medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Dear Chara,
With the notable exceptions of St. Peter, believed to have been the
father of St. Petronilla, and of St. Joseph, a surrogate father to Jesus
and perhaps the biological father of others, our responses have focused
on saints whose biological fatherhood is certified in one way or another
by writings now deemed largely credible.
But not a few late antique and/or medieval _legendary_ acta also include
in their casts of characters persons who have been regarded as saints
and who were believed medievally to have been fathers. A few examples
follow. The recently mentioned St. Marcian of BHL 6070 and 6072 (17.
June), venerated at Venafro (IS) and elsewhere in southern Italy, has a
small child whom he blesses as he is being led off to execution. The
Passio of Sts. Valentine and Damian of Terracina (BHL 8467; 16. March),
venerated at San Valentino in Abruzzo Citeriore (PE), makes Valentine
the adoptive father of Damian. St. Flavianus of Rome (2. December)
occurs in the legendary acts of John and Paul as the father of St.
Bibiana. There are surely others.
Best,
John Dillon
PS: Other well attested father-saints are Gregory of Nazianzus the Elder
(1. January), pope Felix II (III; 1. March), and the Anglo-Saxon Richard
of England (7. February). The acta of the Sicilian Greek martyrs
Andrew, John, Peter, and Anthony (23. September) seem largely fictional,
but I suppose that at least Andrew and John -- both of whom are said to
have been fathers -- may have actually existed.
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