Agericus

ON SAINT AGERICUS

Abbot of Saint Martin of Tours, in Gaul.

ABOUT A.D. 680.

Agericus, Abbot of the monastery of Saint Martin, at Tours (Saint)

G. H.

Among the illustrious manuscript codices which are preserved at Rome in the palace of the Duke Altemps, there exists

a certain Martyrology of Usuard on parchment, but augmented (as it appears) in England, because in it very many saints of England and Normandy have been added. Sacred cult In this on the 11th day of April these things are read: "At Tours of Saint Agricus the Abbot." A similar codex was used by one who augmented the Martyrology of Bellinus of Padua, printed at Paris in the year 1521; and this was followed by Molanus, who constantly in his Auctarium to Usuard, third edition, has this with Bellinus: "At Tours of Agiricus the Abbot." Citing Molanus, Arnoldus Wion inscribed the same in the monastic Martyrology; Dorganius, Menardus, and Bucelinus followed. The same also is celebrated by Peter Canisius in the German Martyrology, and by Ferrari in the general Catalogue. But Saussaie in the Gallican Martyrology has these few words: "On the same day at Tours of Saint Agericus the Abbot, notable for outstanding sanctity." The rest, concerning the time in which he flourished, Wion asserts to be unknown.

[2] Saint Audoenus in the Life of Saint Eligius mentions Agericus, Abbot of the Basilica of Saint Martin, on the occasion of the hair of the same Saint Eligius, which, when he was being shorn, a pious matron had collected and wrapped in a linen cloth and placed in her chest. When after the death of Saint Eligius she heard the Psallentium celebrated with sweet melody and saw exceeding radiant lights shining, calling Agericus, the Abbot of the basilica of Saint Martin, she explains to him the cause in order, weeping that she could not rest secure at night in her house. He examines the Relics of Saint Eligius The aforesaid Abbot, coming to the house in which the portent was happening, began to ask of the woman, whether at some time any servant of God had stayed there? Whether also anything had been offered to her by holy men as a gift or as eulogia, or whether she had at some time taken any gift from the pledges of the Saints? Then indeed she, as if through sleep, namely because of the distance of times, remembering the hair of Saint Eligius, and at once beating her breast repeatedly with her fists, relates the order of the matter: how namely at one time in faith she had placed there the cut hair of the blessed man. Immediately therefore examining the chest, they found the same relics as fragrant as if with aromatic ointments, untouched as she had once collected them.

[3] Saint Agericus made a pilgrimage to Rome to the thresholds of the Apostles, and obtained from Pope Deodatus a diploma of immunity for his monastery, which, received from the Tours archive, Papire Masson published, He goes to Rome and then Baronius inserted in the Ecclesiastical Annals for the year 676, in which Deodatus died on the 6th day before the Kalends of July. Some things we transfer here from it, which are of this kind under this title: "To our most beloved Brothers, all the Bishops in the parts of Gaul, Deodatus. The norm of equity admonishes us... when Ægiricus, religious Presbyter and Abbot of the monastery of Saint Martin, He obtains from Pope Deodatus in which also his venerable body is placed, coming with desire to see the Apostolic confessions and courts, presented himself to our gaze, and offered the commendation of our Brother Crotbert, Presul of the Church of Tours; with suppliant voice he prayed that we should grant him a privilege resting on Apostolic authority, for the protection of the venerable monastery which the Confessor of Christ Martin of blessed memory, Bishop of the Church of Tours, in the Gallic parts adorned with the consecration of his most sacred body for the salvation of the converted, which he, showing by writings that he now presided over, we should grant him. We hesitated a little, because the custom and tradition of our holy Church no longer allows religious places to be separated from the government of Episcopal providence.

[4] "But when we have found that the aforesaid Brother Crotbert, Presul of the Church of Tours, has also granted in writing monastic liberty, that is, a free permission of dispensation, his religiosity bringing forth the copies, … therefore we also have again granted to be confirmed, that, relying on Apostolic authority through the course of the privilege, no burdens from any of the Bishops, under pretext of discussion, privilege of immunity the religious Abbot or the monks dwelling there should bear; nor again, claiming the right of lodging with them, should they impose expenses and the insolences of exactions; nor through the occasion of examining and preserving regular discipline impose any injuries; but we establish that he should have free license, saving indeed the observance of monastic rules, the religious Abbot whoever for the time shall preside over the aforesaid venerable monastery, taking care that whatever is contained in the article of its ancient tradition, he himself should strive to preserve; and that he should admonish and strictly compel those who are ruled under his dispensation to guard it diligently. But to the Most Reverend Bishop, in whose parish the said venerable monastery or its goods and possessions are situated, only the license of ordaining and promoting Priests and Levites, or of preparing chrism, is granted. But the disposition of the venerable place, and investigation of monastic conversation, we decree to belong to the religious Abbot and his Provost, or to those who shall be most approved in the same monastery, which even the aforesaid Presuls have defined with a consonant opinion. Whoever therefore," etc.

This Pontifical diploma Jean Launoy attacked in the Assertion of the Inquisition into the Saint-Médard Privilege, part 3, chapter 20, but against him Radulph Monsnyer defended it: which it is enough to have noted. How long afterwards Saint Agericus lived is not known.