San Jeronimo
The Catholic Church has been characterized as one of the main religious sources worldwide, being very characteristic for following and imparting the teachings of Jesus to the whole world, but it is also characterized by following the Virgin Mary and also some saints. beatified and recognized by the church, being men and women who dedicated themselves to the work in life and therefore are venerated by religion, in this case the life of Saint Jerome stands out.
Saint Jerome, also known as Jerome of Stridon, is considered one of the Fathers of the Catholic Church. He is widely recognized for having written the Vulgate, and is highly valued for having a translation published in the popular edition. He is also very famous for having translated the Latin version of the Holy Scriptures that were circulating in the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages and edited it into other languages.
He was considered one of the most prominent figures for his studies in other languages, such as Greek, Hebrew, and Latin, and was known for his numerous translations of the Bible into the most influential languages of the time. To gain a deeper understanding of the language, he traveled to their respective countries and thus became familiar with it. He lived in Bethlehem to further his mastery of Hebrew and the Holy Scriptures.
Greatly standing out for the translation of the old testament in the year 390 after Christ, due to this it earned the title of biblical exegesis, also known as the written version of the interpretation of the Bible. Therefore, he was considered a great scholar of his time, he was also noted for beginning to use Latin within the Catholic Church mainly as a means of communication.
Biography
Jerome was born in the year 340 in Estridón, the exact location of the nation is not known, it is presumed that it is located between Dalmatia and Pannonia. He belonged to a wealthy and wealthy family, his parents were Christians who had a significant fortune, he was not baptized as the authorities of the time dictated, but he was enrolled from an early age in the catechumen and dedicated himself to the complete study of the sacred scriptures. .
From the age of twelve, he undertook the great journey to Rome to begin his studies related to classical writing, specifically grammar, as well as those related to astronomy and literature, all this under the discipleship of Elio Donato, considered one of the interpreters. of grammar in the Latin of the fourth century of the time, considered one of the most influential men in the area of literature.
Under the tutelage of Aelius Donatus, Jerome began to distinguish himself as a great Latinist, also possessing a vast knowledge of Greek as well as other languages, growing daily in the world of literature and languages. It should be noted that Aelius Donatus was a pagan, so Jerome's knowledge of spiritual matters was very limited. He was knowledgeable only about religious topics, but only about Latin authors such as Virgil and Tacitus, and Greek figures such as Plato and Homer.
He devoted so much time to the study of languages and literature that he never took an interest in spiritual books. As time went by, he had the opportunity to meet other friends, such as Rufino of Aquileia, who encouraged him to learn about theater and the circus. He encouraged him to learn about the Christian world and the word of God, drawing him out of his closed-minded ways of teaching and showing him the spiritual richness of knowing Christ.
At the age of sixteen, he continued his studies of literature and rhetoric, but with a different mentor, and as his knowledge changed, he decided to be baptized in mid-366 AD. It is noteworthy that he was baptized by Pope Liberius himself. After embarking on this new course in his life, he began to embark on numerous journeys throughout Europe.
Trips
He began his travels in Gaul, where he began his studies in theology and compilation, which corresponds to a science focused solely and exclusively on carrying out studies and knowing the why of God, corresponds to a discipline that is focused on studying the knowledge that is related to God.
The trip was made together with his friend Rufino, where he began his studies related to theology and spent a great number of years in a cenobitic community being one of the movements dedicated to monastic life, from that moment, Jerome broke relations with his family and made the decision to dedicate his life to the work of God, from that moment he undertook a journey through Asia Minor.
During his trip he traveled with a group of Christian friends, visiting several areas such as Syria, Antioch and other places, but during his trip a large number of adversities arose where two of his companions died and even Jerome fell very ill on several occasions, all this was in the middle of the year 373 AD. Despite this, he did not give up on this new dream that arose in himself, making the decision to leave all pagan and profane study and only dedicate himself to the study of the word of God.
