursday, 21st December, is the (optional) Commemoration of St. Peter Canisius (1521 – 1597), father of the Catholic press and so-called ‘Second Apostle of Germany.’ He was born in Holland and educated at the universities of Cologne and Louvain, where he studied canon law. The legal career and marriage which his father wanted for him did not satisfy him. He attended a retreat at Mainz given by one of the first companions of St. Ignatius Loyola and he decided to join the Society of Jesus. He underwent the novitiate at Cologne where he spent much time in prayer, study, teaching and the care of the sick. He published editions of the works of St Cyril of Alexandria and St Leo and after his ordination became a prominent preacher and teacher. Ignatius sent him to Ingoldstadt where he became rector and later, vice chancellor of the University, but in 1552 he was sent to Vienna to undertake a more general task of reform. There, he found many parishes without clergy; there have been no ordinations for 20 years; monasteries were deserted and many people had abandoned religious practice. In 1555, he published his famous Catechism which was subsequently translated into fifteen languages and became a model for other similar works. Having moved to Augsburg, he spent much time and energy reclaiming those lapsed from religion, converting Protestants and encouraging Catholics. He established schools and wrote many works for publication. He then took a leading part in founding Fribourg University. In his day he was reckoned the principal Catholic theologian of his generation in central Europe, and his influence led to much of the success of the Counter-reformation. Always courteous in controversy, he preferred in discussion with Lutherans not to argue about doctrines such as purgatory and indulgences which only became more divisive and instead to stress basic Christian doctrine. In 1925 he was declared a doctor of the Church.