Damian of Pavia, St.

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DAMIAN OF PAVIA, ST.

Bishop; d. Pavia, April 4, c. 715. The son of a noble family, he early achieved a reputation for learning and piety. As a priest he vigorously opposed monothelitism at the Synod of Milan (680). He composed the letter sent in the name of the synod by Bishop Mansuetus to Emperor constantine iv Pogonatus. The letter, read at the Council of constantinople iii, contained a profession of faith that affirmed two natural wills and two natural operations in Christ. When elected bishop of Pavia (c. 685), he played the role of peacemaker between the Byzantine emperor and the lombards. Shortly before his death he visited Constantinople.

Feast: April 12.

Bibliography: Acta Sanctorum Sedis April 2:9192. damian, "Epistola," Patrologia Latina 87:125968. j. l. baudot and l. chaussin, Vies des saints et des bienhereux selon l'ordre du calendrier avec l'historique des fêtes (Paris 193556) 4:276. r. van doren, Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques, ed. a. baudrillart et al. (Paris 1912) 14:54.

[j. e. lynch]