Christianity
Q&A for committed Christians, experts in Christianity and those interested in learning more
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3
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Is there a (mostly) comprehensive list of Eastern Orthodox Saints available?
I feel the title is mostly self explanatory, but I am looking for a list/collection that has most or all of the saints venerated in Eastern Orthodoxy. I have seen some churches have calendars with amounts of saints on them (example: https://www.oca.org/saints/lives), but I am looking for greater com...
I feel the title is mostly self explanatory, but I am looking for a list/collection that has most or all of the saints venerated in Eastern Orthodoxy. I have seen some churches have calendars with amounts of saints on them (example: https://www.oca.org/saints/lives) , but I am looking for greater comprehensiveness.
Hagiographics123
(31 rep)
Sep 22, 2024, 08:17 PM
• Last activity: Sep 22, 2024, 10:01 PM
1
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1
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Besides Paul, were any saints complicit in the martyrdom of other saints?
According to [Acts 8:1](https://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Acts%208:1&version=nrsv) and [Acts 22:20](https://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Acts%2022:20&version=nrsv), Saul participated in the martyrdom of Stephen, at least by granting approval to those who physically stoned him to death. Saul later under...
According to [Acts 8:1](https://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Acts%208:1&version=nrsv) and [Acts 22:20](https://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Acts%2022:20&version=nrsv) , Saul participated in the martyrdom of Stephen, at least by granting approval to those who physically stoned him to death. Saul later underwent a conversion and became recognized (by the Roman Catholic Church and in Christendom generally) as a saint, St. Paul.
Are there any other saints recognized by the Catholic Church who had participated in the martyrdom of other saints recognized by the Catholic Church?
Psychonaut
(739 rep)
Jul 21, 2024, 08:40 PM
• Last activity: Jul 22, 2024, 12:37 AM
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3
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Who ordered Saint Stephen to death?
I have learnt that some of the Jews linked to the early Jewish council stoned St. Stephen to death and Paul as a witness. But I have a bit of confusion that who ordered the decree of Stephan's death.
I have learnt that some of the Jews linked to the early Jewish council stoned St. Stephen to death and Paul as a witness. But I have a bit of confusion that who ordered the decree of Stephan's death.
Prashanth Sams
(121 rep)
May 30, 2020, 12:31 PM
• Last activity: Jul 10, 2024, 11:43 AM
5
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2
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Identifying a Saint on a Greek Orthodox icon?
I got this icon from Greece, however I was not able to identify the Saint. Could anyone help? [![unknown saint][1]][1] [1]: https://i.sstatic.net/mVVUe.jpg
I got this icon from Greece, however I was not able to identify the Saint. Could anyone help?
user37881
(59 rep)
Aug 28, 2017, 09:51 AM
• Last activity: Apr 5, 2022, 11:34 PM
3
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1
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St. Francis de Sales overcame a temper problem?
I heard that St. Francis de Sales struggled with a temper problem for many years, but he overcome it. What is the source of this biographical information? [Loiuse M. Stachoople-Kenny's biography][1], for example, seems to only mention his sweet temper, but nothing about how he fought to overcome his...
I heard that St. Francis de Sales struggled with a temper problem for many years, but he overcome it. What is the source of this biographical information?
Loiuse M. Stachoople-Kenny's biography , for example, seems to only mention his sweet temper, but nothing about how he fought to overcome his naturally choleric temperament:
>Francis never lost his temper, was always patient and good-humoured, submitting with a smile to the constant rebukes of his old tutor, and treating him always with unfailing gentleness and kindness. As a matter of fact, M. Déage really worshipped the very ground his beloved pupil walked on, but like many people, ready to die for those they love, he tantalized and tormented with constant pinpricks, growls and grumbles, the man he loved most on earth; indeed, his affection and his temper would have made life unbearable to anyone less sweet-tempered and kind-hearted than the gentle Bishop of Geneva.
Geremia
(42439 rep)
Nov 17, 2020, 06:37 PM
• Last activity: Jun 18, 2021, 08:33 PM
2
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1
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Why did St. Monica defer St. Augustine's baptism?
St. Augustine's mother, St. Monica, was very devout, praying for St. Augustine's conversion, even following him to Milan and successfully getting Bishop St. Ambrose to baptize him, Easter 387. But why didn't St. Monica baptize St. Augustine when he was an infant? Was her husband Patricius, a pagan i...
