Bonaventure

Franciscan, bishop, cardinal, Doctor of the Church, Catholic saint

Fame60.7
Momentum0.9
Wikipedia17.7K

Source-basedStable

Lived 1221–1274, aged 53Italy

Italy AcademicsAcademic

Wikipedia
63 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1221–1274
Aged 53

Summary

Updated 2026-06-10

A medieval Franciscan who climbed from friar to cardinal, then centuries later was declared a Doctor of the Church — though not everything bearing his name was actually his.

Biography

About

Giovanni di Fidanza was born in Italy in 1221 and joined the Franciscans, eventually becoming the order's seventh Minister General. He served as Bishop of Albano and was later made a cardinal, working as both a scholastic theologian and philosopher. He died on 15 July 1274. More than two centuries later, in 1482, Pope Sixtus IV canonised him. In 1588 another pope gave him the title "Seraphic Doctor," marking him as one of the Church's official theological authorities. A complication followed: many medieval texts long credited to him were later determined to be the work of others, now grouped u…

Voice

In their own words

Sourced, dated quotes from Bonaventure

Bonaventure

saidundated

The virtue of gratitude is extremely commendable and pleasing in the sight of God, as its opposite is a detestable vice before him. Of which subject, thus speaks St.

Bonaventure

saidundated

For the nearer any one approaches to God, the more he is illuminated, and therefore the more clearly does he see the majesty and mercy of God.

— Life of Christ, Chapter XXXIV, Of the Multiplication of the Loaves, and how God provides for those who love Him

Bonaventure

saidundated

...Though His Passion sufficed for all, yet all would not profit from it, for some would be reprobate, hard-hearted, and impenitent.

— Life of Christ, Chapter LXXI

Bonaventure

saidundated

Contemplation deepens the more we feel the working of God’s grace within our hearts, and the better we learn to encounter God in creatures outside ourselves.

— Bonaventure, On the Sentences, Book 2, 23, 2, 3

Bonaventure

saidundated