medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (23. October) is the feast day of:
Severinus of Bordeaux (d. c. 420) Legend tells that Severinus was
bishop of Trier or Cologne, but a heavenly voice told him to move to
Bordeaux, where he became bishop. He became principal patron of the
city.
Severinus Boethius (d. 524). An impressive writer and translator,
but it's hard to see why Boethius is regarded as a saint. He was
indeed executed at the order of King Theodoric the Ostrogoth, who was
indeed an Arian, but the execution doesn't seem to have had anything
to do with a religious disagreement---something more on the line of
Boethius plotting to overthrow Theodoric, and Theodoric resenting it.
His cult goes back at least to the ninth century.
Ignatius of Constantinople (d. 877) The younger son of Emperor
Michael I, Ignatius ran into trouble when his father was deposed in
813. He and his brother were mutilated and shoved into a monastery.
I. ended up being a good monk after this unpromising start, being
elected abbot and in 846 becoming patriarch of Constantinople. He
was deposed on false charges in 857 after refusing communion to the
regent on the grounds that the guy had been committing incest. The
pope of the time, Nicholas I, took I's side and his pressure helped
gain I's eventual restoration.
John Buoni (blessed) (d. 1249) John was from Mantua and became a
court entertainer at a young age. But he nearly died of illness at
the age of 40 and decided to clean up his life. So he became a
hermit and attracted disciples who appreciated his severely austere
life; they formed a congregation called the "Boniti" (in 1256 they,
with several other groups, were formed into the Order of Augustinian
Hermits).
John of Capistrano (d. 1456) John studied law and became governor of
Perugia in 1412. But he spent a time in prison during a civil war
and had a religious experience that decided him to become a
Franciscan (nobody knows what happened to his wife). John was very
thorough. He paraded himself through the streets perched backwards
on a donkey, wearing a paper that listed his worst sins, on his way
to the convent. Once there, he insisted on going barefoot all the
time, wearing a hair shirt, and depriving himself systematically of
sleep. Despite the last, he successfully studied theology and became
an outstanding preacher, besides becoming a leader of the Observant
reform. In 1451 John became inquisitor general in Hungary and
Bohemia (mostly to fight Hussites). When Constantinople fell in
1453, he became a crusade preacher; he himself led some troops to
defend Belgrade. He died of disease soon after his victory against
the Turks. J. was canonized in 1724. His feast used to be
celebrated on 28. March.
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