St. Augustine's mother, St. Monica, was very devout, praying for St. Augustine's conversion, even following him to Milan and successfully getting Bishop St. Ambrose to baptize him, Easter 387. But why didn't St. Monica baptize St. Augustine when he was an infant? Was her husband Patricius, a pagan idolator, opposed to this? (How was St. Monica even validly married to a pagan? Mixed marriages, barring a special dispensation, are invalid.)
Fr. Alban Butler's biography of St. Monica says:
>In his infancy she had ranked him among the catechumens; and once in an illness, all things were prepared for his baptism, but it was deferred.
Why did she defer his baptism? It seems an illness would be all the more reason to have him baptized sooner.
Geremia
(42439 rep)
May 4, 2021, 10:26 PM
• Last activity: May 5, 2021, 08:26 AM
3
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0
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Who was St. Jane of Chantal's first spiritual director?
Before [St. Jane de Chantal][1] met St. Francis de Sales, she had a very strict spiritual director, >a priest at the nearby shrine of the Black Virgin at Notre-Dame-d’Etang. He undertook her direction by burdening her with a great many formal exercises of devotion: long vocal prayers, elaborate medi...
Before St. Jane de Chantal met St. Francis de Sales, she had a very strict spiritual director,
>a priest at the nearby shrine of the Black Virgin at
Notre-Dame-d’Etang. He undertook her direction by burdening her
with a great many formal exercises of devotion: long vocal prayers,
elaborate meditations and mental considerations sealed with the stipulation that she speak to no one else but him of her spiritual life.
The rigidity and exteriority of this director’s scheme served only to
increase her anxiety and alienate her from the drama going on
within.
—*Bond of Perfection: Jeanne de Chantal & François de Sales* , Wendy M. Wright, p. 34 Who was this "priest at the nearby shrine of the Black Virgin at Notre-Dame-d’Etang", exactly? Was he a Jansenist?
—*Bond of Perfection: Jeanne de Chantal & François de Sales* , Wendy M. Wright, p. 34 Who was this "priest at the nearby shrine of the Black Virgin at Notre-Dame-d’Etang", exactly? Was he a Jansenist?
Geremia
(42439 rep)
May 2, 2021, 10:51 PM
• Last activity: May 3, 2021, 04:58 PM
1
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0
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100
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Looking for orthodox movies about St. Francis and St. Clare
There are tons of movies about St. Francis and St. Clare, is there a complete list of movies that, I don't know, rank by historicity and orthodoxy? I've seen a few movies about them but can't remember which, I know _The Flowers of St. Francis_ is good, but it's not necessarily based on anything part...
There are tons of movies about St. Francis and St. Clare, is there a complete list of movies that, I don't know, rank by historicity and orthodoxy? I've seen a few movies about them but can't remember which, I know _The Flowers of St. Francis_ is good, but it's not necessarily based on anything particularly historical.
So, what I'd like to see is a complete list, with a relative rating (maybe on a scale of 1-10) for historicity and orthodoxy. I'm trying to find some movies for a curriculum I'm putting together for my daughter's homeschool.
Peter Turner
(34456 rep)
Apr 10, 2021, 07:52 PM
3
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1
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Aside from St. Vincent Ferrer, are there any other saints said to have had the "gift of tongues"?
**What I am not asking about:** Glossolalia, as practiced by Charismatics in the modern day. **What I am asking about:** St. Vincent Ferrer was born in Spain and travelled as far north as Germany and Scotland, preaching wherever he went. He was understood wherever he went, in spite of never having l...
**What I am not asking about:** Glossolalia, as practiced by Charismatics in the modern day.
**What I am asking about:** St. Vincent Ferrer was born in Spain and travelled as far north as Germany and Scotland, preaching wherever he went. He was understood wherever he went, in spite of never having learned anything but his native Valencian.
Eastern sources have likewise refuted the Charismatic claim that glossolalia is the miraculous gift of tongues by pointing out that they have always had saints who spoke in languages they hadn't learned, in addition to performing other, less controversial miracles.
**My question:** Who are these saints, either Western or Eastern?
JAF
(235 rep)
Jun 13, 2019, 02:04 PM
• Last activity: Jan 16, 2021, 07:28 AM
8
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4
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Why did St. Martin give half of his cloak, and didn't give the whole?
There was a saint called St. Martin, from the city of Tours (France) He gave half of his cloak to a poor he saw, because he felt pity for him, it was cold, and the beggar was more or less in rags. I see the lesson in this story, but what I wonder is why he only gave half of his cloak, why not the wh...
