António Das Chagas
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António das Chagas (Anthony of the
Holy Wounds In Catholic tradition, the Five Holy Wounds, also known as the Five Sacred Wounds or the Five Precious Wounds, are the five piercing wounds that Jesus Christ suffered during his crucifixion. The wounds have been the focus of particular devotion ...
), (25 June 1631 – 20 October 1682) was a Portuguese
Franciscan friar The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest contem ...
and ascetical writer.


Life


Early life

He was born António da Fonseca Soares on 25 June 1631 at Vidigueira, then in the ancient Estremadura Province of the
Kingdom of Portugal The Kingdom of Portugal was a Portuguese monarchy, monarchy in the western Iberian Peninsula and the predecessor of the modern Portuguese Republic. Existing to various extents between 1139 and 1910, it was also known as the Kingdom of Portugal a ...
. He was the son of a Portuguese minor nobleman and judge and an Irish mother. He was enrolled at the
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college in
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for his primary studies. Later he was forced to leave his studies at the age of 18, due to the death of his father. Upon the outbreak of the
Portuguese Restoration War The Restoration War (), historically known as the Acclamation War (''Guerra da Aclamação''), was the war between Portugal and Spain that began with the Portuguese revolution of 1640 and ended with the Treaty of Lisbon in 1668, bringing a forma ...
in 1640, Soares entered the Portuguese army as a common soldier. After the war, he fell into a life of idleness and gambling. In 1653 he was forced to flee to
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in the Portuguese
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as the result of a duel. There he continued to lead a dissolute life, but was converted through the writings of the
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and promised God that he would change his ways.


Friar Minor

When Soares returned to Portugal in 1656, he returned to his former life of dissipation, until, in 1662, he was taken with a grievous illness. Upon his recovery he hastened to fulfill his promise, and was admitted into the Franciscan Order in May of the same year, receiving the
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by which he is now known. He entered the branch of the Friars Minor which led a strict life of penance and
asceticism Asceticism is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from worldly pleasures through self-discipline, self-imposed poverty, and simple living, often for the purpose of pursuing Spirituality, spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world ...
, following the principles for the reform of the Order led by Peter of Alcantara. António das Chagas then dedicated his life to one of preaching the Catholic faith throughout the countryside of southern Portugal. Determined to lead his audiences to a more spiritual life than he had lived, his preaching was known for a level of theatricality and extreme fervor which led to criticism of him by some of his contemporaries, such as noted Jesuit preacher,
António Vieira António (or Antônio) Vieira (; 6 February 160818 July 1697) was a Portuguese Jesuit Priesthood in the Catholic Church, priest, diplomat, orator, preacher, philosopher, writer, and member of the Royal Council to the King of Portugal. Biogr ...
. In 1680 António received an Apostolic Brief from
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which separated him from obedience to the Franciscan
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of
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. He then went to the Varatojo friary, in
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, near
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, where he dedicated himself to teaching friars preparing to serve as missionaries. António died there on 20 October 1682 in leaving a great part of his writings still unpublished. His remains are preserved in a tomb in the chapter room of the friary.


Works

António became famous posthumously after the publication of his poetical and ascetic writings, in which he combined erudition with elegance of style. The following were published posthumously: *"Faíscas de amor divino e lágrimas da alma" (Lisbon, 1683); *"Obras espirituais" (Lisbon, 1684–1687); *"O Padre nosso comentado" (Lisbon, 1688); *"Espelho do Espírito em que deve ver-se e compor-se a Alma" etc. (Lisbon, 1683); *"Escola da penitência e flagelo dos pecadores" (Lisbon, 1687); *"Sermões Genuínos" etc. (Lisbon, 1690); *"Cartas espirituais" (Lisbon, 1684); *"Ramalhete espiritual" etc. (Lisbon, 1722).


References

*Manoel Godinho, ''Vida do F. Antonio da Fonseca Soares'' (Lisbon, 1687 and 1728); *Fernando da Soledad, ''Historia serafica da provincia de Portugal'', III, 3, 17. {{DEFAULTSORT:Antonio Das Chagas 1631 births 1682 deaths People from Vidigueira Portuguese soldiers Portuguese Friars Minor 17th-century Portuguese Roman Catholic priests Franciscan scholars 17th-century Portuguese writers 17th-century Portuguese male writers Burials in the Lisbon District Portuguese people of Irish descent