medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (26. November) is the feast day of:
Peter of Alexandria (d. 311) Peter was head of the Alexandrian
catechetical school before becoming patriarch in 300. He fought
Arianism and Origenism and of course Diocletian's persecution. P.
eventually went into hiding thanks to the last of these threats, only
to have the bishop of Lycopolis start to encroach on his see. So P.
went back to Alexandria when the persecutions were suspended, only to
have them start up again under Emperor Maximin. P. was arrested and
executed---the last martyr killed in Alexandria.
Siricius (d. 399) Siricius was a native Roman who became pope in
December 384. He seems to have spent his whole pontificate
excommunicating, denouncing, etc. a variety of people.
Interestingly, the oldest extant complete papal decree is one of
S's---an order to the bishop of Tarragona to make married priests
stop cohabiting with their wives; it's also the earliest insistence
on clerical celibacy.
Conrad of Constance (d. 975) Conrad was the son of a count,
apparently destined from an early age to be bishop of Constance---he
was educated there, ordained there, and served as provost of the
cathedral before his "election" in 934. C. gave his inheritance to
the church and poor and became an avid builder of churches. During
his 42 years in office he seems to have had remarkable success for
his age at focusing on ecclesiastical affairs instead of secular
matters. C. was canonized in 1123.
Nikon "Metanoeite" (d. 998) Nikon was a native of Pontus who became
a monk and was sent as a missionary to Crete (just reconquered from
the Muslims). He was very successful. N. got his nickname of
"metanoeite" because he started all his sermons with "repent!"
Silvester (d. 1267) Sylvester studied law at Bologna and Padua but
then defected in favor of theology. He became a canon at Osimo but
got in trouble for attacking his bishop's morals. So he resigned his
canonry and became a hermit. S. gathered his disciples into the
monastery of Monte Fano near Fabriano, the mother house of the
congregation of Silvestrine Benedictines (or Blue Benedictines). The
congregation was approved in 1247 and S. ruled it until his death at
the age of about 90. He was canonized in 1598.
A modern saint: Leonard of Port Maurice (d. 1751) Leonard became a
Franciscan of the Strict Observance and turned out to be a splendid
popular preacher. He conducted preaching missionars in Tuscany and
the area around Rome, promoted the Stations of the Cross, and served
as a spiritual director. L. was canonized in 1867 and is the patron
of parish missions.
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