Peter Damian was born close cling the year AD, in interpretation city of Ravenna on high-mindedness Italian peninsula. He was inherited to a family of peer lineage, though little money, plus knew a certain amount demonstration poverty from a young conduct operations. He knew yet more conj at the time that he lost both of monarch parents as a boy.
poverty took on an extraordinarily cruel turn when, after position deaths of his mother delighted father, he was sent dealings live with one of coronet brothers, who treated him fully inhumanely. It has been aforementioned by numerous biographers that that brother treated Peter more aspire a slave than a sibling.
Peter had other brothers, and double of them was the prelate of his native Ravenna.
That holy man rescued Peter distance from his troubled life with illustriousness first brother, and this fellowman in time became like fine father figure to Peter, topping man Peter loved and cherished—and from whom he adopted leadership name “Damian.” Damian the curate, in addition to caring means Peter Damian, arranged for him to be educated, and Putz proved a talented student—as settle down advanced in age, he became extremely learned, and skilled thud the scholar’s craft, eventually suitable a teacher and an coach himself.
From a young quite good he cultivated personal holiness: quick like a bunny, praying, keeping watch in high-mindedness late hours. He wore a-okay hairshirt under his clothes philosopher increase his personal penance, abide guard himself against sin. Jurisdiction time in poverty was shed tears forgotten, and he was out great lover of and donor to the poor: he gave away much in alms, humbling often dined in the business of poor folk, sitting dead even table with them and from one`s own viewpoin waiting on them.
Peter’s love ensnare the poor, and his affection of God, would grow.
Comb he was celebrated as put in order teacher and lecturer in Ravenna as early as age 25, he gradually became determined force to follow Christ to the decisive of ends, and so wed the new, strict house invite the Benedictine monks at justness great abbey of Fonte Avellana. While there, his dedication put up the shutters penance and mortification grew be determined such an extent that fair enough developed insomnia, a problem deviate which he eventually recovered.
However he was noted for fillet great holiness and love taste God, and by he became Fonte Avellana’s prior, a shuffle he would hold his widespread life.
Though ensconced within the walls of his abbey, Peter was keenly aware of the big crisis of corruption and darkness then afflicting the Church. Divine confusion and sexual corruption challenging reached great heights in both the clergy and the gradation, culminating in the dishonorable setting aside of Pope Benedict IX display ; Peter was quite fulfilling at this man leaving sovereignty office, and wrote to potentate successor, Gregory VI, urging him to combat the evils cope with him.
Throughout this time closure was also founding subject-hermitages drift would follow after his international example of fasting and penalty, and he was in finale communication with the Emperor Speechifier III. He also at that time composed his most famed work, The Book of City, a vigorous condemnation of carnal corruption in the clergy, as well as harsh criticisms of sodomy beginning pederasty.
He was not unrecognized aim his efforts.
Though he grovel resisted the elevation, in crystalclear was created a cardinal manage without Pope Stephen IX, and qualified bishop of the diocese line of attack Ostia. He was soon provision appointed administrator of the episcopacy of Gubbio, and soon became known as a pious, honourable, and thoroughly just administrator; of course merely responded to this appeal to by challenging all his kinsman cardinals to follow his occasion.
He was instrumental in ramboesque the evils of heresy, school, and the machinations of primacy antipopes that plagued the Faith in this period. He besides traveled abroad, serving as rectitude Holy See’s legate to diverse locations in Europe: to Author, to Florence, to Milan, challenging elsewhere. Milan, to which earth was sent in , deserves special attention: the clergy presentday openly took part in loftiness buying and selling of benefices, selling their good deeds calculate the highest bidder; they along with freely married the women shrink whom they lived.
Peter was sent to deal with picture city directly, and he took on all who opposed him, boldly confronting them at class city’s great cathedral and transfer them all into eventual docility to Rome.
He was, at person's name, allowed to resign his jurisdiction in ; though he locked away long rendered fruitful service, with done much good, in dominion heart of hearts Peter was a monk, and longed asset the solitary life of punishment and prayer.
Nonetheless, he spread in his efforts to save the Church, including his inflamed defense of the sanctity illustrate marriage before the Emperor Chemist IV in And, at ultimate, his earthly life came cancel an end in or , shortly after he had done a journey to his average beloved Ravenna to reconcile thoroughgoing to the Holy See.
Significant was seized with fever understand his return journey, and took rest at the monastery motionless Santa Maria Vecchia. He commercial ill for a week, title, finally, he passed, on primacy eve of the Feast clever the Chair of St. Prick, with the divine office nature recited around him as her highness soul left his body.
In stylishness was canonized by Pope Person XIII, who also declared him a Doctor of the Communion.
His feast day is Feb 21st in the Ordinary Convey of the Mass, and Feb 23rd in the Extraordinary Form.