Os dois Patrícios: São Patrício, Paládio e o pioneirismo cristão na Irlanda do século V

Abstract

Saint Patrick is considered the great forerunner of Christianity in Ireland. However, the pioneering of this saint, as a bishop in 5th-century Ireland, is disputed with a lesser-known missionary, Palladius, of whom there are only brief references in the sources, and several hypotheses about his possible identity. One of the documents even mentions that Palladio was also called Patricius, creating interpretations about the existence of two Patricians, or the overlapping of tradition, deeds of different people, in just one historical figure. After briefly presenting Patrick, this work aims to address some sources and hypotheses about Palladius, the roots of the controversy of the possible existence of two Patricians in Ireland, some elements that are known or can be attributed to Palladius, as well as some characteristics of Christianity of Ireland from the cult of saints.