Saint Publius: Difference between revisions
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|death_date=c. 112;{{#tag:ref|"+ c 112. Tradition identifies this saint with Publius, 'chief man of the island of Malta', who befriended St Paul after his shipwreck (Acts 28:7). He became the first Bishop of Malta and later [[List of archbishops of Athens|Bishop of Athens]], being martyred under Trajan."<ref>''[http://orthodoxengland.org.uk/stdjan.htm Publius 21 Jan].'' Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.</ref>|group=note}} or c. 125;<ref name="CO">{{cite web | title= Publius of Malta | publisher = Catholic Online| url= http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=5507 | access-date= April 22, 2011}}</ref> or c. 161–180<ref name="synax">Great Synaxaristes {{in lang|el}}: ''[http://www.synaxarion.gr/gr/sid/2918/sxsaintinfo.aspx Ὁ Ἅγιος Πούπλιος ὁ Ἱερομάρτυρας Ἐπίσκοπος Ἀθηνῶν].'' 13 Μαρτίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.</ref> |
|death_date=c. 112;{{#tag:ref|"+ c 112. Tradition identifies this saint with Publius, 'chief man of the island of Malta', who befriended St Paul after his shipwreck (Acts 28:7). He became the first Bishop of Malta and later [[List of archbishops of Athens|Bishop of Athens]], being martyred under Trajan."<ref>''[http://orthodoxengland.org.uk/stdjan.htm Publius 21 Jan].'' Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.</ref>|group=note}} or c. 125;<ref name="CO">{{cite web | title= Publius of Malta | publisher = Catholic Online| url= http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=5507 | access-date= April 22, 2011}}</ref> or c. 161–180<ref name="synax">Great Synaxaristes {{in lang|el}}: ''[http://www.synaxarion.gr/gr/sid/2918/sxsaintinfo.aspx Ὁ Ἅγιος Πούπλιος ὁ Ἱερομάρτυρας Ἐπίσκοπος Ἀθηνῶν].'' 13 Μαρτίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.</ref> |
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|death_place=[[Athens]],<ref name="orth">Fr. Andrew Anglorus. ''[http://orthodoxengland.org.uk/oemalta.htm Orthodox Europe: Orthodox Malta].'' St John's Orthodox Church, Colchester. Retrieved: 2013-02-07.</ref> [[Achaea (Roman province)|Roman |
|death_place=[[Athens]],<ref name="orth">Fr. Andrew Anglorus. ''[http://orthodoxengland.org.uk/oemalta.htm Orthodox Europe: Orthodox Malta].'' St John's Orthodox Church, Colchester. Retrieved: 2013-02-07.</ref> [[Achaea (Roman province)|Achaea]], [[Roman Empire]] |
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|feast_day=22 January<ref name="roman">''[https://archive.org/details/romanmartyrology00cathuoft The Roman Martyrology].'' Transl. by the Archbishop of Baltimore. Last Edition, According to the Copy Printed at Rome in 1914. Revised Edition, with the Imprimatur of His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons. Baltimore: John Murphy Company, 1916. p. 21.</ref> (Roman Catholic)<br/>[[March 13 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)|13 March]]<ref name="synax"/> (Eastern Orthodox) |
|feast_day=22 January<ref name="roman">''[https://archive.org/details/romanmartyrology00cathuoft The Roman Martyrology].'' Transl. by the Archbishop of Baltimore. Last Edition, According to the Copy Printed at Rome in 1914. Revised Edition, with the Imprimatur of His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons. Baltimore: John Murphy Company, 1916. p. 21.</ref> (Roman Catholic)<br/>[[March 13 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)|13 March]]<ref name="synax"/> (Eastern Orthodox) |
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|venerated_in=[[Roman Catholic Church]]<br/>[[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Church]] |
|venerated_in=[[Roman Catholic Church]]<br/>[[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Church]] |
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'''Saint Publius''' ({{lang-mt|San Publju}}; {{lang-grc-gre|Πούπλιος}}) |
'''Saint Publius''' ({{lang-mt|San Publju}}; {{lang-grc-gre|Πούπλιος}}) was a first-century [[Maltese people|Maltese]] Christian [[prelate]]. He is considered the first [[Archdiocese of Malta|Bishop of Malta]] and one of the first [[List of archbishops of Athens|Bishops of Athens]]. |
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Publius is [[Malta]]'s first |
Publius is [[Malta]]'s first [[canonised]] [[saint]], who is described in the [[Book of Acts]] as the 'chief' or prince of the island ({{lang-mt|il-prinċep tal-gżira}}). According to Maltese [[Christian tradition]], Publius' conversion led to [[Malta]] being the first [[Christianity|Christian]] nation in the [[Western world|West]]. |
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His feast day is celebrated by the [[Catholic Church]] and the [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Church]], in which the traditions are related but the day of celebration differs. |
