Francis was born in Valencia, Spain, in 1510 to Juan Borgia, who was the third Duke of Gandía and the son of Giovanni Borgia, the son of Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia). His mother was Juana, the daughter of Alonso de Aragón, Archbishop of Saragossa, who was the illegitimate son of King Ferdinand II of Aragon. He passed his childhood in his father’s house in innocence and piety, but appeared still more admirable when he showed himself a pattern of Christian virtue and austerity, first at the court of Emperor Charles V and afterwards as viceroy of Catalonia. He was charged to convey the body of the Empress Isabella to her tomb at Granada. Seeing the horrible change in her features, he understood how fleeting are all earthly things and vowed to renounce everything as soon as possible and devote himself to the service of the King of kings. From that day forward he made such progress in virtue that in the midst of overwhelming occupations his life was a faithful copy of religious perfection, so that he was called the miracle of princes.
Francis married Eleonora de Castro and had five children. On her death he entered the Society of Jesus so that he be more hidden. Many princes followed him in embracing a severe way of life. Charles V himself acknowledged that his advice and example had led him to abdicate the throne. Francis devoted himself to the exercises of a penitential life and macerated his body by fasting, iron chains, a rough hair-shirt and long and bloody disciplines. He allowed himself very little sleep. He spared no effort to gain souls. Saint Ignatius appointed him Commissioner General for Spain and soon afterwards, against his will, he was elected third General of the Order. In this position his prudence and holiness endeared him to Popes and also temporal rulers. He founded and enlarged many houses of his Order and introduced the Order into Poland, the islands of the Atlantic, Mexico and Peru. He sent apostles into other regions to spread the Catholic faith by their peaching and labours and their blood.
Francis had a low opinion of himself. He always called himself a sinner. This humility led him to persistently refuse the office of bishop. Filled with contempt for the world and himself, he delighted in sweeping away dirt, begging from door to door and serving the sick in hospitals. He devoted many hours every day to heavenly contemplation, spending 8-10 hours praying, and genuflecting in adoration a hundred times in the day. He never omitted to say Mass. While offering the divine Victim or preaching, the heavenly ardour which consumed him was manifested in the radiance of his countenance. He knew by heavenly instinct where the most holy Body of Christ, hidden in the Eucharist, was kept. Pope Saint Pius V appointed Francis companion to Cardinal Alessandrino, in an embassy for uniting the Christian princes against the Turks.
Francis died in Ferrara in 1572 while travelling on an embassy from Pope Saint Pius V to the kings of France and Spain. He was canonised by Pope Clement X in 1670 and his relics were translated to Madrid, Spain, in 1901.
Dom Prosper Guéranger:
“Vanity of vanities and all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes i. 2) No argument was needed to impress this truth upon the Saint of today when the coffin was opened which contained all that Spain had admired of faith and loveliness, and death suddenly revealed to its awful reality. O ye beauties of all times, death alone never dies. It invites itself to your dances and pleasures, it assists at all your triumphs, it hears promises said to be eternal: and how quickly it can scatter your adorers! A few years, a few days, perhaps even less, and all your borrowed sweetness will be decaying in the tomb!
“Enough of vain phantoms, enough of serving mortal kings. Awaken, O my soul!” Such was Francis Borgia’s reply to the teachings of death. The friend of Charles V, the great lord unequalled for nobility, fortune and brilliant qualities, quitted the court as soon as possible. Ignatius, the soldier of the siege of Pampeluna, beheld at his feet the viceroy of Catalonia, begging to be protected against the honours which pursued him even under the poor habit of a Jesuit, which was now his glory.
O LORD Lord Jesus Christ, the pattern and reward of true humility, we beseech you, that as you made blessed Francis a glorious follower of you in the contempt of worldly honour, so you would grant us to be partakers of the same imitation and glory.” Such is the prayer the Church offers through you to her divine Spouse. She knows that the Saints always have great power with God, but especially when they would obtain for their devout clients the virtues they themselves more particularly cultivated when on Earth. How precious is this prerogative in thy case, O Francis, for it concerns the virtue which attracts God’s grace in this life, and wins such glory hereafter! Since pride has hurled Lucifer into the abyss and the self-abasement of the Son of God has led to His exaltation above the heavens, humility, whatever men may now say, has lost nothing of its inestimable value. It is still the indispensable foundation of every durable edifice, whether spiritual or social: the basis without which the other virtues, and even charity the Queen of them all, could not subsist a single day. Therefore, O Francis, obtain for us this humility. Thoroughly convince us of the vanity of this world’s honours and false pleasures. May the holy Society, which you after Saint Ignatius rendered still more valuable to the Church, cherish this spirit of yours so that it may deserve more and more the esteem of Heaven and the gratitude of Earth.Also on this day according to the ROMAN MARTYROLOGY:
On the island of Crete, blessed Pinytus, most noble among the bishops. He was bishop of Gnosia, and flourished under Marcus Antoninus Verus and Lucius Aurelius Commodus. He left in his writings, as in a mirror, a vivid delineation of himself.
At Cologne, in the persecution of Maximian, St. Gereon, martyr, with three hundred and eighteen others who patiently bowed their necks to the sword for the true religion.
In the neighbourhood of the same city, the holy martyrs Victor and his companions.
At Bonn in Germany, the holy martyrs Cassius and Florentius, with many others.
At Nicomedia, the holy martyrs Eulampius, and his sister, the virgin Eulampia, who, hearing that her brother was tortured for Christ, rushed through the crowd, embraced him and became his companion. Both were cast into a cauldron of boiling oil, but being quite uninjured, they terminated their martyrdom by decapitation with two hundred others, who, impressed by the miracle, had believed in Christ.
At York in England, the holy bishop Paulinus, a disciple of Pope St. Gregory. Being sent there by that pope with others to preach the Gospel, he converted king Edwin and his people to the faith of Christ.
At Piombino in Tuscany, St. Cerbonius, bishop and confessor, who, as Pope St. Gregory related, was renowned for miracles, both during life and after death.
At Verona, another St. Cerbonius, bishop.
At Capua, St. Paulinus, bishop.
And in other places, many other holy martyrs, confessors and virgins.
Thanks be to God.
