PETER DAMIAN, SAINT


Meaning of PETER DAMIAN, SAINT in English

born 1007, Ravenna

died Feb. 22, 1072, Faenze; feast day February 21

Italian cardinal and Doctor of the Church.

He was prior of Fonte Avellana in the Apennines before being named a cardinal in 1057. A leading monastic reformer and ascetic, he played an important role in the promotion of apostolic poverty and in support of papal reformers who sought to enforce clerical celibacy and abolish simony . He defended Pope Alexander II against the antipope Honorius II and reconciled Alexander with the city of Ravenna. He was also sent as a papal legate to resolve disputes in Milan and Cluny, Burgundy, and he played a key role in the formulation of the papal election decree of 1059.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.