There was a saint called St. Martin, from the city of Tours (France)
He gave half of his cloak to a poor he saw, because he felt pity for him, it was cold, and the beggar was more or less in rags.
I see the lesson in this story, but what I wonder is why he only gave half of his cloak, why not the whole coat?
I wonder if it was a real act, or an allegory (sharing when you have very little), but giving the whole wouldn't have been even more generous?
What is the (Catholic) Church's opinion about this story? Is this story known outside the Catholic Church?
Quidam
(469 rep)
Sep 21, 2017, 05:31 PM
• Last activity: Dec 23, 2020, 05:20 PM
4
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1
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Fr. Pedro de Corpa and Companions
[Franciscan Media:][1] ---------------- > **Saint Pedro de Corpa and Companions’** Story > >Another Saint of the Day for **September 10** > > These five friars were martyred in Georgia for their insistence on > monogamy in Christian marriages... [![Pedro de Corpa and Companions][2]][2] Their names:...
Franciscan Media:
----------------
> **Saint Pedro de Corpa and Companions’** Story
>
>Another Saint of the Day for **September 10**
>
> These five friars were martyred in Georgia for their insistence on
> monogamy in Christian marriages...
Their names:
1. Pedro de Corpa
2. Blas de Rodriguez
3. Miguel de Anon
4. Francisco de Berascola
The article says they are saints. But couldn't find any details of the canonization online.
- Are these friars really canonized?
- If yes, who canonized them and when?
- Is there any hagiography/biography written about them?
Their names:
1. Pedro de Corpa
2. Blas de Rodriguez
3. Miguel de Anon
4. Francisco de Berascola
The article says they are saints. But couldn't find any details of the canonization online.
- Are these friars really canonized?
- If yes, who canonized them and when?
- Is there any hagiography/biography written about them?
Clicker
(497 rep)
Sep 19, 2017, 04:58 PM
• Last activity: Jun 21, 2020, 12:08 PM
15
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2
answers
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Did St. Nicholas punch Arius at the Council of Nicaea?
Was Nikolaos of Myra (St. Nicholas) present at the Council of Nicaea and, if so, did he punch (or slap) Arius? This amusing factoid tends to crop up at this time of year and has a well-established place in Byzantine iconography, for example: [![Nicholas slapping Arius][1]][1] [This blog post from 20...
Was Nikolaos of Myra (St. Nicholas) present at the Council of Nicaea and, if so, did he punch (or slap) Arius? This amusing factoid tends to crop up at this time of year and has a well-established place in Byzantine iconography, for example:
[This blog post from 2015](http://www.roger-pearse.com/weblog/2015/02/28/did-st-nicholas-of-myra-santa-claus-punch-arius-at-the-council-of-nicaea/) and [this article from 2016](http://www.ncregister.com/blog/steven-greydanus/lets-stop-celebrating-st.-nicholas-punching-arius) dispute the historicity of this fact with fairly convincing arguments, including the fact that the first mentions of his presence are more than 500 years after Nicaea and the actual "punching" story is first recorded in the 14th century.
The Teubner critical edition of the various lists of Nicaea attendees, [*Patrum nicaenorum nomina latine, graece, coptice, syriace, arabice, armeniace, sociata opera*](https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_p0OpPm3Ea6MC) seems to conclude that his name was only added to the list by influence of later biographies (such as of Symeon the Metaphrast), but that the earlier, more reliable manuscripts do not include him.
So, **what is the evidence that St. Nicholas was at Nicaea and punched Arius?**
[This blog post from 2015](http://www.roger-pearse.com/weblog/2015/02/28/did-st-nicholas-of-myra-santa-claus-punch-arius-at-the-council-of-nicaea/) and [this article from 2016](http://www.ncregister.com/blog/steven-greydanus/lets-stop-celebrating-st.-nicholas-punching-arius) dispute the historicity of this fact with fairly convincing arguments, including the fact that the first mentions of his presence are more than 500 years after Nicaea and the actual "punching" story is first recorded in the 14th century.
The Teubner critical edition of the various lists of Nicaea attendees, [*Patrum nicaenorum nomina latine, graece, coptice, syriace, arabice, armeniace, sociata opera*](https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_p0OpPm3Ea6MC) seems to conclude that his name was only added to the list by influence of later biographies (such as of Symeon the Metaphrast), but that the earlier, more reliable manuscripts do not include him.
So, **what is the evidence that St. Nicholas was at Nicaea and punched Arius?**
brianpck
(620 rep)
Dec 7, 2016, 05:35 PM
• Last activity: Jun 19, 2020, 01:10 AM
-4
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1
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Is it true that some of the Catholic saints did not existat all?
