A European Saint

“A true European saint”: this is how Benedict XVI defined the figure of Saint Anselm, theologian, philosopher and bishop, in a message sent on April 21, the day of the liturgical celebration of the Saint, to Fr. Notker Wolf, primate abbot of the confederate Benedictine monks, for the 900 year anniversary of the death of the Saint born in Aosta (Italy), where celebrations will continue throughout the year 2009. On this occasion, the Pontifical Saint Anselm Atheneum in Rome organized a symposium with the theme “Knowledge ed affectus in Anselm of Canterbury”. The purpose of the meeting was to explore the relationship between desire and knowledge in the works of Anselm of Canterbury, notably his Letters and Orations, in order to shed light upon the monastic perspective and the topical relevance of Anselm’s thought. Meditating on his memory. The memory of Saint Anselm deserves “devoted meditation” and “the treasure of his wisdom ought to be exalted and illustrated”. “Although he was an archbishop – the Pope wrote – he wished to remain first and foremost a Benedictine monk, in full awareness of the importance of monastic life. He defined himself a brother, a sinner for life, a monk for his habit”. In the message His Holiness recalled that in the epistle to pope Urban II the Saint admonishes and exhorts a young monk to open his mind to better things. For this, “he encourages him to appreciate the monastic lifestyle above everything else”. The tenet of Benedictine life, states the Papal letter, that quotes passages from the works of Saint Anselm, “is the Lectio Divina that ought to be read in silence, with loving and attentive meditation”. Reiterating what could be defined the methodological motto of Saint Anselm’s theological research – “I don’t try to understand in order to believe, but I believe in order to understand – Benedict XVI underlines the value of the “original method” adopted “in his approach to the Christian mystery”, highlighting the Saint’s commitment “to free the Church from temporal conditioning and from the slavery of calculation that is not compatible with her spiritual nature”. As relates to Anselm’s teaching, the Pope recalled that the college dedicated to him – founded by Pope Leo XIII – was designed to cultivate the principles of St. Anselm’s doctrine, notably those regarding monastic life and the action of the intellect. “The Atheneum – writes the Pontiff – is attended also by non Catholics, a sign of its truly international dimension”.Topical relevance. “He was a true European”. Also for the primate abbot of the Benedictine Confederation Fr. Notker Wolf, Saint Anselm was and remains a model that contemporary Europe should follow. “He was born in Aosta and moved to France for his formation, he attended Cluny and Normandy’s abbey of Le Bec, where Lanfranco of Pavia used to teach. This is where he lived for 33 years and where he was elected prior and abbot. In 1093 he was nominated Archbishop of Canterbury. In England he had a clash with King William II and King Henry I, which caused him to go on exile two times. “His story has many similarities with the history of the Church in China, where the government presumes to interfere in the life of the Church”. “His thought – continues Fr.Wolf – is the result of exhaustive Biblical learning, of an intense life of prayer, of the Lection Divina, of lived faith. His life is an exhortation to the modern world, so that contemporary man may recover his spiritual dimension and his identity, which is endangered by current ethical relativism. His reflection on God is not abstract, rather, it reveals an inner struggle that seeks to finds the answer to questions like ‘who is God?’ and ‘who am I?'” “St. Anselm depicts God in an existential dimension, in a love relationship. For Anselm love and affection are tools to know God. Knowing the other means to love him, if I do not know him how can I love him? Anselm encourages man to be righteous towards God and mankind. This is the topical relevance of his message: don’t limit yourself to humanity and look to God. If we seek God we can change. If faith is centred on God man is saved”.