Nicolò Politi (3 August1117 - 17 August 1167) was an Italian

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

and

hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Ch ...

who joined the Basilians. Politi was born to

nobles Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteristi ...

but fled to become a monk after his parents arranged his

marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

when he was seventeen. He spent the next several decades in a

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

and would return to the Basilian

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

each weekend for the

sacraments A sacrament is a Christian rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments to be a visible symbol of the real ...

before he returned to his cave. He was known for his miracles since his childhood and was venerated as a saint after his death despite his reclusive hermitage. He was canonized as a saint on 7 June 1507.

Life

Nicolò Politi was born in Adrano on 6 September 1117 as the sole child born to aged parents (Almidoro and Alpina) who were

. He received a secular and

religious education In secular usage, religious education is the teaching of a particular religion (although in the United Kingdom the term ''religious instruction'' would refer to the teaching of a particular religion, with ''religious education'' referring to te ...

befitting for a noble and was known for his piousness and his desire to often contemplate on the Passion of

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

. But Politi was drawn to the

consecrated life Consecrated life (also known as religious life) is a state of life in the Catholic Church lived by those faithful who are called to follow Jesus Christ in a more exacting way. It includes those in institutes of consecrated life (religious and se ...

and wanted to live a life for God alone; his parents decided to arrange his

when he turned seventeen in order to further bolster their house's fortunes more so since Politi was the last chance for their lineage to continue. It is said that on 1 December 1116 his parents traveled to Alcara li Fusi to participate in the festivities to be held on 6 December to honor Bishop Nicholas; the couple begged for his intercession to have a child and promised to name their child in the saint's honor. In his childhood his teacher Andrea was amazed at how fast he learnt Greek and

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

. But this marriage provoked a crisis in the adolescent since it clashed with his dream to live a life for God. He fled before the planned wedding and decided to enter a

to become a

. It is said that an

angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...

helped him flee the night before the wedding and would return when his parents sent guards to search for him at certain times (he was hiding just outside Etna at the time). Politi later encountered the Basilian monk Lorenzo Ravi da Frazzanò who directed him to the convent (the two would become close friends). He became a Basilian monk after entering their Santa Maria del Rogato convent before he decided to take up his hermitage on Mount Calanna. Politi lived a life of severe

asceticism Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...

and ventured out of his cave each weekend to return to the convent to receive the

Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...

and to make his confession. In 1162 he met with his old friend Lorenzo and showed him his cave; his friend expressed disbelief at Politi's living conditions but the two meditated together on the Passion and dined on

herbs In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

and

bread Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...

. But Lorenzo told Politi that he had a revelation that he would die on 30 December; on that date he knew his friend died when he smelt

roses A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be e ...

in his cave. Politi became renowned throughout his life for miracles that were recorded since his childhood. These cases include: * The water used to wash him at birth was thrown but a

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a ...

would continue to gush water from the spot where it hit the ground. * As a newborn he refused to eat at certain times that began his lifelong

fasting Fasting is the abstention from eating and sometimes drinking. From a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (see " Breakfast"), or to the metabolic state achieved after ...

habits. * Used the

sign of the Cross Making the sign of the cross ( la, signum crucis), or blessing oneself or crossing oneself, is a ritual blessing made by members of some branches of Christianity. This blessing is made by the tracing of an upright cross or + across the body with ...

to repel

wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; plural, : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been reco ...

from attacking

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...

. * Once struck a rock with his staff to receive water. * Once encountered the

Devil A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conceptions of t ...

who attempted to tempt him into secular pleasures; Politi rebuked him and forced the Devil to leave when he affirmed his faith and obedience in God. Politi knew his end was near when the angel appeared to him to warn him about his imminent death. The angel appeared after Politi returned to his cave on 12 August 1167 in a state of exhaustion. The angel said that he would die soon after the feast of the Assumption. This allowed for the hermit to go to the convent on 15 August to receive the Eucharist and make his confession for the last time. He died at dawn on 17 August 1167 holding a

crucifix A crucifix (from Latin ''cruci fixus'' meaning "(one) fixed to a cross") is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the ''corpus'' (Lati ...

Canonization

His reputation for holiness and his miracles led to

Pope Julius II Pope Julius II ( la, Iulius II; it, Giulio II; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 144321 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death in February 1513. Nicknamed the Warrior Pope or th ...

canonizing Politi as a saint on 7 June 1507 in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

References

External links

Santi e Beati
{{DEFAULTSORT:Politi, Nicolò 1117 births 1167 deaths 12th-century Christian monks 12th-century Italian nobility 12th-century venerated Christians Italian hermits Italian Roman Catholic saints Sicilian saints Religious leaders from the Province of Catania Roman Catholic monks Sicilian Christian monks Venerated Catholics