holy fool

English

Noun

holy fool (plural holy fools)

1. (chiefly Eastern Orthodoxy) A person, often associated with gifts of prophecy and insight, who publicly acts as if mad or stupid, but whose madness is seen as concealing an inner sanctity for the purpose of self-humiliation.

   Synonyms: fool for Christ, yurodivy

Translations

person who publicly acts as if mad or stupid for self-humilitation

• French: fol-en-Christ (fr) m
• German: Jurodiwy m
• Polish: jurodiwyj m
• Portuguese: louco por Cristo
• Russian: юро́дивый (ru) m (juródivyj), блаже́нный (ru) m (blažénnyj)

See also

• fool-saint