Is it true that some of the Catholic saints did not exist at all? I am told that St:George with the dragon did not exist at all! Thanks
Is it true that some of the Catholic saints did not exist at all?
I am told that St:George with the dragon did not exist at all!
Thanks
Siju George
(599 rep)
Mar 15, 2018, 05:12 AM
• Last activity: Jun 19, 2020, 01:09 AM
2
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2
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Are there legitimate saints not documented in western hagiology?
In Croatia the patron saint of Vukovar is Saint Bonus/Sveti Bono. There's nothing in any English Catholic encyclopedia but Croatian wikipedia lists the following facts: * Martyred under Decian (or was it Valens?) in the third century * There's an inscription of his name on a street in Rome. * His bo...
In Croatia the patron saint of Vukovar is Saint Bonus/Sveti Bono. There's nothing in any English Catholic encyclopedia but Croatian wikipedia lists the following facts:
* Martyred under Decian (or was it Valens?) in the third century
* There's an inscription of his name on a street in Rome.
* His body was donated to the people in Vinkovski by Benedict XIV
How common is it for saints of one region to be "left out" in the English hagiographies?
ArtIntoNihonjin.
(599 rep)
Nov 23, 2018, 09:30 PM
• Last activity: Jun 19, 2020, 01:07 AM
0
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2
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Were there any saints who criticized the church?
> Pope Francis has said that those who constantly criticize the Catholic > church are “friends of the devil”. My question is: were there any saints in history who repeatedly criticized the church or the church leaders? I know there was St. Catherine who was urging popes move to Rome > spent twenty y...
> Pope Francis has said that those who constantly criticize the Catholic
> church are “friends of the devil”.
My question is: were there any saints in history who repeatedly criticized the church or the church leaders?
I know there was St. Catherine who was urging popes move to Rome
> spent twenty years trying to convince popes to move back to the
> Eternal City
But I wouldn't consider this as a criticism, it's more of a strategical guidance. I'm more interested in public moral criticism.
Note: I mean the saints who were already living their life of sainthood. After their conversion and through their mystical life were instructed or led by the Holy Spirit to criticize certain immorality of the Church's leaders.
Grasper
(5573 rep)
Feb 21, 2019, 02:10 PM
• Last activity: Jun 19, 2020, 01:07 AM
2
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0
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85
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Did Santa Claus really Punch Out Arius?
I was reading about St. Nicholas who helped in part inspire our modern stories of Santa Claus and read the following: > One weak tradition has him actually attending the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325, when Arian doctrine was rejected. The story goes that he got into a heated debate with Arius himself...
I was reading about St. Nicholas who helped in part inspire our modern stories of Santa Claus and read the following:
> One weak tradition has him actually attending the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325, when Arian doctrine was rejected. The story goes that he got into a heated debate with Arius himself about whether there was a time when the Word did not exist. Nicholas strongly disagreed.
>
> The debate ended suddenly when Nicholas punched out Arius then and there on the floor of the council!
Source
There's no source listed for the "weak tradition" and it certainly makes a very interesting story especially if true. Typically the saint is the victim. Where did the story originate and how old is it? What is the likelihood that it's actually true? As a side note, was mild violence such as this common in any of the councils that have been held over the centuries?
user3961
Dec 14, 2016, 04:06 AM
• Last activity: Jun 19, 2020, 01:03 AM
2
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1
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Who was Saint Raynerius of Beaulieu?
I came accross a website about [Saint Raynerius of Beaulieu](https://catholicreadings.org/catholic-quotes/saint-raynerius-of-beaulieu-saint-of-the-day-february-22/). Every source I can find tells me that his feast day is on Feb 22, and that he died in 967 AD. I want to find more information, but hav...
I came accross a website about [Saint Raynerius of Beaulieu](https://catholicreadings.org/catholic-quotes/saint-raynerius-of-beaulieu-saint-of-the-day-february-22/) . Every source I can find tells me that his feast day is on Feb 22, and that he died in 967 AD. I want to find more information, but have no idea where to start! Please help!
Astor Florida
(219 rep)
Nov 22, 2019, 07:41 PM
• Last activity: Jun 17, 2020, 02:32 AM
2
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1
answers
412
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Was Jeanne d'Arc crazy: Did Catherine of Alexandria exist according to the Catholic church?
