Carlo Bascapè

As Superior General of the Barnabites, Carlo Bascapè played a major historical role by drafting and codifying the definitive Constitutions of his congregation as well as those of the female branch, the Angelics, under the direct supervision of Saint Charles Borromeo. Once installed in the episcopal see of Novara in 1593, he established himself as one of the most prominent figures of the Tridentine Reform (Counter-Reformation) in Northern Italy. He rigorously applied the decrees of the Council of Trent to reform ecclesiastical discipline and the morals of the faithful. To ensure the formation and sanctification of his clergy, he founded the diocesan congregation of the Oblates of Saints Gaudentius and Charles (Oblati dei Santi Gaudenzio e Carlo). His pastoral activity was immense: he personally carried out two complete visits of the 260 parishes of his vast diocese, recording his observations in 51 volumes of reports. He also convened three diocesan synods to promulgate local legislative reforms. Carlo Bascapè was also a great promoter of sacred art and popular devotion. He gave a decisive impetus to the development of the Sacri Monti (Sacred Mountains) of Piedmont and Lombardy, in particular the Sacro Monte of Varallo and the Sacro Monte of Orta. He actively supported the construction of the first sanctuary of the Madonna del Sangue in Re. On the social level, he founded the "Santa Lucia" institution in Novara in 1599 for the reception and education of minors in difficulty. A rigorous writer and historian, he published in 1592 the first biography of Saint Charles Borromeo, De vita et rebus gestis Caroli... (published in Ingolstadt), and worked actively for his canonization, which was obtained in 1610. His major historical work, Novaria seu De ecclesia novariensi (1612), remains a fundamental reference for the religious and topographical history of the region.

Upon his death in 1615, Carlo Bascapè left behind a profound reputation for holiness among the people and clergy of Novara. However, the official introduction of his cause for beatification was delayed for several centuries. The cause was decisively relaunched in the mid-20th century in the Diocese of Novara. On February 11, 1952, an official decree established the historical commission tasked with gathering and studying all of his writings. The ordinary diocesan process was officially opened on May 10, 1966. After long years of investigation into his life, virtues, and reputation for holiness, the diocesan process was closed on December 4, 1976, and the acts were transmitted to Rome for examination by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

On December 19, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI received in a private audience Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. During this audience, the Sovereign Pontiff authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Carlo Bascapè, thus officially conferring upon him the title of Venerable. His relics, preserved in Novara, were placed in a new urn at the foot of the altar of Saint Charles in the church of San Marco, where they are exposed for the public veneration of the faithful. For Carlo Bascapè to be proclaimed Blessed, the cause requires the official recognition by the Holy See of a miracle attributed to his intercession. To this day, no decree of a miracle has yet been promulgated, and the cause remains awaiting this step.

The spirituality of Carlo Bascapè is deeply marked by the example of Saint Charles Borromeo, of whom he was the closest disciple, striving to imitate his rigorous asceticism, his pastoral charity, and his absolute dedication to the salvation of souls. It is also rooted in the Pauline tradition specific to the Barnabites, characterized by a strict discipline of life, a profound Eucharistic devotion, and missionary zeal. His legacy is particularly alive in the Diocese of Novara, which he deeply structured and marked with his pastoral imprint. The 'Santa Lucia' institution, which he co-founded in 1599, still continues its mission of welcoming minors in difficulty in Novara today, testifying to the endurance of his social work. Furthermore, his historical and pastoral writings, notably his biography of Saint Charles Borromeo and his monograph Novaria, continue to be studied by historians as major testimonies of the application of the Catholic Reformation in Italy.