Carino of Balsamo
Encyclopedia
Blessed Carino Pietro of Balsamo (died 1293), sometimes called St. Acerinus, was the murderer of Saint Peter of Verona (Saint Peter Martyr) who later repented his actions and became a Dominican
lay brother
. He is venerated as a beatus
by the Catholic Church.
ese Cathars to kill Peter, a prominent Catholic inquisitor
. Carino was a native of Cinisello Balsamo
. The murder took place on April 6, 1252, when Peter was returning from Como
to Milan. Carino's accomplice was named Manfredo Clitoro, of Giussano
. The two assassins followed Peter as far as Barlassina
, murdering him and mortally wounding Peter's companion Domenico at a lonely spot.
Carino split Peter’s head open, and mortally wounded Domenico. When he found that Peter was still breathing, he stabbed him with a dagger.
Carino fled to a Dominican monastery at Forlì
, and confessed his crime to Giacomo Salomoni of Venice
, also venerated as a beatus. Carino performed penances and become a lay brother there. Manfredo subsequently fled from the authorities and may have found refuge amongst the Waldenses in the Alps
.
The regulation of Carino's cult by the papacy began in 1822, but the death of Pius VII delayed the process, and the paperwork was misplaced. Carino is buried at the Cathedral of Forlì, and in 1934, Cinisello Balsamo
obtained Carino's head, a translation
at which Blessed Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster
participated. Carino's feast day is celebrated on April 28, the day of this translation.
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
lay brother
Lay brother
In the most common usage, lay brothers are those members of Catholic religious orders, particularly of monastic orders, occupied primarily with manual labour and with the secular affairs of a monastery or friary, in contrast to the choir monks of the same monastery who are devoted mainly to the...
. He is venerated as a beatus
Beatus
Beatus, meaning blessed in Medieval Latin, may mean:*a term in the Catholic Church for a person who has been beatified, the stage before being declared a saint.* A copy of the Commentary on the Apocalypse, Beatus, meaning blessed in Medieval Latin, may mean:*a term in the Catholic Church for a...
by the Catholic Church.
Life
Prior to his entering the Dominican Order, Carino, was, according to Catholic tradition, a cruel man without scruples who had been hired by MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
ese Cathars to kill Peter, a prominent Catholic inquisitor
Inquisitor
An inquisitor was an official in an Inquisition, an organisation or program intended to eliminate heresy and other things frowned on by the Roman Catholic Church...
. Carino was a native of Cinisello Balsamo
Cinisello Balsamo
Cinisello Balsamo is a comune of c. 74,000 inhtabitans in the Province of Milan in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about 10 km northeast of Milan downtown....
. The murder took place on April 6, 1252, when Peter was returning from Como
Como
Como is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy.It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como....
to Milan. Carino's accomplice was named Manfredo Clitoro, of Giussano
Giussano
Giussano is a comune in the Province of Monza and Brianza in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 25 km north of Milan...
. The two assassins followed Peter as far as Barlassina
Barlassina
Barlassina is a comune in the Province of Monza and Brianza in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 20 km north of Milan.-External links:*...
, murdering him and mortally wounding Peter's companion Domenico at a lonely spot.
Carino split Peter’s head open, and mortally wounded Domenico. When he found that Peter was still breathing, he stabbed him with a dagger.
Carino fled to a Dominican monastery at Forlì
Forlì
Forlì is a comune and city in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, and is the capital of the province of Forlì-Cesena. The city is situated along the Via Emilia, to the right of the Montone river, and is an important agricultural centre...
, and confessed his crime to Giacomo Salomoni of Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, also venerated as a beatus. Carino performed penances and become a lay brother there. Manfredo subsequently fled from the authorities and may have found refuge amongst the Waldenses in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
.
Veneration
After his death, Carino was venerated by the people of Forlì.The regulation of Carino's cult by the papacy began in 1822, but the death of Pius VII delayed the process, and the paperwork was misplaced. Carino is buried at the Cathedral of Forlì, and in 1934, Cinisello Balsamo
Cinisello Balsamo
Cinisello Balsamo is a comune of c. 74,000 inhtabitans in the Province of Milan in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about 10 km northeast of Milan downtown....
obtained Carino's head, a translation
Translation (relics)
In Christianity, the translation of relics is the removal of holy objects from one locality to another ; usually only the movement of the remains of the saint's body would be treated so formally, with secondary relics such as items of clothing treated with less ceremony...
at which Blessed Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster
Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster
Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster, O.S.B. was a Benedictine monk and Cardinal Archbishop of Milan during World War II...
participated. Carino's feast day is celebrated on April 28, the day of this translation.
Further reading
- Donald Prudlo, "The Assassin-Saint: The Life and Cult of Carino of Balsamo", The Catholic Historical Review, Volume 94, Number 1, January 2008, pp. 1–21.