“Ought I wear a golden diadem in
a place where I behold Jesus Christ crowned with thorns" – St.
Elizabeth of Hungary
St. Elizabeth of Hungary, also
known as St. Elizabeth of Thurigia was born probably at Pressburg, Hungary in
1207. However Historians have disputed on the place of her birth. She came from
a royal of King Andrew II, king of Hungary. Her descendants are also saintly.
She is related to two saints namely St. Hedwig, sister of her mother and St.
Elizabeth of Portugal, her great-niece.[1]
Her parents taught her works of
mercy. They were a figure of great piety. At an early age, little Elizabeth had
already exhibited such character. She had engaged herself naturally with
delight in prayer, almsgiving, retirement, and recollectedness. Such character
continued throughout her life.[2]
Her happy childhood was
interrupted at an early age of four when she was arranged for marriage with
young Louis or Ludwig (eleven years old), son of Count of Thuringia, one of the
most powerful of the princes of Germany. Such marriage was arranged due to her
heavenly characters that have reached the ears of the Count. The Landgrave or
Count of this region was one of the richest and most influential sovereigns in
Europe at the beginning of the 13th century and his castle was a centre of
magnificence and culture. In order to solidify the arranged marriage, little
Elizabeth was sent immediately to the Court of Thurigia.
Upon her arrival, which was
greeted with festivity, she has remained to be faithful to her bethroned. Young
as Elizabeth and Louis were, they were used to call each other as brother and
sister even after their marriage.[3]
Her Father-in-law Landgrave
Hermann, a true religious man, had a great smile whenever he sees Elizabeth
practiced her works of mercy. Not all, however, were pleased with the works of
mercy of Elizabeth. After three years since she arrived, Hermann died.
Elizabeth’s sister-in-law, Agnes and Sophia, her mother-in-law became her
crosses. Though, Louis succeeded his father, he was still dependent on her mother,
Sophia. He was most of the time absent from the court, as a result Sophia and
Agnes continued to torment Elizabeth.[4]
An example of an event of her
persecution was during the festival of the Assumption. Elizabeth received an
order to dress royally in attending the Mass with sumptuous robes and golden
crown. Elizabeth obeyed. However, upon entering the Church, she removed her
crown. Agnes noticed this act of Elizabeth and tried to stop her and asked her.
Elizabeth with humility replied, “Madam, ought I wear a golden diadem in a
place where I behold Jesus Christ crowned with thorns?”[5]
This event triggered more the
persecution of Elizabeth from Agnes and Sophia. They even told her that she
should not expect that Duke Louis will marry her. Agnes even insulted her more
with the words, “you are not fit to be the wife of a prince.” Duke Louis, however,
knew the sincerity of the love of Elizabeth comforted her secretly.[6]
After six years of marriage, her
husband died in the Crusades, and Elizabeth was grief-stricken. Her husband’s
family looked upon her as squandering the royal purse. It was then
alleged that Elizabeth had embarrassed the treasury by her almsgiving, that it
was necessary to re-establish the exhausted finances, that Prince Hermann, son
of the deceased Landgrave, was too young to take the reins of government, that
some one capable of protecting the domains of the State should be selected, and
they finally concluded that the only one fit for this important duty, was
Henry, the uncle of Hermann.[7]
The aristocracy succeeded in
winning the sympathies of the populace, and Henry, therefore, seized the reins
of government. His first act was to expel Elizabeth from her palace, and his
cruelty was so excessive, that he refused her the very necessaries of life.
Furthermore, he forbade all persons inhabiting his cities, to receive or succor
her. The princess suffered all this outrages and cruelties with admirable
patience, and not a word of murmuring or repining ever fell from her lips.[8]
The Bishop of Bamberg, her uncle,
presented her with a mansion situated near his palace. The prelate, thinking
that a new alliance was the only means by which she might be enabled to recover
her own and children’s rights, counselled her to marry again; but the Saint
informed him, that after her husband’s decease she had made a vow to remain a
widow for the rest of her life, and that her only desire was to consecrate the
remainder of her days to God alone.[9]
Elizabeth then related to the
knights who had accompanied her husband’s mortal remains, the sad story of her
sufferings. She besought them to plead her cause and that of her children, and
to obtain justice for them and her from her brother-in-law.[10]
On their arrival in Thuringia,
the nobles energetically reproached Prince Henry with the disloyalty of his
conduct. “Remember,” said they to him, “that there is a God who sees all
things. What crime has this woman committed? Is not the weakness of her sex
quite enough to prevent her undertaking any emprise injurious to the State?
Know you not that she is distinguished for her wonderful piety and many
inestimable virtues? What have her children, your own blood, done to you? Ought
not their age plead in their favor? You, who should have been their protector,
have proved yourself their unrelenting enemy. Have you not violated all laws,
human and divine?”[11]
The return of her husband’s
allies from the Crusades resulted in her being reinstated, since her son was
legal heir to the throne.[12] After
being reinstalled to her proper place she continued her works of charity.
She founded a hospital in honor of St. Francis of Assisi at Marburg and donned
the gray habit of the Franciscan tertiaries and devoted herself to the care of
the sick.[13]
In November 1231 she was stricken
with a high fever. When the news of her illness spread, may people flocked to
see her. After about 10 days, she asked for the doors to be closed so that she
might be alone with God. In the night of 17 November, she fell asleep gently in
the Lord. The testimonies of her holiness were so many and such that after only
four years Pope Gregory ix canonized her and, that same year, the beautiful
church built in her honour at Marburg was consecrated.[14]
[1] Michael
Bihl, St. Elizabeth of Hungary,
http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/05389A.HTM.
[2] ________, Patron
Saints for Girls – The Life of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Widow,
http://catholicsaints.info/patron-saints-for-girls-the-life-of-saint-elizabeth-of-hungary-widow/.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Michael
Bihl, St. Elizabeth of Hungary.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Ibid.
[10] ________, Patron
Saints for Girls: The Life of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Widow.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Enzo
Lodi, Saints of the Roman Calendar including Feasts Proper to the
English-speaking World, Translated and adapted by Jordan Aumann, OP (St.
Pauls: Makati City, 2013), 375.
[14] Benedict
XVI, General Audience, October 20, 2010: Saint Elizabeth of Hungary,
http://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2010/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20101020.html.
