date_of_birth viktor of xanten
The Theban Legion ( also known as the Martyrs of Agaunum ) figures in Christian hagiography as an entire Roman legion  of " six thousand six hundred and sixty - six men "  who had converted en masse to Christianity and were martyred together , in 286 , according to the hagiographies of Saint Maurice , the chief among the Legion ' s saints . Their feast day is held on September ___MASK74___ . Victor of Xanten or Saint Victor is a martyr and saint of the Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Church . His presumed bones are kept in a shrine since the 12th century that today is embedded into the high altar of the Xanten Cathedral . His feast day is October 10 . Tradition states that Victor was a Praefectus cohortis of a Cohort of the Theban Legion . He was closely associated with Ursus of Solothurn , and is said to have been a relative of Saint Verena . He was executed in the 4th century in the amphitheater of Castra Vetera ( the site of present - day Xanten ) for refusing to sacrifice to the Roman gods . A saint , also historically known as a hallow , is a term used for a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness or likeness to God . Depending on the context and denomination , the term also retains its original Christian meaning , as any believer who is " in Christ " and in whom Christ dwells , whether in Heaven or on Earth . In Anglican , Roman Catholic , Eastern Orthodox , Lutheran , and Oriental Orthodox doctrine , all of their faithful deceased in Heaven are considered to be saints , but some are considered worthy of greater honor or emulation ; official ecclesiastical recognition , and consequently veneration , is given to some saints through the process of canonization in the Catholic Church or glorification in the Eastern Orthodox Church . The Catholic Church , also known as the Roman Catholic Church , is the largest Christian church , with more than ___MASK81___ . 27 billion members worldwide . As one of the oldest religious institutions in the world , it has played a prominent role in the history of Western civilisation . Headed by the Bishop of Rome , known as the pope , its doctrines are summarised in the Nicene Creed . The Catholic Church is notable within Western Christianity for its sacred tradition and seven sacraments . A shrine (" case or chest for books or papers "; Old French : " escrin " " box or case ") is a holy or sacred place , which is dedicated to a specific deity , ancestor , hero , martyr , saint , daemon , or similar figure of awe and respect , at which they are venerated or worshipped . Shrines often contain idols , relics , or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated . A shrine at which votive offerings are made is called an altar . Shrines are found in many of the world ' s religions , including Christianity , Islam , Hinduism , Buddhism , Chinese folk religion , Shinto , and Asatru as well as in secular and non - religious settings such as a war memorial . Shrines can be found in various settings , such as churches , temples , cemeteries , or in the home , although portable shrines are also found in some cultures . North Rhine - Westphalia (, commonly shortened to NRW ) is the most populous state of Germany , with a population of approximately ___MASK58___ million , and the fourth largest by area . Its capital is Düsseldorf ; the most populous city is Cologne . Four of Germany ' s ten largest cities  Cologne , Düsseldorf , Dortmund , and Essen  are located within the state , as well as the largest metropolitan area on the European continent , Rhine - Ruhr . Xanten Cathedral , sometimes called St . Victor ' s Cathedral , is a Roman Catholic church situated in Xanten , a historic town in the lower Rhine area , North Rhine - Westphalia , Germany . It is considered the " biggest cathedral between Cologne and the sea ". In ___MASK20___ it was declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI . Even though the church is called a cathedral , it has never been the seat of a bishop . The cathedral owes its name to Victor of Xanten , a member of the Theban Legion who was supposedly executed in the 4th century in the amphitheater of Castra Vetera for refusing to sacrifice to the Roman gods . This Roman camp is near today ' s town of Birten . According to legend , Helena of Constantinople recovered the bones of Victor and his legion and erected a chapel in their honour . During a modern excavation the existence of a 4th - century cella memoriae was discovered ; however , it was determined that it had not been erected for Victor but for two other male corpses that were placed in the crypt at a later date . Jesus (; c . ___MASK30___ BC  c . AD 30 / 33 ), also referred to as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ , was a Jewish preacher and religious leader who became the central figure of Christianity . Christians believe him to be the Son of God and the awaited Messiah ( Christ ) prophesied in the Old Testament . Virtually all modern scholars of antiquity agree that Jesus existed historically , although the quest for the historical Jesus has produced little agreement on the historical reliability of the Gospels and on how closely the biblical Jesus reflects the historical Jesus . Jesus was a Galilean Jew who was baptized by John the Baptist and subsequently began his own ministry , preaching his message orally and often being referred to as " rabbi ". He was arrested and tried by the Jewish authorities , and was crucified by the order of Pontius Pilate , the Roman prefect . Jesus debated fellow Jews on how to best follow God , performed healings , taught in parables and gathered followers . After his death , his followers believed he rose from the dead , and the community they formed eventually became the Christian Church . Hinduism is a religion , or a way of life , found most notably in India and Nepal . Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world , and some practitioners and scholars refer to it as "", " the eternal law ," or the " eternal way ," beyond human origins . Scholars regard Hinduism as a fusion or synthesis of various Indian cultures and traditions , with diverse roots and no founder . This " Hindu synthesis " started to develop between ___MASK100___ BCE and ___MASK91___ CE following the Vedic period ( 1500 BCE to ___MASK100___ BCE ). Buddhism ( or ) is a religion and dharma that encompasses a variety of traditions , beliefs and spiritual practices largely based on teachings attributed to the Buddha . Buddhism originated in India sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE , from where it spread through much of Asia , whereafter it declined in India during the middle ages . Two major extant branches of Buddhism are generally recognized by scholars : Theravada ( Pali : " The School of the Elders ") and Mahayana ( Sanskrit : " The Great Vehicle "). Buddhism is the world ' s fourth - largest religion , with over ___MASK100___ million followers or 7 % of the global population , known as Buddhists . Islam (' ;) is a religion articulated by the Quran , a text considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God ('), and , for the vast majority of adherents , the teachings and normative example ( called the " sunnah ", composed of accounts called " hadith ") of Muhammad ( ___MASK28___  8 June 632 CE ). It is the world ' s second - largest religion and the fastest - growing major religion in the world , with over 1 . 7 billion followers or 23 % of the global population , known as Muslims . Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion that upholds that God is one and incomparable and that the purpose of existence is to worship God . Muslims consider Muhammad to be the last prophet of God . Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ , who serves as the focal point for the religion . It is the world ' s largest religion , with over ___MASK44___ . ___MASK30___ billion followers , or 33 % of the global population , known as Christians . Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the savior of humanity whose coming as the Messiah ( the Christ ) was prophesied in the Old Testament . The Eastern Orthodox Church , also known as the Orthodox Church , or officially as the Orthodox Catholic Church , is the second largest Christian church and one of the oldest current religious institutions in the world . The Eastern Orthodox Church teaches that it is the One , Holy , Catholic and Apostolic Church established by Jesus Christ in his Great Commission to the apostles . It practices what it understands to be the original Christian faith and maintains the sacred tradition passed down from the apostles .