Cristianizacion de francia (inglés)

A traditional story says that being walking St. Gregory one morning in the market place at Rome, he came upon some fair-haired boys about to be sold as slaves and was told that they were from the island of Britain and were pagans. “‘Alas! what a pity,' said he, 'that the author of darkness is possessed of men of such fair countenances, and that being remarkable for such a graceful exterior, theirminds should be void of inward grace?' He therefore again asked, what was the name of that nation and was answered, that they were called Angles. 'Right,' said he, 'for they have an angelic face, and it is fitting that such should be co-heirs with the angels in heaven. What is the name,' proceded he, 'of the province from which they are brought?' It was replied that the natives of that provincewere called Deiri. 'Truly are they de ira,' said he, 'plucked from wrath, and called to the mercy of Christ. How is the king of that province called?' They told him his name was AElla; and he, alluding to the name said 'Alleluia, the praise of God the Creator, must be sung in those parts.' "
The same tradition records that Gregory wished himself to undertake the mission to Britain but could no bespared. Some years later, however, when he had become pope, he had not forgotten his former intention and looked about for someone whom he could send at the head of a missionary band. Augustine, the person of his choice, was a man well known to him. The two had lived together in the same monastery, and Gregory knew him to be modest and devout and thought him well suited ti the task assigned him.With a little company of about forty monks Augustine set out for what seemed then like the end of the earth.



Their problem was not so much to substitute one ritual for another as to change the philosophy of a nation. The religion that the Anglo-Saxon shared with the other Germanic tribes seems to have had but a slight hold on the people at the close of the sixth century; but their habits ofmind, their ideals, and the action to which these gave rise were often in sharp contrast to the teachings of the New Testament. Germanic philosophy exalted physical courage, independence even to haughtiness, loyalty to one's family or leader that left no wrong unavenged. Christianity preached meekness, humility, and patience under suffering and said that if a man struck you on one cheek you shouldturn the other. Clearly it was no small task that Augustine and his forty monks faced in trying to alter the age-old mental habits of such a people. They might even have expected difficulty in obtaining a respectful hearing. But they seem to have been men of exemplary lives, appealing personality, and devotion to purpose, and they owed their ultimate success as much to what they were as to whatthey said.



Fortunately, upon their arrival in England one circumstance was in their favour. In Kent, where they landed, there was a small group of Christians, including the queen of the kingdom. AEthelberht, the king, has taken as his wife a noble Frank, and Bertha had been given to him only on condition that she be allowed to continue in her Christian faith. Soon after, the kingAEthelberht was baptized, and his example was followed by numbers of his subjects. Seven years later, the kingdom of Kent had become wholly Christian.



The conversion of the rest of England was a gradual process. In 665, Aidan, an Scottish monk who was a man of great sympathy and tact, journeyed from town to town in North Umbria with a small band of followers preaching the gospel. Within twenty yearshe had made all Northumbria Christian. And step by step within a hundred years of the landing of Augustine in Kent all England was Christian.













































Schools were established in most of monasteries and larger churches. Some of these became famous because their teachers, and from them trained men went out to set up...