Radim Gaudentius
Polish archbishop (c. 970 – c. 1020)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Radim Gaudentius (Czech: svatý Radim, Polish: Radzim Gaudenty; c. 970 – c. 1020) was Archbishop of Gniezno and the first Polish archbishop.[1]
His Excellency Radim Gaudentius | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Gniezno | |
 | |
| Church | Roman Catholic, Orthodox Church |
| Archdiocese | Gniezno |
| Installed | 1000 |
| Term ended | before 1022 |
| Successor | Hippolytus |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 960–970 |
| Died | 1006–1018 |
| Buried | St. Vitus Cathedral |
Background
Radim was an illegitimate son of Bohemian nobleman Slavník, and thus the half-brother of Adalbert of Prague. In 989, the two journeyed to Rome where they joined the Benedictine monastery of Sts. Boniface and Alexius on the Aventine, with Radim adopting the name Gaudencius[2] or Gaudentius.[3] He accompanied Adalbert on his fatal journey to Prussia in 997.
Surviving the mission fatal to his half-brother, back in Rome he related the events of the journey to Abbot John Canaparius, who wrote a biography of Adalbert, and worked to promote his canonization.
Historians are not certain with regards to his date of death, suggesting a range of 1006 to 1022. His date of birth is also an estimate, in the range of late 960s to early 970s.
In Czech Republic he is commemorated as Saint Radim in the national liturgical calendar with an optional memorial on Oct. 12. Commemorated on January 5 in Orthodox Church.
Further reading
- Attwater, D.: Slovník svatých, Vimperk 1993
- Attwater, Donald and Catherine Rachel John. The Penguin Dictionary of Saints. 3rd edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. ISBN 0-14-051312-4.
- Bruno z Querfurtu: Život svatého Vojtěcha, Praha 1996
- Kolektiv: Bohemia Sancta: životopisy českých světců a přátel Božích, Praha 1990
- Kolektiv: Svatý Vojtěch, sborník k mileniu, Praha 1997
- Michal Lutovský, Zdeněk Petráň: Slavníkovci ISBN 80-7277-291-0
