Alphonsus de Liguori: The saint of Bourbon Naples, 1696-1787

Alphonsus de Liguori was born in Naples and lived most of his life under the oppressive regalist regime of Tanucci and the Bourbons. He trained and practised as a lawyer in the Neopolitan courts, achieving considerable success before becoming a priest and missioner dedicated to working for the neglected population in the rural areas of the Kingdom of Naples. For this purpose he established a society called the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, to be known in modern times as the Redemptorists. Distressed by the pastoral problems resulting from both laxity and rigorism in moral theology, he set himself to rectify the exaggerations of both schools. During his life-time his book "Moral Theology" went into nine editions. This book looks at the life and times of the Saint of Bourbon Naples and the theologican of the Englightenment century.