Upon arriving in Antioch, after making important decisions in his life, he began writing a large number of letters in which he began to express reproaches and complaints against the way of life and non-Christians. From then on, he focused on teaching the word of God to those who were there, especially a group of women. Despite this, Jerome was experiencing a period of anxiety and torment over his sins, and decided to live an ascetic life.
Asceticism is considered a religious movement dedicated to purifying the spirit, only achieving this goal by denying material pleasures and submitting to abstinence. Therefore, he decided to go to the Syrian desert, known as Qinnasrin, also known as the Chalcis Desert, all in order to achieve inner peace. He dedicated himself solely to prayer and fasting. He lived in these conditions for two years. Despite this, he constantly struggled with his inner self, realizing that he was not made for a solitary life.
For this reason, he returns and resumes his studies in Antioch and is appointed as a priest and then returning to Rome being appointed as secretary of Pope Damascus I, in this case he begins the studies of the Gospel of Hebrews and also of the Gospel of Saint Matthew, devoting himself to the study of the Latin version, since then begins the most outstanding events within his believing life.
Translations
In mid-379, he began his theological studies of the Sacred Scriptures, beginning with the creed of the Council of Nicaea; he also focused on the Gregorian scriptures and made major discoveries such as what is known as the Origen, considered today a collection of ancient texts that reflected the work of the Eastern Church Fathers, known as Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas, as one of the main pillars of the Catholic Church.
By making this great discovery, the development of biblical exegesis began, known as the interpretation of the Bible or of the sacred scriptures in a grammatical and also historical way, being focused in this case in trilingual; making comparisons of interpretations in Latin, also Greek and in the original Hebrew language.
In the middle of the year 382, he returned to Rome and stayed there for three years, performing his duties as secretary very efficiently and therefore earning the favor of Pope Damascus I, being directly in charge of writing the pope's letters and sending them on his behalf. , with the passing of time they decide the Pope makes the decision to assign him the task of compiling the sacred scriptures and also translating them.
From that moment Jerónimo realized what his true profession was, where he could serve God using all his gifts at his service, being a philologist. Considering himself a person who was a lover of words, where he was in charge of carrying out studies of the writings and having the ability to be able to construct the texts in the most credible way possible, for this reason, Jerónimo considered him the profession for which he was born.
It should be noted that at that time, there was a version of the Bible in Latin, which presented many variants and inaccuracies, mainly attributed to the complexity of the language. This version was known as the Vetus Latina. This version of the Bible was a great challenge for Jerome, who had a fervent command of Latin and wrote it with great elegance. He used this version to translate it and give coherence to his writings. From that moment on, his main work, known as the Vulgate, was born.
Artworks
During his stay in Rome, Jerome took it upon himself to be the spiritual guide of some of the women of Roman high society, teaching them the scriptures in various languages and instilling in them prayer and meditation. Despite this, he became much slandered and defamed. Despite this, it is believed that the bond he had with some of the most influential female figures was due to his studies and writings. With all this, he gained a large number of followers and devotees who listened to his sermons and words, who would also support him during his stays in other countries.
In the middle of the year 382, Pope Damascus I is in charge of issuing a decree whereby he gives him a set of canonical books of the old and also of the new testament, requesting Jerome to use, translate and write them as a new version of the Bible. The books were made up of 46 books from the Old Testament and 27 from the New Testament, making a total of 73 books for their new interpretation.
From that moment on, Jerome devoted himself entirely to the translation of the sacred scriptures, beginning with the Book of Psalms. He also translated writings on commentaries on some books such as the Song of Songs, which were translated by Origen, or some writings on the Holy Spirit.
By the time he reached the age of 40, Jerome had distinguished himself in many ecclesiastical fields from an early age, and was declared a priest. However, due to his strong character and strict restrictions on material life, he aroused great envy and opposition, and lost all support in Rome upon the death of his principal protector, Pope Damascus. Therefore, feeling that his position was undervalued and even slandered, he made the momentous decision to leave Rome forever and live in the Holy Land (Israel).
