Theotonius (saint)

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Statue of St. Theotonius in the Santa Cruz Monastery in Coimbra
Skull relic of St. Theotonius in the Santa Cruz Monastery in Coimbra

The Holy Theotonius (Portuguese: São Teotónio, * 1082 in Ganfei , Portugal, † 18 February 1162 in Coimbra ) applies in the Roman Catholic Church as the first saint of Portugal. He was both advisor to King Alfonso I and one of the founders of the Canon Regular Monastery of Santa Cruz in Coimbra and at the same time its first prior (from 1134 to 1162). On February 18, 1163 he was canonized at a provincial council in Coimbra. Pope Alexander III confirmed his cult for Portugal.

Life

Early life and education

Theotonius was born in Ganfei (Northern Portugal) around 1082 into a wealthy and pious family. His father was Oveco Mogueimes and his mother was named Eugénia. His uncle Crescónio, abbot of the Benedictine monastery near Tuy, was his first teacher. When Crescénio became Bishop of Coimbra in 1092, he took ten-year-old Theotonius with him and entrusted his training to a young seminarist, Tello, who would later be one of the main founders of the Santa Cruz Monastery with him.

After the death of Bishop Crescónio in 1098, Theotonius went to Viseu to complete his education there. There he also decided to pursue an ecclesiastical career. He was ordained a priest in 1109 at the latest.

Priesthood and pilgrimages

In Viseu, Theotonius devoted himself to pastoral care for some time. In 1112, at the request of the people of Viseu and the Bishop of Coimbra, the young priest assumed the office of prior of the cathedral chapter of Viseu, which corresponded to the leading position in this vacant diocese. In an effort to flee from such honors, Theotonius resigned his office and went on his first pilgrimage to the Holy Land around 1121 . After returning to Portugal, he resumed his work as a priest and chapter member in Viseu, but refused to take back the office of prior. According to the oldest biography, his priestly life was characterized by a great love for the Mother of God and generosity towards the poor. Around the year 1130 he again went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, this time with a large group. However, an exact date can no longer be reconstructed based on the biography. The pilgrimages left deep marks on Theotonius. He experienced the mysteries of the life of Jesus from his birth to his passion, death and resurrection and visited the most important holy places. During his stay, especially on Golgotha , he meditated and prayed a lot. His great dedication to the suffering of Christ later had a great impact on the community of the Santa Cruz Monastery. During his stay in Jerusalem, he stayed with the Community of Canon Regulars of the Holy Sepulcher and was invited by them to join their community.

Foundation of the Order of Canon Regulars of the Holy Cross

After returning to Portugal, Theotonius first went to Coimbra, where he met his former teacher, Archdeacon Tello. Tello had gathered ten other men with the intention of founding a new monastery. After initial hesitation, Theotonius complied and joined the men to complete the number of "twelve apostles" of the new foundation. Among the initial 12 founding members were well-known and influential personalities of the church at that time, such as Dom João Peculiar, Dom Paio, Dom Honório and Dom Sesnando. Theotonius would spend the next thirty years of his life, until his death, in the Santa Cruz Monastery in Coimbra.

The foundation stone of the Santa Cruz Monastery was laid on June 28, 1131. The work went quickly and was supported by the King, the Bishop of Coimbra and the city's most distinguished families. On February 24, 1132, in the presence of the king and a large crowd, the bishop gave the new monastic community the rule of St. Augustine as the basis of their consecrated life. They were now 72 in total, as sixty candidates had since joined the original twelve founders. On the same day the chapter on the election of the prior took place, with Theotonius being installed in this office. In his humility, however, he did not accept the title of abbot or the insignia proper to the office . So to this day he is not shown with the miter on his head, but at his feet. Theotonius became the chief spiritual director of the monastic community in Santa Cruz.

According to the first biography, Theotonius is said to have led a particularly exemplary life: A strong bond of charity united Theotonius with the brothers. Like the good shepherd, he treated his flock with kindness, honor, and respect. He ruled without pride and corrected with moderation, fatherly affection, and good judgment. Within the monastery, he founded a hospice to receive pilgrims and the sick, which he himself served with the other brothers.

