B. Gregory Lewis Barbadigo, Cardinal Bishop of Padua, Confessor


HE was born in 1625 of an ancient and noble Venetian family. From his tender years he cultivated his mind with polite and solid studies, and with much greater ardour adorned his soul with a perfect spirit of all Christian virtues, in which he made every day greater progress. He was sent by the republic of Venice with its ambassador Aloysius Contarini, one of the mediators at the famous congress of Munster, where the celebrated treaty, commonly of Westphalia, Osnaburg, or Munster, was signed by the plenipotentiaries of Germany, France, and Sweden, on the 24th of October, 1648. There Fabius Chigi, apostolic nuncio, became acquainted with him, and was exceedingly charmed with his virtue and other great qualities, and being chosen pope under the name of Alexander VII. in 1655, was always his strenuous protector. Gregory was consecrated bishop of Bergamo in 1657, created cardinal by Alexander VII. 1660, and translated to the bishopric of Padua in 1664. In every state of life Barbadigo was a model of regularity, zeal, watchfulness, and piety. So edifying was his conduct, and so indefatigable was he in the visitation of his diocess, and in all the functions of his charge, that he was looked upon as a second St. Charles Borromeo. His charities were excessive, and it was known that he had given in alms eight hundred thousand crowns. He munificently founded a great and most convenient college in the country for the education of youth in piety and learning. Also a stately and admirable seminary in the city of Padua, which is to this day the glory not only of the Venetian territories, but also of Italy and Christendom. He took care to have it furnished with able professors of sacred sciences, and of the learned and sacred languages. He founded in it a noble library furnished with the best chosen books for studies, especially for critical learning, the holy scriptures, and the fathers of the church. For the use of this noble establishment he founded also a printing office. All virtues he possessed in an heroic degree, and every thing in him was excellent. And so perfectly was he master of himself, and dead to himself and the world, that his soul was never elated by prosperity, nor sunk by trials or adversity. His death was no less edifying, happy, and glorious than the whole tenour of his life had been. It happened on the 15th of June, 1697. A sudden and entire cure of a formed gangrene and other distempers which the symptoms had declared mortal, and other miracles performed through his intercession, were duly proved, and this illustrious servant of God was beatified by Pope Clement XIII. with the usual solemnities on the 13th of February, 1761. See the Elogia Cardinalium, p. 192; Italia Sacra, t. 5, et 10; and especially his life very well written by F. Thomas Austin Ricchini, a Dominican friar, published at Rome in 8vo, Anno 1761.	1

Contents