Stay in the Holy Land
At the time of leaving the great Roman city, he does so with groups of friends and also followers, even over time some of the women who follow his teachings, decided to abandon the life of high society to dedicate themselves to living on earth. promised of God. Moving all as pilgrims to Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Galilee. During his stay he makes great translations like that of Zephaniah.
She continued her studies in catechesis by moving to Egypt and dedicating herself to an aseptic life. Then, in Bethlehem, in the middle of the year 386, she founded a community of aseptic but studious people who, when followed by another large group of women who decided to sell everything and follow their mentor, managed to found the church of Santa Catalina de Belén, also building a city of convents for both men and women.
As time went by, he took charge of directing both convents and being their spiritual guide. He received Roman visitors seeking his direction and also knowledge, and he wrote faithfully against the heresies that were developing in the world and even within the church itself, confronting old friends for his personal opinions and his way of seeing things, to such an extent that he was excommunicated, and over time he and his monks were prohibited from entering the church of Bethlehem.
The inconvenience grew much more and with the passing of the years he was able to obtain a reconciliation with some of his misunderstandings, among some of his letters he reflected the bitterness and sorrow for all the inconveniences against his old friends and there is even a set of both authors for contempt of one and the other.
Death
In the middle of the year 420 d. C. Jerónimo's body was already very weakened by the excess of work and penances carried out. In addition, he presented great difficulties in sight and his voice exhausted, to the point that he was in great physical deterioration, seeming like a living shadow, finally, due to excessive fatigue, he surrenders his soul to be able to rest, at almost 80 years of age, he dies on 30 September of the year 420.
Chronology
The Catholic Church considered Saint Jerome as the man chosen and sent directly by God to be able to understand the writings of the Bible more clearly, being well recognized for the large number of works that are summarized for being related works in the Bible, some others on theological ideals, development of historical works, political letters and opinions on the church and some translations.
The chronological study allows knowing the order carried out in order to understand everything related to his studies and progress made, being totally linked to his biography and the numerous trips made. Starting from the year 382 when he starts his translations during his stay in Rome, where he starts his translations of some writings of the catholic church like those discovered from the character known as Origins.
Origen is considered one of the three pillars of the early Catholic Church, being one of the first to postulate writings, he was born into a Christian family and dedicated himself to theology studies where he made numerous writings and letters about book opinions. of the old testament, among some of the writings that Saint Jerome translated from origins were those of Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Isaiah.
He also stood out for translating the writings on the chronicles of Eusebius and the Via S. Pauli, which were relevant as his earliest writings. His second period, which continues during his stay in Rome, is notable for his translation of the entire Hebrew Old Testament. It is worth noting that this was an extensive work that spanned almost 10 years of his life, and was commissioned exclusively by Pope Damascus I, one of the principal patrons of Saint Jerome.
Jerome's translation was made between the years 382 and 390, where that time highlighted a great devotion and a very dedicated and influential vocation for his protector Pope Damascus, despite this, he always had great opposition from the ecclesiastics who did not support the vocation of the cleric, after the death of the pope he lost great support from the Roman church and his rights to continue practicing were taken away and for this reason he decided to go live in Bethlehem.
He continued his studies from the Holy Land and in the middle of the year 384 began the translation of the four Gospels of the New Testament, Saint Luke, Saint Matthew, Saint Mark and Saint John, making corrections to the Latin version that was in possession at that time. In addition, in the middle of the year 385 he also begins to make corrections to the writings of the Epistles of Saint Paul of the new testament.
Simultaneously, he made the Latin translation of the Psalms from Latin texts, being considered as a revision version to improve the corrections already made, in the middle of the year 384 AD. C. the study of the Latin version of the book of Job begins, being the main books studied by Jerome during his stay in Bethlehem.
