Honorius of Canterbury facts for kids

Honorius (who died on September 30, 653) was an important leader in early English Christianity. He was part of a group called the Gregorian mission. This group came to England in 597 AD to help the Anglo-Saxons become Christians. Before this, the Anglo-Saxons followed their own traditional beliefs, known as Anglo-Saxon paganism. Honorius later became the Archbishop of Canterbury, a very important religious leader. During his time as archbishop, he helped spread Christianity across England. He also appointed the first English bishop in Rochester. Honorius was the last person from the original Gregorian mission to pass away.

Who Was Honorius?

Honorius was born in Rome, Italy. He might have been one of the people chosen by Pope Gregory the Great for the mission to England. However, it is more likely he joined a second group of missionaries sent in 601 AD. We do not know if "Honorius" was his birth name. He might have chosen it when he became archbishop.

Becoming Archbishop

In 627 AD, Honorius was made archbishop by Paulinus of York. This event took place in Lincoln. Honorius later wrote to Pope Honorius I in Rome. He asked the Pope to make the see of York (the area led by the Bishop of York) an archbishopric too. This would mean that if one archbishop in England died, the other could appoint their replacement.

The Pope agreed and sent a special cloth called a pallium for Paulinus. However, by this time, Paulinus had already been forced to leave Northumbria. After King Edwin of Northumbria died in October 633, Paulinus fled. Honorius welcomed him and appointed him to be the Bishop of Rochester. The Pope's letter is from June 634. This suggests the Pope had not yet heard about King Edwin's death. This information might mean that the traditional date of Edwin's death could be October 634. It also suggests Honorius might have become archbishop closer to 634, not 627. The Pope's letter to Honorius is mentioned in a famous book called the Ecclesiastical History by the writer Bede.

Honorius worked hard to continue converting the English people. A man named Felix, from Burgundy, came to Honorius. Felix wanted to be a missionary in East Anglia. Honorius sent him to Dunwich. Honorius might have made Felix the first bishop of East Anglia. Or, Felix might have already been made a bishop before he arrived. The exact date of this is not clear, but it was probably around 631 AD. It is possible that King Sigeberht of East Anglia had met Felix before. King Sigeberht became Christian while he was in exile. He might have encouraged Felix to go to Honorius.

Besides helping Felix, Honorius also appointed the first Anglo-Saxon (English) bishop. This was Ithamar of Rochester. The next bishop of Rochester was also a native of England. Honorius got along well with the Irish missionaries. He greatly admired Aidan, who was a leading Irish churchman.

Death and Legacy

Honorius died on September 30, 653. He was the last of the original Gregorian missionaries to pass away. He was buried at the Church of St Augustine in Canterbury. Later, people honored him as a saint. His feast day is celebrated on September 30. In 1091, his remains were moved to a new tomb. Around the same time, a story of his life was written by Goscelin. Even in the 1120s, people still visited his tomb at St Augustine's to show their respect.

See also

In Spanish: Honorio de Canterbury para niños

• List of members of the Gregorian mission