medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (12. August) is the feast day of:
Anicetus (d. 166) A Syrian by birth, Anicetus became bishop of Rome in
155. He is mostly known for a surprisingly amicable argument with Polycarp
over the date of Easter: when asked to subscribe to the eastern
quartodeciman reckoning (observe Easter on the 14th day of Nisan), Anicetus
held firm to the stand expressed by his predecessors: that the Roman church
celebrated Easter every Sunday, and didn't feel the need for a separate
annual celebration. According to tradition, A. died a martyr, but modern
scholars are dubious.
Murtagh (6th cent?) Conflicting traditions report that Murtagh was either
a convert of Patrick or a contemporary of Columcille; the latter seems more
likely. Murtagh is honored as the first bishop of Killala and as the
founder of Innismurray.
Jambert (Jaenbeorht) (d. 792) Jambert was a native of Kent. He became a
monk and later abbot of St. Augustine's, Canterbury, and in 765 became
archbishop. It is unclear why this gentleman is regarded as a saint,
except perhaps because he took an (ultimately successful) stand against
Offa of Mercia's creation of a metropolitan see at Lichfield.
Antonio Primaldo and the Martyrs of Otranto (d. 1480) In 1480 Sultan
Mehmed II took advantage of a war between Venice and Naples to attack Italy
with a large fleet. Otranto resisted, even symbolically throwing the keys
to the town into the sea rather than handing them over to the Turkish
commander. But the Turks took Otranto by storm. Eighty Christians who had
taken refuge in the cathedral were offered the choice of conversion or
death. Exhorted by the artisan Antonio Pezzulla, all decided to die.
Antonio was killed first, winning the name "Primaldo."
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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