Also in the middle of the year 386 AD and 391 AD, translations of the Latin Psalter began. It is considered a set of writings on quotations from the psalms by various authors in the Latin language. It is also known as the Roman Psalter, and corresponds to a set of writings that were considered of high value to the Catholic Church since ancient times.
In some cases, the fact is highlighted if he made the complete revision of the Old Testament as described in the Septuagint, this work is considered as one of the Greek translations made of the ancient Jewish scriptures that began to be translated as the Hebrew language was being lost in the Roman Empire, therefore, the Septuagint is considered composed of 70 books in the Latin language, constructed by several theological scholars of the time.
In the middle of the year 382 d. C. and 388 d. C. was in charge of writing the "Altercatio Uciferiani et Orthodoxi", also the different related writings on the epistles dedicated to Philemon, also the one related to that of Galatians, the epistle written by Paul for the church of the Ephesians and to Titus; making a breakthrough in the translations of the new testament.
It should be noted that the main outstanding works of Saint Jerome were his translations of the Old Testament of the sacred scriptures, being approximately between 390 d. C. and 405 AD. C. Standing out mainly for carrying out several jobs simultaneously where he specialized in translations of the books of Samuel, also on the Kings of Israel, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Ezra; he also refers to those other writings related to the church's interpretations as Paralipomenos.
In the middle of the years 391 and 392 d. C. wrote one of his most inspired works known as "Vita Malchi, Monachi Captivi", being a book that has various comments on biblical books of the Old Testament such as Nahum, Zephaniah, Haggai and Habakkuk, in addition he also wrote the writings of other well-known books as "De Viris Ilustribus" where he is in charge of commenting on the biblical books of Jonah and also Obadiah, being in the year 395 AD. C. and in the year 398 d. c.
In the middle of the year 398 he carried out the revision of the Latin version of the New Testament, where he was in charge of strengthening the comments on some specific chapters of the book of Isaiah, devoting himself to writing a wide variety of books dedicated to commenting on the translations of the Old Testament. of the Holy Scripture, officially culminating its translations in the year 405 AD. c.
In 408, he began translating the Book of Daniel and the remaining chapters of the Book of Isaiah. During his later years, he dedicated his studies to producing the final commentaries on the books of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Zechariah, and Malachi, the last books of the Old Testament. Finally, he dedicated himself to completing his interpretation of the biblical books of the Gospels and the Psalms.
Characteristics of the Work of Saint Jerome
Saint Jerome is considered a man with a great character and being very explicit in all his translations of the Holy Scriptures, his writings focused on translations, initially he focused on making translations of some writings of other authors of the Catholic Church, worse Over time, he gives up this type of study and focuses on making his translations from the original text and thus generating his own interpretation.
Since then he focused on studies in the Hebrew language and with this he began his theological studies and also the rabbinics, where he was in charge of perfecting all his interpretations related to the sacred scriptures, from that moment he began the interpretations of the Old Testament of the Bible, considering that his writings and views were very intense and even advanced for the time.
At that time, he became the focus of criticism, leading to the rejection of his work for breaking parameters that the early Church, and therefore lacked much support from theologians and interpreters of the time. Regardless of opinions, Jerome continued his writings until he created the Septuagint, developing it from the Hebrew language. Working with the original texts, it was considered a pure and ancient work for respecting all the original elements of the scriptures.
Today, one of the most important writings of the Catholic Church is the Septuagint because it is inevitable not to consult it when making any interpretation related to the Bible, especially those focused on the Old Testament. Despite the criticism of the time, it is considered a work of great excellence, taking into account the comments that could become a bit dense but complementary.
Some of Jerome's writings were made very quickly, their interpretation being a bit complicated; standing out mainly for always trying to accumulate the largest number of comments from predecessors but always taking care not to pass judgment, but respecting the opinions of his view but always reflecting his own opinion.
Among all his works, the most notable is the one known as "Quesiones Hebricae in Genesim," considered Saint Jerome's finest. This work focuses on reflecting all the theological and philosophical studies of the original texts, making many interpretations with an excessive use of allegory and being ahead of its time, but being complemented over the years and even improving its interpretations.
