Saint Peter Damian (1007-1072)
Image Courtesy: Faith Warriors
(Franciscan Media) Peter was born into a good family but was orphaned at an early age and went to live with his brother.
According to EWTN his bother treated him more life a slave than one so closely related. Peter escaped poverty and the neglect of his brother, when he was sent away to another brother that was an Archpriest in Italy Raveena, who took pity on him and had the charity to provide him with an education–Peter became a professor
Maybe because he was orphaned, Peter was very good to the poor, it was an ordinary thing for him to have an impoverished person or two dine with him and he enjoyed the opportunity this provided to minister to them.
Already in those days, Peter was very strict with himself, he wore a chalice underneath his clothing, fasted rigorously and spent many hours in prayer–Later he left teaching and gave himself to prayer with the Benedictines of the Reform of Saint Romuald at Fonte Avellnam–they lived two Monks to a hermitage. Peter was so eager to pray, sleeping so little and studying the Bible, that he soon suffered severe insomnia, finding that he had to use some prudence to take better care of himself.
His superiors ordered that Peter make frequent appeals to the religious, as he had acquired a very good character for virtue and learning–later he founded 5 other hermitages (monasteries) encouraging his brother in a life of prayer and solitude, wanting nothing more for himself. The Holy See however periodically called on Peter to be a peacemaker/troubleshooter between two Abbey’s in dispute or between a Cleric and government official in some disagreement with Rome.
Pope Stephen IX in 1057 made Peter the Cardinal-Bishop of of Ostia (Rome) but such was his reluctance, that nothing less than Pope Stephen IX threatening him with excommunication and his commands, induced Peter to acquiesce.
Peter worked hard to to wipe out simony (buying or selling ecclesiastical privileges) and encouraged his priest’s to observe celibacy and even encouraged the diocesan clergy to live together to maintain scheduled prayer and religious observances–wanting to restore the discipline among the religious and priests, warning them against needless travel, violations of poverty and too comfortable of living.
Following Peter’s retirement, he continued to edify the Church by his penance and writing bust was still called to serve as a personal representative to the Pope.
Henry, Archbishop of Ravenna having been excommunicated for grievous moral offenses, Peter was sent by Pope Alexander II to take care of the affairs of the Church. When Peter arrived, he found the Bishop deceased but found his accomplices. Bringing them around to a sense of their guilt, he imposed suitable penances upon them.
This was Peter’s last undertaking for the Church before God, being pleased with his his labors soon after called him home on the 22 February, 1072
Peter was Canonized in 1823 by Pope Leo XII and in 1828 made Doctor of the Church.
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