Thomas, Abbot of Farfa, Saint

THOMAS, Abbot of Farfa, Saint. - The historical and legendary tradition of the monastery of Farfa (v.) recalls with great veneration T. of Moriana, a monk of Frankish origin.

He is said to have lived for three years in Jerusalem and for three years in Ephesus, and on returning from his pilgrimage, enlightened by a vision, he is said to have rebuilt in 680 the monastery of Farfa, destroyed by the Lombards, with the support of the now Catholic dukes of Spoleto (in particular Faroald II) and of the popes, especially John VII. The founding of a monastery in a key position between the ancient Roman Duchy and the Duchy of Spoleto, where a fara (Fara Sabina) had already previously settled, carried particular political and religious importance, which the rapid development of the monastery confirms. Tradition also links to T. of Moriana the founding of the monastery of S. Vincenzo al Volturno. Recent studies put forward the hypothesis that T. came not from Frankish Moriana, but from the Mauriana that was a quarter of Constantinople, and that he was part of that band of missionaries of Eastern origin (shadowed forth in the tradition of his pilgrimage and his stay in the East) whom the Holy See used at that time to evangelize the Arian Lombards. To this same circle would also have belonged the bishop Lawrence, whose Syrian origin is explicitly recalled, who would have founded the monastery much later than tradition claims.

Felice da Mareto