One of its main characteristics was to make allegories, it is considered a form of expression of some literary figure where you want to represent some idea taking human forms or some object, among these we can highlight the parables applied by Jesus in the new testament, in the In the case of Jerónimo, I trust that one of the reasons for resorting to allegories was when it was difficult for him to discover the full literary meaning of the fragment or the writing.
The deep knowledge that St. Jerome possessed should be highlighted, he is currently considered the first or the most important interpreter of canonical texts of the Catholic Church, having great knowledge about the history of the Bible and the different periods handled in the sacred scriptures. knowing deeply the handling of the languages and geographic knowledge of the Middle East.
One of the main problems that arose between the understanding of the Holy Scriptures, in addition to the language, was centered between the different beliefs between pagans and Christians about the different spiritual interpretations or traditional doctrine, generating great controversies in the various years; Saint Jerome was in charge of clarifying some doubts and respecting the original texts.
Saint Jerome produced a large number of texts and writings that focused on never altering the original writings, always presenting his free opinion, even among many of them some contradictions can be found, being a point in his favor because he always characterized by expressing himself with his frankness and subtlety, never trying to cover his ignorance on some theological points with complexity for the time, never expressing superiority or greater greatness, but always presenting himself as human, trying to understand the sacred scriptures.
All the works carried out by Saint Jerome can be found in the complexes PL XXII-XXX, considered as an ancient compilation of the City of Estridón that is located between Croatia and Austria. Being part of the territory of Dalmatia and Pannonia, where it is considered one of the largest compilations of the Catholic Church, being consulted for further interpretation of the holy scriptures by some theologians.
Writings of Saint Jerome
Saint Jerome was characterized by making written numbers and works focused mainly on the translations of the biblical scriptures, among some of the most outstanding are the translations of the epistles or letters of Saint Paul, as well as the comments related to the Bible, known like biblical exegesis.
Letters or epistolary
The letters written by Saint Jerome are considered his most outstanding works because they highlight a large number of topics and always present his own style, always demonstrating his deep interpretation of the scriptures and theological knowledge, considering a total of 154 letters written by hand. by Jerome himself.
Among all the letters, a large number of scholarly topics related to the interpretation of the scriptures and also about social conscience are discussed, such as, cases of lack of conscience, giving words of relief to those who were afflicted, establishing conversation with his friends, judging the different vices that were present at the time, motivating to lead an ascetic life and to renounce the different desires that the world offers.
Some of the most sought after and cited letters to carry out the exhortation of the different topics that can arise in the lives of human beings such as advice on education among Christians, conservation of virginity for young people, among others. Having a large amount of reproduction and dissemination throughout society, highlighting the following:
- Ep. 14 Ad Heliodorum de laude vitae solitariae, corresponds to a summary of pastoral theology but from an ascetic point of view.
- 53 Ad Paulinum de Estudio Scripturarum ("On the Study of the Scriptures").
- Ep. 57 De institutione monachi ("On the Institution of Monasticism").
- 70 Ad Magnum de scriptoribus ecclesiasticis ("To Magnus on the ecclesiastical writers").
- The ep. 107, Ad Laetam de institutione filiae ("To Leta on the institution of the daughter").
Illustrious Men
It is considered one of the first classified stories in Christian literature, written in the middle of the year 392 during his stay in Bethlehem. Treating of a brief biographical history of some Christian authors, these stories were started by Jerome himself but were continued by Genadio de Marseille. Within its structure it has 135 Christian authors, during its writings a good amount of independent information is reflected, being constituted by only western authors.
Chronicon or Temporum Liber
It was one of the works structured and built in Constantinople where the original language is Latin, being constituted by the different chronological tables where it is in charge of covering a time or period from 325 to 379, it has been highlighted that it has presented some details and errors but highlighting that it is considered a great work by all those chroniclers such as Cassiod, Victor of Tunnuna, among others.
