ON SAINT HONORIUS,
MARTYR IN SICILY.
CommentaryHonorius, Martyr in Sicily (St.)
G. H.
Octavio Cajetano, who has deserved most excellently of the Sicilian Saints, in the Preface which he prefixed to the Idea of his work, deplores that through the long dominion of the Saracens, who held Sicily for nearly three hundred years, the ancient archives, the illustrious monuments of genius, were consumed by fire, and all the history of Sicily, both sacred and profane, perished; and that he had been forced to beg the history from foreigners: and he adds that for this reason he published that Idea, so that he might be helped by those foreigners. We therefore suggest to the Sicilians some addition, which to this day the fifth of April is indicated thus in the ancient apographs of the Jeromian Martyrology, the Blumian, Echternach, and Lucca: In Sicily the birthday of Saint Honorius. In the Corbie apograph printed at Paris he is surnamed Magnus. In another Corbie manuscript written eight hundred years ago he is called Honoratus. In the MS. of Reichenau it is indicated thus: Sicily, of Honorius. But with the place omitted, only the name of Honorius is held in the MSS. of St. Udalric of Augsburg, of Paris of our Labbaeus, and of the Irish monastery of Tamlacht. We judge that the Martyr fell asleep with the rest, among whom he is placed in the said Martyrologies.