Title: Conversion of St. Paul, apostle of the Gentiles

Paul, apostle of the Gentiles, was born in Tarsus in present-time Turkey, from an Israeli family that was very faithful to the doctrine and to the Jewish tradition. His father bought the Roman citizenship, which was possible at that time. Therefore, Saul was born as a Roman citizen. He was sent to Jerusalem where he studied in the school of Gamaliel. At the beginning of Christianity, he became a severe persecutor of Christians. However, one day, as the book of Acts of the Apostles narrates, he experienced a strong encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus. He received the mission to go and proclaim the word to all men, and he did, first in Antioch and in Asia Minor, later in Greece and in Rome. Paul is one of the best-known figures of the Christian generation, both for his letters and for his journey, narrated in the book of the Acts of the Apostles. Accused of practicing an illicit religion, he was tried and sentenced to death, The place of martyrdom was said to have been in Rome, according to three different sources. In the Italian capital stands the great Basilica of St. Paul outside the walls. The city that is a symbol of the Apostle's life change is target of attacks even today. In Damascus, the capital of Syria, the Church of the Custody of the Holy Land, dedicated to the conversion of St. Paul, was hit by bombing at the beginning of January. There was some material damage, but there were no victims, unlike what happened to the Greek-Milkite patriarchy. About 30 bombs hit the cathedral and the patriarchal headquarters, harming at least five people. According to the local church, the offensive did not have a specific goal. It is believed that the purpose of the attack was to fuel tensions, after a period of discreet tranquility and the possibility of international agreements.