Perpetual Virginity of Mary
Saint Jerome had a very firm position against relationships between men and women, emphasizing at all times that it was sinful, emphasizing that it is advisable to reject all physical contact between those who are not spouses, even considering it sinful between husbands and partners, emphasizing that love can be between a cold determination but not with the hot desire of sexual desire, rejecting the fact that a man should not love his woman as a lover.
Political Dilemmas
Jerome was considered a great cleric of his time, highly recognized by Roman government authorities, mainly for his close relationship with Pope Damascus and for his outstanding work. He also managed to work and hold high positions, interacting with prominent figures of the time.
He stood out for possessing great severity in calling attention to all the disorders observed in the administration of the rulers, and he did not hesitate to express the disorders observed in the Roman clergy and for their way of living the gospel, where they did not comply with the commandments that were explicit in the sacred scriptures, distorting them and only focusing on ways to plunder the poor.
Among some of his writings that generated great conflict within the Romans, what was expressed in the following stood out:
"That gold bridle in your horse's mouth, That gold hoop on your slave's arm, That gold trim on your shoes, It's a sign that you're robbing the orphan And starving the widow Who after you're dead and they pass Before your great house they will say: with how many tears he built that palace, how many orphans were seen naked, how many widows were injured, how many workers received unfair wages, and even death will not free you from your accusers.”
By speaking out in this way against the emperor's family, everyone knew of his strong and insistent interpretations of the mismanagement of society's resources and even those of the Church. Due to his harsh criticisms and very strong opinions, they caused him a great deal of trouble, generating conflicts and a lack of understanding for his views, to the point that it led to his exile and the loss of his position in the Roman Empire. He moved to the Holy Land to spread God's work and simply dedicate himself to the life of the clergy as it should be.
Iconography
We must highlight the fact that Saint Jerome is a highly recognized cleric in Catholic society, highlighting him for all his contributions to the literary development of the Bible and for contributing to the understanding of the Holy Scriptures by all those around him. His death was far from the empire. Once exiled, he lived in the Holy Land, dying due to his advanced age and the great severity of the journeys he was subjected to. He was later recognized as a famous image within the Church.
The iconography attributed to Saint Jerome is notable for its image or statue with a cardinal's hat and robes, highlighting the fact that despite losing his robes and being exiled, the Church recognized his great contributions and advancements in theological knowledge. The iconography also includes a lion, a cross, a skull, and various writing materials.
The lion represents one of the stories that surrounds the life of Saint Jerome where it is said that he was meditating on the banks of the Jordan River, at that moment a wounded lion approached him, dragging its paw that was pierced by a giant thorn, when Saint Jerome observed this fact he quickly approached to be able to help the feline and completely healed its wound by removing the thorn.
The animal calmly observed how the man healed him and in the end he never wanted to leave Saint Jerome, accompanying him at all times until the end of his days. It is said that when Saint Jerome died, the lion one day approached the tomb and died; Some theologians say that the legend is false and is attributed to another saint with a similar name, but in the same way the story became very popular for Saint Jerome, leaving it in his name.
Two types of basic iconography attributed to Saint Jerome are known, which are highlighted below:
Iconography Saint Jerome studying
It deals with the image of Jerome appearing writing on the cabinet or desk, being a reference used in the painting by Domenico Ghirlandaio in Florence, being widely used as a characteristic image of the Latin language on the Bible.
Iconography Saint Jerome in penance
The second notable iconography of Saint Jerome deals with the time when he had to undergo severe penances during his travels, which is why he is depicted naked in the partial male area, all of this at the time when he is in the desert paying penances but is accompanied in the paintings by the image of the lion.
There are also other images related to Saint Jerome where he is in prayer drawn by Bosch, another of the images deals with where he is accompanied by Saints Paulas and Eustoquia, faithful followers of the teachings of Saint Jerome.
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