Pierre Damien

Pierre Damien or Petrus Damiani (in Latin), ( Pier Damiani in Italian), (born v. 1007 with Ravenne - died the February 23rd 1072 with Faenza) was an Italian monk of the 11th century, initially Ermite, which became bishop, then cardinal and was declared Doctors of the Church by the Pape Leon XII, in 1823.

Biography

According to the tradition, it was born “five years after death from Otton III” in a desilvered noble family. Placed under the guard of the one of his brothers, he becomes pig-keeper. He is then collected by another of his brothers, archpriest of Ravenne, which places it at the school. As a sign of gratitude, Pierre then joins with his first name that of his brother, Damien. The child achieves fast progress, at the point of going to the university, initially in Ravenne, then in Faenza, then with Parma. He becomes itself professor of Rhétorique.

Become adult, he is discovered a vocation of Ermite and earlier withdraws in 1035 with Fonte Avellana, founded a few years by Romuald de Ravenne, founder of the camaldules. Pierre Damien will write thereafter a Vita Romualdi (1042). He is characterized then by the rigor from penitences which he inflicts. In 1043, he becomes the prior of the monastery. It engages with strength in the movement of reform promoted by the popes, in particular Gregoire VII. It becomes famous for the strength of its sermons against the Simonie and the Nicolaïsme. In 1051, it writes the Livre of Gomorrhe , where it denounces the defects of the clergy - and in particular the priests homosexual, of which it requires the reference of the Church. Leon IX refuses however to reach its request, which pushes Pierre Damien to write a letter of protest. He shows also opposite with the reordination priests heretic S.

He takes part in many synods. In 1058, it is high with the dignity of cardinal-bishop of Ostie by Etienne IX. With died of this last, Pierre takes party against the Antipape Benoît X. He is then constrained to turn over to his hermitage. In 1059, it is sent as legate in the archbishop's palace of Milan, where reign the simony and where the majority of the priests are married. With the assistance of Patarins, in favor of the celibacy of the clerks, it restores the order and obtains the tender of the archbishop and the local clergy. It takes share with the judgment of Béranger de Tours, opposed to the Transsubstantiation. With the IIIe council of Lateran, it makes adopt the gun prohibiting faithful from hearing the mass of a married priest or boyfriend.

In 1072, it is taken of fever to the return of a voyage to Ravenne. He dies in the monastery of Sainte-Marie of the Angels, where he is buried at once by the monks, anxious to lose its Relique S. Peine lost, the body of Pierre Damien will be transferred six times on the whole. He rests since 1898 in a vault with him dedicated of the cathedral of Faenza. Although it never was canonized formally, a local worship is returned to him as of the moment of its death with Faena, the Mount-Cassin, Cluny and Cast iron-Avellana. In 1823, the pope Leon XII extends his festival to the universal Church and proclaims it Doctors of the Church.

Work

Its work consists especially of an imposing correspondence (158 letters) and sermons (75). He is also the author of Hagiographie S and treaties, among which:

Of divina omnipotentia , on the power of God ( Letter on the divine absolute power , Paris: Stag, 1972 (text with translation))
a disputatio with a Jew on the problem of the Trinity and the Messiah;
Liber gratissimus , dedicated to the archbishop Henri de Ravenne, against the Simony;
Of brevitate vitæ pontificum romanorum , on the short life granted to the popes.

It is celebrated the February 21st. It left some writings, printed to Paris in 1642 and 1643, folio.

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