Peter Damian, bishop and doctor of the Church (1007–1072)

Biography

Divine Providence knows how to guide our steps, although on so many occasions we do not know how to appreciate it. This is how this child would think about the dark future, that his parents abandon him, that he has led a difficult life since he was very young, that when he is older, one of his brothers treats him with unusual cruelty and so that he can eat, he sends him to keep his pigs... But the Lord gave him a heart of gold and unusual qualities, which later someone will know how to appreciate. He goes one day on the road and finds a gold coin. I had never seen anything so beautiful. Instead of buying something useful or superfluous, he enters a Church and with that coin orders a Mass to be celebrated for his deceased parents. A brother of his, who was archpriest of Ravenna, meets him and takes him under his care. He makes him study and soon discovers in him such extraordinary qualities that very soon they will make him climb all the most difficult positions, both in the professorship and in the Church. Those who saw him leading a subhuman life and tending pigs would not think that one day Pope Alexander II would come to present him to the Episcopate of France, as his Legate, and would write to them: "We send to you the one who after us has the greatest authority in the Roman Church, Peter Damian, Cardinal Bishop of Ostia, who is like the pupil of our eyes and the firmest bulwark of the Apostolic See..." While he was studying, the admiration of all his classmates and teachers. Despite liking science so much, it did not fulfill him completely and he aspired to something more solid and lasting. He abandoned the kind of life he was leading and devoted himself to the most important matter: that of taking care of his soul. He asked to be admitted to the Monastery of Fon Tavellana as a religious... Soon his qualities attracted attention and he was unanimously elected by the Superior of the Monastery. It is a model of observance for all monks. Above all, he is distinguished by two things: his fervent and prolonged prayer and his penance or maceration of his body. During this time he published his beautiful work "Praise of Discipline", in which without trying, he took a wonderful photograph of himself. "The monk, he says, must be sacrificed and deprived of many things that he would have in the world..." Soon Pope Stephen IX named him Cardinal, even though he fought to be freed from this honor. He wanted to have him close to him and at the same time named him Bishop of Ostia. From there he illuminates and punishes heresies of any kind: Simony, relaxation of customs among the clergy, interference of civil powers in ecclesiastical matters... His beneficial action reaches everyone. He also writes such necessary topics as "Celibacy", "Virginity", "surrender to Jesus Christ". He says very beautiful things about the Virgin Mary, whom he loves with all his soul, and like a good son, he extends his true devotion to all her adventures. From him is this phrase that is an entire life program: "All Christians have to live the madness of the cross and separate themselves from all terrestrial, animal and diabolical philosophy, contrary to the gospel." Saint Peter Damian died on February 22, 1072, exhausted by his work.