Confessors - Chartres Cathedral

In addition to the martyrs, the south porch contains a sequence of images of those that had proclaimed Christian beliefs during periods of suppression (confessors). The sequence of images on this page consist of the four sculptures on the western face of the rightmost pillar.1

The sculpture above depicts St Leo praying at the tomb of St Peter. Leo was pope from 440 until his death in 461, during which time he centralized the church on papal authority in Rome, obtaining from the Emperor Valentinian III the decree that any opposition to the pope in Rome should be regarded as treason. Also he established that universal church practice should follow that of St Peter.

Whilst visiting his parents in Lombardy St Martin is attacked and robbed by bandits in the mountains, however he manages to convert one of them.

St Lubin was bishop of Chartres between 544 until his death in 557. The image above shows his successor St Caletric giving Lubin the last rights.

The final sculpture on the pillar is that of an Abbot that has not been indentified.

• 1. Chartres - Alison Stones http://images.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/i/image/image-idx?q1=%20FCSP3395D...