Dear friend,

We present the new Trivia quizzes from the “History of the Church Through the Saints”. The series now reaches the 9th and 10th centuries, a period that takes us fully into the Middle Ages, with the development of the feudal system and increasing tensions between East and West. During these two centuries, we see more missionary activity in the Church than theological production: the great Christological and Trinitarian controversies are now in the past. Even the “iconoclastic” heresy—more intense in Byzantium—was finally resolved in favor of the veneration of sacred images.

In the heroic missionary work of the 9th century, we highlight Saint Ansgar (Oscar) and the brothers Saints Cyril and Methodius (Patrons of Europe), all of them evangelizers of the cold northern regions of Europe. In the Christian East, the figure of Saint Ignatius of Constantinople stands out as a heroic defender of the Church’s freedom in the face of the frequent and harmful alliances between religious authority and political power.

In the 10th century—with a rising feudal system and its ecclesiastical implications—the missionary task was carried forward by Saint Adalbert of Magdeburg (“the Apostle of the Slavs”) and Saint Adalbert of Prague (patron of Bohemia, Poland, and Hungary). As in every century, reforming saints were not lacking, especially Saint Odo of Cluny and, on the civil-political side, the ruler Saint Wenceslaus I of Bohemia. This century already hints at the ecclesial schism between East and West.

This “History of the Church through the Saints” helps us appreciate the theological and missionary work of these holy men, even amid the great social upheavals of their times.

You can now participate and test your knowledge, here!

We remind you that the correct answer to each question is explicitly or implicitly found in the commentary on family.evangeli.net and even in the saint’s illustration. The brief explanations that accompany each correct answer are very helpful and contribute to the knowledge of the History of the Church and the saints.

Warm regards, The evangeli.net Team