Why do I say this? Well, as Bird tell us:
According to legend, St. Nicholas was a delegate to the Council of Nicea in 325 CE. Nicholas was part of the faction who supported the full and equal divinity of the Son with the Father against the Arians, who denied it. According to some hagiographies, Nicholas was so enraged with Arius' s subordinationist view of Jesus as a being less than the Father that he slapped Arius in the face in front of the entire assembly.
Of course, Nicholas was summarily rebuked and had to apologize, but his violent outburst in the cause of orthodox Christology has been memorialized in legends and even in art. (How God Became Jesus: The Real Origins of Belief in Jesus Divine Nature, p. 201).
In short, it seems that the "real Santa" was a bishop who did not hesitate to resolutely address evil in the church. Certainly, while slapping should be beyond the pale, a little more Nicholas-like outrage might be in order among today's Catholic bishops--just a thought!
Image of icon of St. Nicholas from Wikimedia Commons