Saint Paulinus
Saint Paulinus was an Italian priest who played a significant role in the early Christian mission to convert the pagan Anglo-Saxons in England. Sent by Pope Gregory the Great in 601 CE to assist Saint Augustine of Canterbury, Paulinus was pivotal in the conversion of King Æthelbert I of Kent in 625 CE. Following this success, he was consecrated as a bishop and tasked with accompanying Princess Æthelbert on her journey to marry King Edwin of Northumbria. His impactful preaching and a prophetic dream experienced by Edwin led to the mass conversion of the Northumbrians in 627 CE, establishing York as a major ecclesiastical center.
Paulinus's influence extended beyond his lifetime, as he was recognized as the first historian of the English church and played a crucial role in Pope Gregory's vision of integrating Christianity with Anglo-Saxon culture. Although his mission faced challenges, including the death of King Edwin in 633 CE and subsequent retreat to Kent, Paulinus's efforts laid the groundwork for the eventual establishment of the archbishopric of York. He is remembered for his commitment to adapting Christian teachings to resonate with the existing cultural practices of the Anglo-Saxons, a strategy that ultimately contributed to the enduring presence of Christianity in England.
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Saint Paulinus
Related civilizations: Britain, Rome
Major role/position: Religious leader
Life
Saint Paulinus (paw-LI-nuhs) was an Italian priest sent by Gregory the Great in 601 c.e. to join Saint Augustine of Canterbury on his mission to convert the pagan Anglo-Saxons. After the mission succeeded in converting King Æthelbert I of Kent in 625 c.e., Paulinus was consecrated bishop and sent north to accompany Æthelbert’s daughter, Princess Æthelbert, on her journey to marry the pagan king of Northumbria, Edwin. The first historian of the English church and people, the Venerable Bede, records that it was Paulinus’s powerful preaching, as well as a dream that had prepared Edwin for meeting Paulinus, which resulted in the mass conversion of the Northumbrians in 627 c.e. near York. Paulinus established his seat at York, which henceforth became the second most important bishopric in the English church, after Canterbury. When Penda, the pagan king of neighboring Mercia, killed Edwin in 633 c.e., Paulinus retreated to Kent, where he died as the bishop of Rochester.
Influence
Although Paulinus’s mission failed in his lifetime, the conversion experience was a deep one for the English, and his bishopric of York became ultimately one of the two archbishoprics in the English church. Paulinus was instrumental in following Pope Gregory the Great’s admonition to “baptize the culture” of the Anglo-Saxons without destroying it, a policy that helped ensure the ultimate success of Christianity in England.
Bibliography
Bede. The Ecclesiastical History of the English People. Edited by Judith McClure and Roger Collins. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Campbell, James, ed. The Anglo-Saxons. London: Penguin, 1991.