light made solid

In light of the new Pope choosing the name "Benedict XVI," I thought it might be interesting to compile some information and links about the history of St. Benedict, and maybe a little bit about the popes who also shared his name.

1. The name "Benedict" (or Benedictus) is Latin for "Blessed" and relates to our modern word "benediction."
2. The original St. Benedict seems to have lived from about 480 AD to 547.
3. He was a member of the Roman nobility and had a twin brother named St. Scholastica
4. Benedict was known to have been an intense hermit, although he came out of seclusion at various points to aid and establish monasteries.
5. The order of Benedictine monks is named after him, and he is said to have written the so-called Rule of St. Benedict, which was an indication of how monks ought to live their lives. (Here's a link to the actual text of the Rule itself).
6. He's also said to have destroyed and/cleansed many pagan holy sites. Another interesting story about him says that a rival faction of monks tried to poison him, but Benedict blessed the cup, and was saved. As a result, Benedict is one of the patron saints against both witchcraft and poison (among other things).
7. Catholic Encyclopedia also has a length article on him, whom they refer to as St. Benedict of Nursia. And here's a worthwhile article from Catholic Online as well.
8. Since there are sixteen Pope Benedicts, perhaps it's better to provide a link to where you can find out about all of them, rather than try to summarize all their exploits here.