Who was st. Charles?
St. Charles Borromeo became the Archbishop of Milan, Papal Secretary of State under Pius IV, his uncle, and one of the chief leaders in the Catholic Counter-Reformation. Born in 1538 to an important Northern Italian family, Charles became the principal negotiator of important matters of state on behalf of the Medici family. Later, when Charles was Secretary of State for Pope Pius IV, he demonstrated great patience and negotiating skill in assembling the Council of Trent, which met 25 times over two years and included the Pope, the Emperor, and more than 100 cardinals and bishops. The resulting decrees of the Council caused significant changes known as the Counter-Reformation in the Catholic Church. As a representative of the Pope, Charles’ role was critical to these negotiations. He later gave his significant wealth to the poor and attempted to model the new piety under the Council’s decrees. He is renowned for refusing to flee the city of Milan (unlike other clergy) during a vicious o
