John of Capestrano, Saint

GIOVANNI da CAPESTRANO, saint. – Born probably on 24 June 1386 at Capestrano (Aquila), died at Villaco (Vijlak [Schiavonia]) on 23 October 1456. He studied at Perugia, becoming a celebrated jurist, and was appointed governor of the city by Ladislao di Durazzo. Having been taken prisoner by the Malatesta, he underwent a religious crisis and in 1416 joined the Friars Minor; becoming an intimate associate of Bernardino da Siena, he worked extensively for the spread of the Observance and was also several times vicar general; in 1430 he proposed the Martinian Constitutions, which represented a middle way between laxism and rigorism, hoping in this manner to preserve the unity of the Franciscan family, but in vain.

He was appointed inquisitor against the Fraticelli and the Jews, but his principal activity consisted in preaching and apostolate in defense of Christendom, threatened by the Turks and heretics; for this purpose he traveled tirelessly throughout Europe and came into contact with various important figures both in Italy and abroad. One may recall his legation to Austria, Bavaria, and Poland against the Hussites in 1451, an embassy to the Holy Land to promote the union of the Armenians with Rome, his participation in the military campaign of Giovanni Huniadi, and finally the command he assumed of the left wing of the Christian forces, which led to the great victory of Belgrade on 21 July 1456. He organized his bands of tertiaries and Crusaders in military fashion in the name of Jesus, in accordance with the devotion dear to s. Bernardino and energetically defended by G. himself against its detractors. He was canonized by Alessandro VIII in 1690 (the promulgation of the bull took place in June 1724 under Benedetto XIII); Leone XIII introduced his feast into the calendar of the universal Church. Feast day: 23 October.

Despite his intense activity, he wrote very extensively, and Fr. Antonio Sessa da Palermo, at the beginning of the 18th century, collected 17 manuscript volumes of his works for publication, but his death prevented him from carrying out the project; among the most interesting works may be mentioned the Tractatus de cupiditate, the Speculum conscientiae, the De papae et concilii auctoritate

(important, given the very heated discussions on that subject taking place in his time), the De indicio universali, and many others, as well as Letters, Sermons, etc. He was essentially a moralist and polemicist.