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==History and tradition== |
==History and tradition== |
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According to [[Christian tradition]], it was Publius who received [[Paul the Apostle]] during his [[shipwreck]] on the island as recounted in the [[Acts of the Apostles]]. According to the |
According to [[Christian tradition]], it was Publius who received [[Paul the Apostle]] during his [[shipwreck]] on the island as recounted in the [[Acts of the Apostles]]. According to the Acts of the Apostles, Paul cured Publius' [[dysentery]]-afflicted father. |
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:''"In the vicinity of that place were lands belonging to a man named Publius, the chief of the island. He welcomed us and received us cordially as his guests for three days. It so happened that the father of Publius was sick with a fever and dysentery. Paul visited him and, after praying, laid his hands on him and healed him. After this had taken place, the rest of the sick on the island came to Paul and were cured. They paid us great honor and when we eventually set sail they brought us the provisions we needed."'' — Acts 28:7–10, New American Bible |
:''"In the vicinity of that place were lands belonging to a man named Publius, the chief of the island. He welcomed us and received us cordially as his guests for three days. It so happened that the father of Publius was sick with a fever and dysentery. Paul visited him and, after praying, laid his hands on him and healed him. After this had taken place, the rest of the sick on the island came to Paul and were cured. They paid us great honor and when we eventually set sail they brought us the provisions we needed."'' — Acts 28:7–10, New American Bible |
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Apart from being [[patron saint]] of [[Floriana]], Publius is also one of the two patron saints of Malta beside Paul. He was martyred c. 125,<ref name="CO"/> during the persecution of Emperor [[Hadrian]] |
Apart from being [[patron saint]] of [[Floriana]], Publius is also one of the two patron saints of Malta beside Paul. He was martyred c. 125,<ref name="CO"/> during the persecution of Emperor [[Hadrian]]. |
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| ⚫ | His feast is celebrated on January |
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| ⚫ | His feast is celebrated on 22 January in the [[Roman Catholic Church]], which places him as the successor of [[Dionysius the Areopagite]], dating his martyrdom to c. 112.{{#tag:ref|"At Athens, the birthday of St. Publius, bishop, who, as successor of St. [[Dionysius the Areopagite|Denis the Areopagite]], nobly governed the Church of Athens. No less celebrated for the lustre of his virtues than for the brilliancy of his learning, he was gloriously crowned for having borne testimony to Christ."<ref name="roman"/>|group=note}} |
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| ⚫ | In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], however, his feast day is observed on [[March 13 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)| |
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| ⚫ | In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], however, his feast day is observed on [[March 13 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)|13 March]], and according to an epistle of [[Dionysius, Bishop of Corinth]], he is placed as the successor of [[Narcissus of Athens]], dating his martyrdom to the period of the [[Persecution of early Christians in the Roman Empire|persecution under Marcus Aurelius]] ({{Reign|161|180}}).<ref name="synax"/> |
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Godfrey Wettinger, a contemporary historian, argues that there is no proof that Paul ever was in Malta other than in pseudo-Maltese history dating from the 11th to the 18th centuries.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}} The island was conquered by the Muslims between 870 and 1091, during which period it also spent years uninhabited, suggesting that Christianity in Malta is not rooted on Publius and Paul. Though the Acts of the Apostles (c. 28) does specifically mention Malta in connection with Paul's voyage and shipwreck, the text does only claims that Publius was healed of dysentery and not that he ever converted.<ref>{{cite book|title=Il-Mit Pawlin u l-Abbuż tal-Istorja Maltija|url=http://www.mireva.com/DetailPanel.aspx?Id=22068621|first=Mark|last=Camilleri|date=2013|publisher=Publikazzjoni Sensiela Kotba Socjalisti (SKS)|language=mt|isbn=9789993217299|pages=12–16}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Il-Mit Pawlin u l-Abbuż tal-Istorja Maltija|url=https://www.pressreader.com/malta/the-malta-independent-on-sunday/20161106/281934542512714|work=The Malta Independent on Sundays|date=6 November 2016}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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* [[Archdiocese of Malta]] |
