Portal:Christianity/Selected biography/2006
December
Paul of Tarsus or Saint Paul the Apostle is considered by many Christians to be the most important disciple of Jesus, and next to Jesus the most important figure in the development of Christianity. The Apostle Paul himself was a Jew from Greece of that time (Tarsus of present-day Turkey), and it was he who first made great efforts in his epistles to the Romans in showing that God is for all the people, not only for Jews. Originally a man who sought to stamp out the followers of Christ, he became one of the greatest echoes of Christ's message of hope to all people following his transformation on the road to Damascus.
(more)January
Blessed Mary MacKillop (1842 - 1909) was the first (and to date the only) Australian to be beatified. In 1867, she and South Australian priest Father Julian Tenison Woods set up a new order called the Sisters of St Joseph, a charitable organisation which soon set up schools, providences for the elderly and refuges for single mothers and children all over Australia and New Zealand. MacKillop experienced many difficulties with Australian bishops, who were outraged at her refusal to give them power over the order; she was even excommunicated because of this. She was soon exonerated however, and continued her inspiring work right until her death.
(more)February
Martin Luther was a 16th century German theologian, an Augustinian monk, and an ecclesiastical reformer whose teachings inspired the Reformation and deeply influenced the doctrines and culture of the Lutheran and Protestant traditions. Luther's call to the Church to return to the teachings of the Bible led to the formation of new traditions within Christianity and to the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic reaction to these movements. His contributions to Western civilization went beyond the life of the Christian Church. His translations of the Bible helped to develop a standard version of the German language and added several principles to the art of translation. His hymns inspired the development of congregational singing in Christianity. His marriage on June 13, 1525, to Katharina von Bora began a movement of clerical marriage within many Christian traditions.
(more)March
Pope John Paul II (Latin: Ioannes Paulus PP. II ), born Karol Józef Wojtyła (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005) reigned as pope of the Roman Catholic Church for almost 27 years, from October 16, 1978 until his death, making his the second-longest pontificate. On May 9, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI, John Paul II's successor, waived the five year waiting period for a cause for beatification to be opened. He was the first Polish pope and the first non-Italian pope since the 16th century. His early reign was marked by his opposition to Communism, and he is often credited as one of the forces which brought about its fall. In the later part of his pontificate, he was notable for speaking against consumerism, unrestrained capitalism, cultural relativism and what he deemed as the "culture of death".
During his reign, the pope travelled extensively, visiting over 100 countries, more than any of his predecessors. He was said to have canonized more people than all popes before him put together (though early records are incomplete). He was Pope during a period in which Catholicism's influence declined in developed countries but expanded in the Third World.
Pope John Paul II was extremely popular worldwide, attracting the largest crowds in history (at times attracting crowds of over one million people in a single venue and over four million people at the World Youth Day in Manila), and being respected by many even outside of the Catholic Church, despite strident criticism from some quarters. John Paul II was fluent in numerous languages: his native Polish, Italian, French, German, English, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese and Latin.
(more)April
Father Damien, formally Jozef de Veuster, (January 3, 1840 - April 15, 1889), was a Flemish Catholic missionary of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary who is revered primarily by Hawaii residents and Christians for having dedicated his life in service to the lepers of Molokai in the Kingdom of Hawaii, which ultimately led to his own death from the disease. In Catholicism, Father Damien is the spiritual patron of people with leprosy, outcasts, and those with HIV/AIDS, and of the State of Hawaii. Father Damien Day is recognized each year in Hawaii on April 15. His Feast Day in the Catholic Church is May 10. Having been beatified in 1995, Father Damien is awaiting formal approval for sainthood.
(more)May
Joan of Arc is a national heroine of France and a saint of the Roman Catholic Church. She had visions, believed to be from God, which led to the liberation of her homeland from English dominance in the Hundred Years' War. The then-uncrowned King Charles VII sent her to the siege of Orléans as part of a relief mission. She gained prominence when she overcame the disregard of veteran commanders and ended the siege in only nine days. Several more swift victories led to Charles VII's coronation at Rheims and settled the disputed succession to the throne. The renewed French confidence outlasted Joan of Arc's own brief career. She refused to leave the field when she was wounded during an attempt to recapture Paris that fall. Hampered by court intrigues, she led only minor companies from then on, and fell prisoner during a skirmish near Compiègne the following spring. A politically-motivated trial convicted her of heresy. The English regent, John, Duke of Bedford, had her burnt at the stake in Rouen. Pope Callixtus III reopened Joan's case; a new finding overturned the original conviction. Her piety to the end impressed the retrial court. Pope Benedict XV canonized her on 16 May 1920.