Death and canonization

When Theotonius had been prior of the Santa Cruz Monastery for twenty years, his strength began to wane. So he resigned the office of prior, whereupon his nephew Johannes Theotonius was elected as his successor. In the following time he intensified his correspondence with St. Bernard of Clairvaux , with whom he maintained a friendship. Theotonius died on February 18, 1162, eighty years old.

Theotonius was held in such great veneration by the people that many pressed for his canonization . The trial was one of the fastest in Church history. On the first anniversary of his death, February 18, 1163, he was canonized by the Provincial Council of Portuguese Bishops in Coimbra. The canonization was thereupon by Pope Alexander III. approved and confirmed.

Religious and political importance

Theotonius rebukes the king

In the period after the founding of the Santa Cruz Monastery, the first king of Portugal, Alfonso I, recaptured the territory of Portugal militarily from the Moors. The Order of the Holy Cross was entrusted with the task of Christianizing the areas anew. In order to fulfill this task, the order received churches and land for the construction of monasteries. Saint Theotonius sent groups of canons to preach and instruct the people.

Alfonso I became a member of the Third Order of Santa Cruz and publicly received the linen choir rock of the Canon Regulars from Theotonius. The king chose him as his confessor and spiritual director and entrusted him with all the difficult endeavors he undertook. Theotonius, for his part, returned the king's confidence and worried about his concerns.

Nevertheless, tensions were inevitable. Theotonius was not blind to the king's mistakes and corrected him. When Alfonso conquered the city of Seville, his soldiers also captured a group of over 1,000 Christians who lived among the Muslims. According to the rules of war, Alfonso took them as slaves. This led Theotonius to sharp criticism. The king complied with his request for the prisoners of war to be released and allowed them to settle near the monastery in Coimbra.

Theotonius is still venerated as the patron saint of the city and diocese of Viseu . The city of Valença also regards him as their patron. The dioceses of Coimbra and Iana do Castelo chose him as their second patron.

presentation

Statue of Saint Theotonius in Ganfei

Attributes of St. Theotonius are: shepherd's staff (either in the classical form or more historically correct in the form of the crossa), miter at his feet, book (symbolizing the rule of the Santa Cruz monastery), stars (appeared shortly before his death, according to the report his first biographer, a great circle of stars that filled the monastery, and the rays of the stars fell, to the admiration of all around him).

Crossa of Saint Theotonius

The shepherd's staff in the form of a crossa, which Theotonius used, is one of the cultural assets of Portugal. It is exhibited in the Machado de Castro National Museum in Coimbra.

literature

Web links

Commons : Theotonius  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Walter Kasper (ed.): Lexicon for theology and church . 3. Edition. tape 9 . Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 2000, ISBN 3-451-22009-1 , p. 1484 .
  2. a b c d e f José Marques: S. Teotónio ea cultura no século XII. (PDF) Retrieved May 6, 2020 .
  3. ^ Joachim Schäfer: Theotonius of Coimbra. Retrieved May 4, 2020 .
  4. ^ Maria Helena Da Rocha Pereira: Vida de São Teotónio . Coimbra 2012, ISBN 978-972-95254-5-4  ( formally incorrect ) , p. 24 (Latin).
  5. ^ Maria Helena Da Rocha Pereira: Vida de São Teotónio . S. 34 .
  6. ^ Maria Helena Da Rocha Pereira: Vida de São Teotónio . S. 38 ff .
  7. ^ Maria Helena Da Rocha Pereira: Vida de São Teotónio . S. 58, 64 .
  8. ^ Maria Helena Da Rocha Pereira: Vida de São Teotónio . S. 66 ff .
  9. ^ Maria Helena Da Rocha Pereira: Vida de São Teotónio . S. 75 ff .
  10. ^ Maria Helena Da Rocha Pereira: Vida de São Teotónio . S. 120 ff .
  11. ^ Maria Helena Da Rocha Pereira: Vida de São Teotónio . S. 110 ff .
  12. Padroeiro - Diocese de Viseu. Retrieved May 18, 2020 (European Portuguese).
  13. Valença - fortaleza a património da humanidade. (PDF) Retrieved May 18, 2020 (Portuguese).
  14. ^ Maria Helena Da Rocha Pereira: Vida de São Teotónio . S. 134 .
  15. Museu Nacional Machado de Castro - Crossa de Báculo. Retrieved May 2, 2020 .