The Last of the Fathers: Saint Bernard of Clairvaux & the Encyclical Letter- Doctor Mellifluus

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, a dominant figure in the history of the Catholic Church and the last of the Church Fathers, died in his monastery in Burgundy on August 20, 1153. In commenoration of the eight centenary of his death, Pope Pius XII issued one of his most significant encyclical letters--Doctor Mellifluus--which Thomas Merton presents here, together with an introduction to the life and teachings of the great mystic.

The essence of Saint Bernard's doctrinem, Father Merton writes, is nothing else but the spiritual peace distilled in monasticism, and it is one of the purest and most authentic sources of Catholic tradition. Pius's encyclical letter draws on that doctrine to bring the highest spiritual perfection within reach of all Christians.