Vatican City, Dec 12, 2007 / 08:20 am
As the faithful listened to Pope Benedict’s next installment in his series of teachings on the saints of the early Church today, they heard about St. Paulinus of Nola. This saint, the Pope said, teaches Christians about the Church as “a sacrament of intimate union with God and of the unity of the whole human race."
Hailing from Italy, St. Paulinus rose to become the governor of the Campania region in southern Italy at a young age. In that role he stood out for his wisdom and humility, while his contact with "the simple and intense faith" of the people marked the start of his own path to conversion, which was not without difficulties and trials,” the Holy Father related.
"The meeting with Christ was the finishing point of an arduous journey," during which a series of adverse circumstances brought the saint "to a direct experience of the frailty of things," said the Pope.
St. Paulinus' journey to faith also included marriage, but following the death of his newborn child he and his wife Terasia decided to give their possessions to the poor and, living in fraternal chastity, to found a monastic community. His pastoral activity was characterized, the Holy Father went on, "by his particular concern for the poor, and he left behind him the image of a true pastor of charity."