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A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Fr Dermot Preston

The Borgias

Good Morning

The Borgias: the family that set the gold-standard for corruption & ruthlessness in Renaissance Italy. Lucretia the serial-widow & poisoner; Cesare, the inspiration for Machiavelli; and Alexander VI, arguably the most scandalous Pope in history.

Yet one character emerged from this murky genetic pool with remarkable holiness. His name was Francis Borgia. He was Duke of Gandia in Spain and was a great grandson of Alexander VI.

Francis’ life was an affront to the Borgia legend – he was a devoted family man, and a source of generosity to the people of Gandia. Emperor Charles V and his wife, Queen Isabella, took the enchanting Francis as their confidante.

It was the death of the vivacious Isabella that broke the Camelot-spell in Madrid; the Emperor was inconsolable and he entrusted the 29-year-old Duke Francis with the task of escorting Isabella’s body across Spain for royal burial in Granada.

On this journey there was a need to open the coffin and Francis was shocked to see Isabella’s rotted corpse. On his return to Gandia, goaded by this image, Francis re-doubled his efforts in prayer and work for the poor.

When Francis’ own wife died a few years later, he signed over the Dukedom to his children, and offered himself for priestly training. For the last 25 years of his life he ministered as a Jesuit vowed to poverty, chastity and obedience. Francis was canonised in 1670 and today is his feast day.

Lord, I inherit my history, but I can choose my future. Give me the insight to see the dead roots that might hold me back, and the courage to break free to seek true life.

Amen.

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