* [[Archdiocese of Malta]] |
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* [[Malta]] |
* [[Malta]] |
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* [[List of minor New Testament figures#Publius|List of minor New Testament figures]] |
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* [[Floriana]] |
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==Notes== |
==Notes== |
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Revision as of 23:20, 9 February 2024
Publius | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Bishop of Athens Bishop of Malta | |
| Died | c. 112;[note 1] or c. 125;[2] or c. 161–180[3] Athens,[4] Achaea, Roman Empire |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church Orthodox Church |
| Feast | 22 January[5] (Roman Catholic) 13 March[3] (Eastern Orthodox) |
| Attributes | Shown with a lion next to him |
| Patronage | Floriana, Malta |
Saint Publius (Maltese: San Publju; Greek: Πούπλιος) was a first-century Maltese Christian prelate. He is considered the first Bishop of Malta and one of the first Bishops of Athens.
Publius is Malta's first canonised saint, who is described in the Book of Acts as the 'chief' or prince of the island (Maltese: il-prinċep tal-gżira). According to Maltese Christian tradition, Publius' conversion led to Malta being the first Christian nation in the West.
His feast day is celebrated by the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, in which the traditions are related but the day of celebration differs.
History and tradition
According to Christian tradition, it was Publius who received Paul the Apostle during his shipwreck on the island as recounted in the Acts of the Apostles. According to the Acts of the Apostles, Paul cured Publius' dysentery-afflicted father.
- "In the vicinity of that place were lands belonging to a man named Publius, the chief of the island. He welcomed us and received us cordially as his guests for three days. It so happened that the father of Publius was sick with a fever and dysentery. Paul visited him and, after praying, laid his hands on him and healed him. After this had taken place, the rest of the sick on the island came to Paul and were cured. They paid us great honor and when we eventually set sail they brought us the provisions we needed." — Acts 28:7–10, New American Bible
Apart from being patron saint of Floriana, Publius is also one of the two patron saints of Malta beside Paul. He was martyred c. 125,[2] during the persecution of Emperor Hadrian.
His feast is celebrated on 22 January in the Roman Catholic Church, which places him as the successor of Dionysius the Areopagite, dating his martyrdom to c. 112.[note 2]
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, however, his feast day is observed on 13 March, and according to an epistle of Dionysius, Bishop of Corinth, he is placed as the successor of Narcissus of Athens, dating his martyrdom to the period of the persecution under Marcus Aurelius (r. 161–180).[3]
See also
Notes
- ^ "+ c 112. Tradition identifies this saint with Publius, 'chief man of the island of Malta', who befriended St Paul after his shipwreck (Acts 28:7). He became the first Bishop of Malta and later Bishop of Athens, being martyred under Trajan."[1]
- ^ "At Athens, the birthday of St. Publius, bishop, who, as successor of St. Denis the Areopagite, nobly governed the Church of Athens. No less celebrated for the lustre of his virtues than for the brilliancy of his learning, he was gloriously crowned for having borne testimony to Christ."[5]
References
- ^ Publius 21 Jan. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.
- ^ a b "Publius of Malta". Catholic Online. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
- ^ a b c Great Synaxaristes (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Πούπλιος ὁ Ἱερομάρτυρας Ἐπίσκοπος Ἀθηνῶν. 13 Μαρτίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
- ^ Fr. Andrew Anglorus. Orthodox Europe: Orthodox Malta. St John's Orthodox Church, Colchester. Retrieved: 2013-02-07.
- ^ a b The Roman Martyrology. Transl. by the Archbishop of Baltimore. Last Edition, According to the Copy Printed at Rome in 1914. Revised Edition, with the Imprimatur of His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons. Baltimore: John Murphy Company, 1916. p. 21.
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