Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Glorious holy ones of old: still atop the cobbles...




To some who have lived in Rome these few pics might mean a lot. Anybody who lives or works in the Vatican network has seen this saint a thousand times walking in this manner. More than once a day he can be seen crossing St. Peter's Square or the Via della Conc. Always in his soutane. Always in prayer. He's really the last of the old-school guys left from the good old days who still works in the Vatican.
He lives in the palace of the Holy Office with his grandnephew who studies at the Regina Apostolorum. In fact, he now teaches the seminarians there at the Regina (the Legionaries). He's been walking the streets of Rome since the forties. With affection he is called by different names: "il Sardo" or "the scooter" or even just "De Magistris the Great."
Meet Archbishop Luigi de Magistris. He's an example to the young generation of how it's done. Be inspired by him. Follow the legends of old and get to know them. In your youth continue that which you have been taught by these wise men of old.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

How nice to see the Great One!

o{]:¬)

Anonymous said...

You sure you got the correct name for this bishop? It doesn't appear in the Hierarchy of the Catholic Church listing http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/
Rufus

humboldt said...

These are the folks who sustain the Church in the midst of all the crisis. Deo Gratia.

Anonymous said...

Are you sure you have the correct name here? Archbishop Luigi de Magistris doesn't appear listed inhttp://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/

Anonymous said...

Old-school Italian clergy. Simple, witty, sharp, unbreakable. Gets you misty eyes to see these giants of humility still around.

It's not unusual to run into him around St. Peter's but it was a privilege to chat with him and have my rosary beads blessed by him. It was at a screening of "The Passion of Christ" in Rome.

Thank you John!

Anonymous said...

http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bmag.html

Anonymous said...

Found him, thanks!

Anonymous said...

Of course he is listed.

How wonderful to see him with his usual cassock and shoes from Mancinelli. A truly humble man.

Anonymous said...

I met him. He's a saint!

Daniele

Anonymous said...

I know him! He's a saint Bishop!!

Anonymous said...

Is a neighbour of mine in Cagliari!

Anonymous said...

Look at the top picture...his thumb and forefinger are joined together. I don't know if that's an intentional thing or if his hands are a little arthritis-y, but I remember someone once telling me that some priests would habitually have those fingers joined together outside of Mass as a sign of Him whom they hold between those fingers every day. I'm inclined to think that's it...beautiful!

Adulio said...

The biggest injustice is that holy men like these, never got the red hat. If they did, we would not have the modern crisis that we have now.

Anonymous said...

Monsignore, grazie dell' l'abito talare sulla strada di Roma!!!!

Anonymous said...

He is a saint. It's unfortunate he has not been recognized for his piety and dedication with the Cardinal's hat. Maybe next time.

But we should not despair as he is the last of his kind! Remember all the armies of young priests of the SSPX, FSSP, ICRSP, IBP, and dozens of other newer Orders...as well as young priests from many established Orders and dioceses who see the tremendous error of the last 40 years in the Mass and in their own Orders, and are attempting as best they can to bring back "the old days".
This holy bishop is a very great man and shold be respected and honored. But fortunatly, he is not the "last of his kind".

Anonymous said...

De Magistris is an alumnus of the venerable Roman Seminary, also my alma mater. One of my favorite DeMagistris stories is that, having had a ring made with the imageof the seminary patroness, la Fiducia (Our Mother of Confidence), he would hold it up to seminarians and say, "Saluta la Mamma!" Aaaah, how he was so screwed by modernist Rome.