ON ST. NECTARIUS, BISHOP AND CONFESSOR, AT VIENNE IN GAUL.
From the Martyrologies.
In the 4th century.
CommentaryNectarius, Bishop and Confessor, at Vienne in Gaul (S.)
BY THE AUTHOR J. B. S.
Claudius Robertus in his Gallia Christiana marks the Saint thirteenth in order in the series of the bishops of Vienne, but by name alone; the few things which the Sammarthani add—in whom he is the fourteenth—By deeds not so much do not greatly commend the Man, for they thus speak: Nectarius is designated by Ado to have been present at the synod of Vaison; but some judge that nothing certain can be affirmed about the same Bishop. And by these Ado is refuted, when he thus writes in the Chronicle: There flourished also at that time Nectarius bishop of Vienne, excellent in the doctrine of faith: who was first present at that venerable synod of Vaison, and publicly preached and taught in the Church that of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit there is one nature and power, and deity and virtue. More rightly the author of the History of the holy church of Vienne, edited in the eighth year of this century, numbers St. Nectarius the twelfth, sincerely and candidly confessing that about the deeds of him and of his predecessor Claudius not a whit worthy of faith has come down to posterity; so that you may easily conjecture how far the elogium of Saussay in the Gallican Martyrology, to be given below, should be admitted. For the rest, the already-mentioned writer of the History of Vienne judges that Nectarius should altogether be held among the Saints; which we reckon he did not rashly assert from the monuments of that church.
[2] than by cult he is known. But these are supported, if not by classic or most ancient Martyrologies, certainly by the Usuardine Supplements of no slight authority, before which I think went our manuscript Florarium of the Saints, praised not once elsewhere, when it thus wrote in few words: Likewise, of Nectarius bishop and confessor. There is added the Lübeck-Cologne edition in nearly the same words: On the same day, of St. Nectarius bishop and confessor. Then Greven, badly transforming the name Nectarius into Nectaris. Finally Castellanus, among the Gallican Saints superadded to the Roman Martyrology, announces St. Nectarius. But more eloquent than all these, Saussay thus extends the words of Ado recited above, in his Supplement: At Vienne, of St. Nectarius the bishop; who, a contemporary of St. Hilary of Poitiers, was a great solace to the Gallican church worn by pressures. For by the fortitude of faith he strenuously assailed and repressed the Arians, enemies of Christ and persecutors of the pious, and for the cause of defending the heritage of Christ, gathered the council of Vaison, Pope Julius being privy to it, and gave chief strength to the sacred laws there passed; then, worn out by holy labors, he departed to eternal rest. Here can be added one observation of Ferrari, that he asserts he noticed in the Tables of Vienne that the birthday of St. Nectarius is not commemorated in the church of Vienne; namely by a singular Office. But of others too, at Vienne and elsewhere, this can be said, although they are acknowledged as most true Saints.