Saint Anthony with Boy

Baptized with the name Fernando de Bulhões, he was born in Lisbon, between 1191 and 1195, on Rua das Pedras Negras, next to the Lisbon Cathedral. In the house where he was born and lived his childhood, today there is the Church of Santo Antônio, and in the Crypt it is possible to see a piece of one of the Saint's bones, authenticated by Bula.

Raised in a noble family to become a knight, as a teenager he asked for permission to join the Order of Canons Regular of Saint Augustine, at the Church of São Vicente de Fora, and then left for Coimbra, where he studied theology. The search for introspection and simplicity led him to the recently created Franciscan Order and to leave aside not only Augustine's habit, but also his name. Fernando adopts the name Antônio, in honor of the hermit Santo Antão, and dedicates himself to preaching the scriptures, which he knows so well, especially after his move to Italy.

The Sermon of Saint Anthony to the Fishes, by Father Antônio Vieira, is inspired precisely by his capacity as a preacher. In Rimini, Italy, Saint Anthony tried to preach the Catholic word to the “heretics”, but it was no use. The Franciscan then decides to preach to the fish, since no one else deigned to listen to him.

A contemporary and friend of Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Anthony is one of the most popular saints of the Catholic Church, and his image is found in various Portuguese, Italian, Brazilian churches and also in the south of France.

Saint Anthony died on June 13, 1231, in Arcella, near Padua, Italy, and it is for this reason that June 13 became Saint Anthony's Day.

Saint Anthony of Padua in Italy, Saint Anthony of Lisbon in Portugal. After all, where are we left?

Being one of the most popular saints in the Catholic Church, it is normal for there to be disputes, but despite the two different names we are talking about the same saint. Saint Anthony was born and lived in Lisbon, lived and died in Padua. In Italy, everyone wants it, in Portugal there is no doubt about the name Santo Antônio de Lisboa. To end the discussions, the best thing is to quote what Pope Leo XIII (1878 – 1903) said: “He is the saint of the whole world”.