I've found on atheistic site that Jeanne d'Arc was crazy, because she heard voices from Catherine of Alexandria, and that this saint never existed and was recognized as such by the Catholic church. [Non, Mélenchon ne diffame pas Jeanne d'Arc](http://rationalisme.free.fr/melenchonjeanne.htm) In...
I've found on atheistic site that Jeanne d'Arc was crazy, because she heard voices from Catherine of Alexandria, and that this saint never existed and was recognized as such by the Catholic church.
[Non, Mélenchon ne diffame pas Jeanne d'Arc](http://rationalisme.free.fr/melenchonjeanne.htm)
In French:
*Parmi les "voix" qu'elle entendait : sainte Catherine d’Alexandrie. Or l'Eglise a reconnu depuis que cette sainte n'avait pas existé, que c'était une légende.*
Translation, after a text explaining why she was crazy:
> Among the "voices", Ste Catherine of Alexandria, but the (Catholic) Church has since recognized that this saint did never exist, that it was only a legend.
On the other hand, the wikipedia page about this saint, or Christian sites explain the opposite. So who is right, and who is lying here?
**So, was Jeanne d'Arc crazy or a real saint?**
Considering the other points in this same French page, I will probably open another question if there's a lot to say about Saint Catherine.
Quidam
(469 rep)
Dec 9, 2019, 10:55 AM
• Last activity: Jun 17, 2020, 02:32 AM
3
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0
answers
50
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Is there a script of St. Francis' "famous" speach in Bologna, the 15th of August of 1222?
I was reading a book about St. Francis and there is a mention about a "famous" speech he gave in the piazza of Bologna, the 15th of August of 1222. There are several descriptions around of this speech. For example, [this book](https://books.google.cl/books?id=yVG1oWcd1ScC&lpg=PA135&ots=EFy0P-Qmm_&dq...
I was reading a book about St. Francis and there is a mention about a "famous" speech he gave in the piazza of Bologna, the 15th of August of 1222. There are several descriptions around of this speech. For example, [this book](https://books.google.cl/books?id=yVG1oWcd1ScC&lpg=PA135&ots=EFy0P-Qmm_&dq=St%20francis%20preaching%20in%20bologna%2015%20august%201222&pg=PA135#v=onepage&q=St%20francis%20preaching%20in%20bologna%2015%20august%201222&f=false) mentions:
Footnote 69 above mentions [this page](https://www.dmgh.de/mgh_ss_29/index.htm#page/580/mode/1up) in Monumenta Germaniae Historica. The key passage is:
This text was originally published in [Historia Salonitana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historia_Salonitana) and can be found [here](https://books.google.cl/books?id=B6xNIF-9PmgC&lpg=PA386&ots=60g4M_9nNQ&dq=Historia%20Salonitana&pg=PA178#v=onepage&q&f=false) , together with an English translation (page 178 and 179 respectively).
I haven't however found the original sermon. [This blog entry](https://idlespeculations-terryprest.blogspot.com/2012/09/preaching-in-bologna-angels-people-and.html) seems to incorrectly state that the above document contains the full sermon.
Anyone aware of where can such sermon be found?
Footnote 69 above mentions [this page](https://www.dmgh.de/mgh_ss_29/index.htm#page/580/mode/1up) in Monumenta Germaniae Historica. The key passage is:
This text was originally published in [Historia Salonitana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historia_Salonitana) and can be found [here](https://books.google.cl/books?id=B6xNIF-9PmgC&lpg=PA386&ots=60g4M_9nNQ&dq=Historia%20Salonitana&pg=PA178#v=onepage&q&f=false) , together with an English translation (page 178 and 179 respectively).
I haven't however found the original sermon. [This blog entry](https://idlespeculations-terryprest.blogspot.com/2012/09/preaching-in-bologna-angels-people-and.html) seems to incorrectly state that the above document contains the full sermon.
Anyone aware of where can such sermon be found?
luchonacho
(4702 rep)
Mar 16, 2020, 05:25 PM
4
votes
1
answers
152
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Were there other people with camel hoof knees from praying?
A reformer whose life was based on prayer and his body bore the marks to prove it. His knees were like those of a camel's hoof as a result of continuous kneeling to pray. Anyone else besides St. James?
A reformer whose life was based on prayer and his body bore the marks to prove it. His knees were like those of a camel's hoof as a result of continuous kneeling to pray. Anyone else besides St. James?
user40745
(49 rep)
Mar 18, 2018, 10:32 PM
• Last activity: Mar 19, 2018, 03:04 AM
Showing page 1 of 20 total questions