Cardinal Pierre de Bérulle on the mystery of the Incarnation

Secular historians often present Cardinal Pierre de Bérulle as merely a statesman, obscuring or minimising the essence of his life, which was his faith in Christ and his service of Christ's Catholic Church. Through high offices and honours, Bérulle was above all a servant of God, from whom he drew his energy, his literary talent and his mystical insights. The founder of the French school of spirituality, Pierre de Bérulle placed Christ at the centre of everything, with the idea that the Church's mission consisted "being Christ on earth" and continuing his Incarnation here and now. Pope Urban VIII called him the "apostle of the Incarnate Word". Bérulle died while celebrating mass on October 2, 1629.

Cenotaph of Pierre de Bérulle, Musée du Louvre / © CC BY-SA 4.0 / Jacques Sarrazin Selbymay

Reasons to believe:

Bérulle's profound reflection on the mystery of the Incarnation highlights the coherence and beauty of a God become man in order to bring salvation. "There, God who is incomprehensible makes himself understood; God who is ineffable makes himself heard; God who is invisible makes himself seen" (Discourses on the State and Grandeurs of Jesus: The Ineffable Union of the Deity with Humanity, 1623; and Life of Jesus, 1629).

Bérulle wanted to serve God in everything. His genuine selflessness was evident throughout his life. When he was ordained a priest, he vowed not to accept any ecclesiastical benefits. He later declined the title of cardinal, and when he was removed from a position of political influence, he let go of his former charge to pursue his quest for "interior abnegation".

Far from separating his political activities from his faith, he made the latter the sole principle of the former. He never ceased to seek peace at every level: between nations, between social groups and between individuals.

Some of his writings have an undeniable mystical dimension: united to God, Pierre de Bérulle was above all a deeply prayerful and contemplative man. He recounts how, in 1608, a mystical grace came to confirm his intuitions: "I felt that I had to enter into a complete self-forgetfulness and of all states of life. I felt a separation from the world, and a great conversion and adherence to God."

He helped introduce the Discalced Carmelite nuns of the reform of Teresa of Ávila into France and founded 40 such convents in record time. To implement the reforms demanded by the Council of Trent, he also founded the Society of the Oratory (1611), which counted 60 communities by the time of his death.

The Berullian legacy (several thousand pages of writing) is immense and groundbreaking: Bérulle was largely responsible for initiating the French school of spirituality, which has left a deep imprint to this day. He counted among his disciples Vincent de Paul and Francis de Sales.

Summary:

Pierre de Bérulle was born in the castle of Cérilly, a commune in north-central France (Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté) on February 4, 1575, not far from the village of Bérulle (today in the département of Aube). He belonged to a family of distinguished magistrates: his father was a councillor in the Parliament of Paris; his mother was the daughter of a president of the Parliament. A gifted student, he enjoyed his studies, prayer, liturgical ceremonies and the conviviality of his surroundings. It was only natural that he should be sent to study at the Jesuit college in Clermont, a breeding ground for some of the elite of the day. The spirituality of Saint Ignatius of Loyola left an indelible mark on him.

He studied theology at the University of Paris, where he discovered the world of the capital, its realities and intrigues, but also the presence of Christ in the various religious communities, parishes and personalities he came across. It was in Paris that his vocation as a writer was born. How could he truly serve Jesus in the midst of the noise and tumult of human passions? He responded by writing his first text, A Brief Discourse on Interior Abnegation, a title that foreshadowed the rest of his work. Inspired by the Italian mystic Isabella Cristina Berinzaga, this book is important because it already contains Bérulle's favourite theme: the abasement of Jesus in the Incarnation.

It was also in Paris that he discovered the diversity of the religious world of the time. From the Franciscans to the Carthusians, everything interested him, and nothing dulled his curiosity and devotion. Specialists have traced the various spiritual influences in his work, which began to take shape while he resided in Paris, before 1600.

In 1599, after brilliantly completing his studies, he was ordained a priest. This marked the beginning of a period of intense activity. He gave countless lectures, retreats, discussions and readings. He made the mystery of the Incarnation the heart of his spirituality and his lectures. This inner journey culminated in 1622 with the publication of his Discourse on the State and Grandeurs of Jesus, which was to exert a great influence on the disciples of the French school of spirituality, such as Charles de Condren, Jean-Jacques Olier, Saint Jean Eudes and Saint Vincent de Paul.

