Saints of the Day & More

His date of birth is uncertain, died April 22, 536. Gordianus was the son of a Roman priest who had been discharged during the riots in the days of Pope Symmachus. His first official act was to burn in the presence of the assembly of the clergy, the anathema which Boniface II had spoken out against Dioscurus, his last rival ordered to be preserved in the Roman archives. He confirmed the decrees of the council held at Carthage, after the liberation of Africa from the yoke of vandalism, according to which converts from Arianism were declared ineligible to Holy Orders and those already ordained were merely admitted to lay communion. He accepted an appeal from Contumeliosus, Bishop of Riez, a council in Marseille who had condemned for immorality, and ordered St. Caesarius of Arles to grant the defendant a new trial before papal delegates. Meanwhile Belisarius after the easy conquest of Sicily, was preparing for an invasion of Italy. The Gothic king, Theodehad as a last resort, begged the o...

The young prefect of Liguria and Emilia Ambrosio was born in Trier about the year 340, a Roman family. It was still a catechumen, by acclamation when he was elected to the see of Milan, December 7, 374. Within Christian religion had to learn almost everything, and were devoted primarily to studying the Bible so hard that soon learned thoroughly. But Ambrose was not a pure intellectual: it was above all an excellent administrator of the Christian community. It was a real spiritual father of the young emperors Gratian and Valentinian II and Theodosius I dreaded, who did not hesitate to criticize harshly, demanding a public penance in atonement for having murdered the people of Thessalonica to end a revolt. Ambrose is the symbol of the church reborn after the hard years of hiding and persecution. Through him the Church of Rome tried without any servility to political power. His personal qualities were what attracted her devoted attention. Ambrose daily activity was devoted to conducting t...