10 Most Evil People of the 8th Century CE | Winfrid Martel (Saint Boniface)

Key Facts

Other names	Grifo, Winfrid Martel, St. Boniface, Bernard
Born	726
Location	St. Denis, Paris
Bloodline	Carolingian
Married	Yes.
Children	Yes.
Position	1st Bishop of the Catholic Church, Primate of Germany
Died	June 5, 779 (aged 53)

Source of Facts and Important Announcement

Status	Under Article 64.6 of the Covenant of One-Heaven (Pactum De Singularis Caelum) by Special Qualification shall be known as a Saint, with all sins and evil acts they performed forgiven.
Date of formal Beatification	Day of Redemption UCA[E1:Y1:A1:S1:M9:D1] also known as Fri, 21 Dec 2012.
Source of Facts	Self Confession and Revelation of Sainthood by the Deceased Spirit as condition of their confirmation as a true Saint.

Background

Winfrid was the son of the Frankish major domo Charles Martel and his second wife Swanahild. His mother was descended from the Agilolfings dynasty which had ruled the Duchy of Bavaria since the 6th Century. His father negotiated the marriage as an alliance following his campaign in Bavaria around 725. Winfrid was born the following year.

Similar to his two half brothers (Carloman and Pepin), Winfred was educated by one of the most famous minds of the century -- the Venerable Bede. Like his brothers, Winfred was profoundly influenced by his wide education by Bede -- attested by his lifelong fascination in history, religion and ancient practices.

The seat of the family power was St. Denis Palace five miles north from the centre of Paris-- a magnificent palace and the first Gothic construction in History. The site was later claimed to be the originate site of the tomb of St. Denis ("Dionysus"). This misleading historical myth is no earlier than the 14th Century. Nor was it the site of the Royal tombs of the Merovingians before the 8th Century --most having been moved there after the palace was massively renovated to become the 1st church of the Catholic Church from 741.

In 738, at aged 12, Winfred was granted control over Bavaria, assisted by his guardian and Bavarian mother. With the help of Bede, Winfred approved the re-structuring of christianity in Bavaria into four dioceses (Salzburg, Regensburg, Freising and Passau) with Winfred holding the additional position of archbisceop ("High Bishop") of the new religion formed under his father, Charles.

Upon the unexpected death of his father in France in October 741, it appears the 15 year old Winfred sought to renounce all claims of rule and instead devote himself to life as scholarly monk in the footsteps of Bede. Contrary to the historical fiction created that renamed Winfred as Grifo and an enemy of his two half-brothers, both Carloman and Pippin honored their father's wishes and supported their younger brother-- in fact commissioning the second finest Education Monastery in all of mainland Europe at Fulda, next to their former family home at St. Denis in Paris.

While Carloman and Pippin involved themselves in the affairs of the Frankish Empire, they granted resources and willing support for their half-brother to re-organize the whole fledgling Catholic Church across the Empire. Winfred went on to become famously known as the "Apostle of Germany" for his work.

In 755, Winfred accompanied his nephew and brother Pepin on the campaign to capture Rome and smash the Lombards. He remained in Rome as a key patron and adviser to Pope Stephen until the death of his brother. Contrary to the litany of myths surrounding "St Boniface", Winfred left Rome and returned to Paris to oversee the greatest funeral procession seen for hundreds of years.

Winfred remained at St. Denis, Paris as the first Primate of the Roman Catholic Church for the whole of Frankish Empire until 772 and the death of his nephew Carloman - son of Pepin the Short. At 46, he was called out of peaceful retirement to help Charlemagne lead an army to save their Roman Catholic Church from the Lombard advance.

By 772, Charlemagne had put down rebellion within the Empire and Winfred and Charlemagne led a massive army into Italy to confront Lombard King Desiderius. In a textbook maneuver, Charlemagne and Winfred split the army in a pincer movement against the Lombards forcing them to retreat back to their capital Pavia which they then besieged. The city was captured in 774 and Desiderius and his entire family with any claims to the Lombard throne were summarily executed--punishment for the death of Carloman. The Lombards were finished.

Winfred returned to St. Denis by 775 and died in 779. Upon his death, as was his wishes he was not buried at the family Basilica but at his beloved Abbey of Fulda. Similar to his brother Pepin, the reason for not being united with the Pippins more to do with dishonoring the memory of his father in failing to follow the code of a christian knight than any alleged slight against the family.

Winfred is listed as one of the 10 most evil people in the 8th Century not on account of any personal act of bloodshed, instead on account of his legacy in founding the Roman Catholic Church. For centuries to come, the Primate of France would remain the single most powerful position in the Catholic Church apart from the Pope in Rome.

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List of most evil crimes

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