At the same time, Bérulle's natural gifts, his intelligence and brilliant homilies were noticed by the royal court. Henri IV made him his confessor and asked him to intervene in diplomatic relations with the Protestants. This was the start of a long career in the service of the Kingdom of France, yet he considered himself first and foremost as a Christian and a priest, in the service of the Gospel. After meeting Saint Francis de Sales in 1602, he became even more passionate about the renewal of the Catholic Church brought about by the Council of Trent. In 1604, he helped introduce into France the Discalced Carmelite nuns reformed by Saint Teresa of Avila in Spain in the previous century. It was a first, and a success. He opened their first convent in Paris, in the Faubourg Saint-Jacques, with the help of his cousin, Barbe Acarie, the future Blessed Marie de l'Incarnation, the first French stigmatist. Forty convents were created in just eighteen years.

Bérulle knew perfectly well the realities, values and difficulties of the diocesan clergy. On November 11, 1611, wishing to offer secular priests a spiritual space that could bring them peace and companionship, he founded in Paris the Congregation of the French Oratory, modelled after the Roman Oratory founded by Saint Philip Neri, whose life and work he knew well. But Bérulle's movement was innovative: the priests who became members lived in common and strove "to the perfection of the evangelical life". However, they did not take solemn vows, and remained obedient to their diocesan bishops. Once again, Bérulle aimed to serve Jesus in the human reality of his time, which was the Counter-Reformation, initiated by the fathers of the Council of Trent.

In 1627, he was made cardinal by Pope Urban VIII, but declined the honor, judging himself absolutely unworthy. It was a futile attempt: the Supreme Pontiff ordered him to accept! What's more, Urban VIII asked him to take part in the reform of the Benedictine monks in France.

Bérulle's hope of retiring to a monastic, contemplative life, away from everything but God, was not going to happen. Queen Marie de Médicis appointed him head of her Council - an appointment that did not endear him to everyone. Cardinal de Richelieu was suspicious of his political rise and took umbrage.

But Bérulle wanted to bear witness to his faith even in the most complicated circumstances. He managed to reconcile Marie de Médicis and her son, the young Louis XIII, in an incredible way. This success earned him a new appointment as State Councillor. This was too much for Richelieu, who removed him from power on various pretexts. Bérulle had just lost his place in the machinery of state. But he held no grudge, abandoned himself to providence and continued his spiritual and philosophical pursuits.

In November 1627, he met René Descartes at the Nunciature in Paris. A dialogue began between the two men. The cardinal asked the illustrious philosopher to participate personally in the reform of philosophy, without losing sight of France's essentially Christian religious and cultural horizon. That same year, he published his Elevation to Jesus Christ Regarding St. [Mary] Magdalene, a work of undeniable mystical richness.

Pierre, Cardinal de Bérulle died suddenly while celebrating Mass on October 2, 1629. His greatest accomplishment, in his eyes, was his personal contribution to placing the Incarnation of Christ at the heart of Catholic spirituality. In the wake of the far-reaching reform of the Council of Trent, the Church's mission, according to him, is to continue - here and now - this Incarnation. Called "the apostle of the Incarnate Word ", Bérulle paved the way for four centuries of theological reflection.

Patrick Sbalchiero

Beyond reasons to believe:

Christology and Mariology, Jesus and Mary: Saint Louis de Montfort, a faithful reader of Bérulle's work, explained that Bérulle was a fervent apostle of the Virgin Mary in France: his depiction of the mystical journey through Mary to Christ, and through Christ to the Trinity is a hallmark of the French School of spirituality.

Going further:

Bérulle and the French School: Selected Writings (Classics of Western Spirituality) by William M. Thompson, Lowell M. Glendon, Susan A. Muto, Paulist Press (January 1, 1989)

More information:

Life of Jesus (Undusted Texts Translations) by Pierre de Bérulle (Author), Brandon P. Otto (Translator), Independently published (July 20, 2024)
Discourses on the State and Grandeurs of Jesus: The Ineffable Union of the Deity with Humanity (Early Modern Catholic Sources) by Pierre de Bérulle (Author), The Catholic University of America Press (November 30, 2023)