(more)June
Saint Vladimir I of Kiev (c. 958–1015) was the grand prince of Kiev who converted to Christianity in 988, and baptised the entire Kievan Rus' region. His name may be spelled in different ways: in Old East Slavic as Volodimir (Володимир), in modern Ukrainian as Volodymyr (Володимир), in Old Church Slavonic and modern Russian as Vladimir (Владимир), in Old Norse as Valdamarr and the modern Scandinavian languages as Valdemar. He died at Berestovo, near Kiev, while on his way to chastise the insolence of his son, Prince Yaroslav of Novgorod. The various parts of his dismembered body were distributed among his numerous sacred foundations and were venerated as relics. One of the largest Kievan cathedrals is dedicated to him. The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate the feast day of St. Vladimir on 15 July.
(more)July
Martin Luther King Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was a Baptist minister and American political activist who was the most famous leader of the American civil rights movement. King won the Nobel Peace Prize before being assassinated in 1968. In 1977, King was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by Jimmy Carter. For his promotion of non-violence and racial equality, King is considered a peacemaker and a martyr by many people around the world. The Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established in his honor. Martin Luther King's most influential and well-known speech is "I Have A Dream."
(more)August
John Calvin (July 10, 1509 – May 27, 1564) was an important French Christian theologian during the Protestant Reformation and is the namesake of the system of Christian theology called Calvinism. He was born Jean Chauvin (or Cauvin) in Noyon, Picardie, France, to Gérard Cauvin and Jeanne Lefranc. French was his mother tongue; Calvin derives from the Latin version of his name, Calvinus. Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses in 1517, when Calvin was 8 years old. Calvin was a prominent advocate of the five solas of the Reformation, which teach that the Bible alone and not the church leadership is the final authority for matters of faith and morals, and that salvation is attained purely through grace without any contribution from the good deeds of the person in question. He is also widely known for his teaching on predestination, in which he argued for personal responsibility.
(more)September
Saint Peter, also known as Simon ben Jonah/BarJonah, Simon Peter, Cephas and Kepha — original name Simon or Simeon (Acts 15:14) — was one of the Twelve Apostles whom Jesus chose from among his original disciples. His life is prominently featured in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles.
A Galilean fisherman, he (with his brother Andrew) was literally "called" by Jesus to be a disciple. Above all the other disciples, Peter was assigned a leadership role by Jesus (Matt 16:18; John 21:15–16); and indeed, his supremacy within the early Church is recognized by many such as St Clement of Rome (1st Epistle to the Corinthians,1,59:1) St Iranaeus (Adversus Haereses 3:3:20).
Simon Peter is considered a saint by many Christians, and the first Pope by the Roman Catholic Church, including its Eastern Rites.
Other Christian denominations recognize his office as Bishop of Antioch and later Bishop of Rome, but do not hold that his episcopacy had primacy over other episcopates elsewhere in the world. Other opinions are that his primacy was merely that of a first among equals; that he held a mere primacy of honour; or that his primacy was indended to last only during his lifetime. Still others do not view Peter as having held the office of bishop or overseer, holding that the office of bishop was a development of later Christianity. Furthermore, many Protestants do not use the title of "saint" in reference to him.
(more)October
Pelagius of Asturias was the founder of the Kingdom of Asturias, ruling from 718 until his death. He is credited with beginning the Christian Reconquista or reconquest of the Iberian peninsula (modern Portugal and Spain) from the Moors.
Pelayo was a nobleman of high birth in the Visigothic kingdom that held power in Hispania from the early fifth century until its defeat by the Moors at the Battle of Guadalete in 711. He escaped capture at the Guadalete River, where he may have been one of the bodyguards of Roderic, the Visigothic king. Pelayo returned to his native Asturias (in the northern part of modern day Spain) and became the leader of a rebellion against Munuza, the Moorish governor of the area.
(more)November
Pelagius of Asturias was the founder of the Kingdom of Asturias, ruling from 718 until his death. He is credited with beginning the Christian Reconquista or reconquest of the Iberian peninsula (modern Portugal and Spain) from the Moors.
Pelayo was a nobleman of high birth in the Visigothic kingdom that held power in Hispania from the early fifth century until its defeat by the Moors at the Battle of Guadalete in 711. He escaped capture at the Guadalete River, where he may have been one of the bodyguards of Roderic, the Visigothic king. Pelayo returned to his native Asturias (in the northern part of modern day Spain) and became the leader of a rebellion against Munuza, the Moorish governor of the area.
(more)December
Francesco Forgione (May 25, 1887 – September 23, 1968), canonized Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, was an Italian priest. He took the name Pio when he joined the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, and was popularly known as Padre Pio after his ordination to the priesthood. He became famous not only for his piety, but for stories of supernatural events which became attached to him. Among these were his stigmata wounds. The monk's life was one of suffering. He came to believe that the love of God was inseparable from suffering. He considered that suffering all things for the sake of God was the way for the soul to reach God. It is considered that the soul of Padre Pio was purified by the sufferings he bore. Padre Pio acquired fame as a miracle worker, and like John Vianney, was purported to have the gift of reading souls. He is alleged to have been able to bilocate according to eyewitness accounts. Ultimately, Pope John Paul II canonised Padre Pio on 16 June, 2002.
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