ON ST. THEODORE THE FIRST, BISHOP OF OCTODURUM OR SION,
IN THE VALAIS AMONG THE SWISS.
About the end of the IV century.
HISTORICAL COLLECTION.
Concerning his cult and deeds.
Theodore I, bishop of Octodurum or Sion, confessor, in the Valais among the Swiss (St.)
BY J. S.
The Acts of St. Theodulus, in others Theodore, patron of the church of Sion, were illustrated in volume III of August on the XVI day of the same month, The cult of the two Theodores and of Theodulus in the church of Sion: where various things were related concerning the bishopric of Octodurum or Sion, which I shall not repeat in this place. Various things also were discussed in that Commentary, from which it is understood that the distinction of three Saints who are called Theodore, or by a name near to it, bishops of the church of Sion, has neither been admitted by all, nor is free from all difficulty. Nevertheless it is certain that two Theodores are honored at Sion, and a third named rather Theodulus; and that the times in which they are delivered to have lived are widely different: for the first Theodore doubtless flourished in the IV century, as will presently be plain; the other Theodore is related to have lived in the VI century, as will be proved in his Acts on the following day; but Theodulus is asserted to have reached the IX century with Charlemagne, as may be seen in his Acts. Now Theodulus is honored on the XVI of August, Theodore I on the XXVI, and Theodore II on the XXVII of the same month. This is established for us from the Offices of the ancient Breviary of Sion, which were transmitted to us; but that these were long since abrogated we learn from the directory of the same church of the year 1687, in which those three Saints are ordered to be honored on the aforesaid days with the common Office of a confessor pontiff, which is set in the first place. These things being observed concerning the cult of the three, I shall briefly gather together the deeds of St. Theodore I.
[2] André du Saussay in the supplement to the Gallican Martyrology on the XXIII of March announces his memory in these words: At Sion in Gaul, of St. Theodore, otherwise Theodoric, bishop and confessor, who, a bright light of his age, while he held the episcopal chair at Octodurum of the Veragri (which at length was translated to Sion of the Valaisans), went, being invited as one indeed of the proper bishops of Gaul, to the council of Aquileia, which was celebrated at the command of Pope Damasus and the emperor Gratian against the bishops Palladius and Secundianus, who were renewing the Arian dogmas; and, a supporter of holy Ambrose, who there strenuously championed the majesty of the Only-begotten of the eternal Father against the wicked perfidy of these impious men, conspicuous among the sacred chief men, he subscribed the sentence of condemnation which was passed against them. Thereafter, having returned to his see in triumph, he zealously cultivated the orthodox faith. And when as a good Pastor he had sustained his flock by word and example, being enriched with the increase of grace, he hastened joyfully to the crown of justice, from the happy departure of a good warfare. The council of Aquileia was held in the year 381, and his name is found subscribed to it in Labbe, volume 2, column 979, in this manner: Theodore, bishop of Octodurum. Ferrari in the General Catalogue of the Saints on the same day records St. Theodore the first; but the time which he assigns him in his notes does not agree with the first. Our predecessors made mention of these announcements on the XXIII of March, but only among the Passed Over, because they did not sufficiently trust these authors for asserting his cult; but that doubt concerning his cult has been entirely removed since the Saint's Office was received.
[3] Further, the said Office contains a prayer of this kind: O God, who through blessed Theodore, thy confessor and Pontiff, hast granted us to come to the knowledge of thy name, and the ancient Office, in which certain grant that by his merits and intercession we may deserve happily to attain to the brightness of eternal glory. Through, etc. But the lessons of the second nocturn record the Saint's life in some fashion in this manner: Theodore, ordained bishop of Octodurum, a man in the Christian commonwealth of his age second to few, who, being of altogether singular holiness and erudition, at the exhortation of holy Pope Damasus, and with the emperor Gratian consenting, in the year of the Lord CCCLXXXI, on the Nones of September, was present with the highest praise, together with holy Ambrose archbishop of Milan and thirty-two other most holy and most learned bishops — nearly all of whom have since been reckoned among the Saints — at the celebration of the council of Aquileia; where they condemned from the communion of the faithful Palladius, the most wicked leader of the Arians, distinguished by the sacerdotal prerogative, by the common and unanimous votes of the Fathers of the aforesaid council, Theodore thundering against him for his own sentence in these words: Palladius, who has denied that Christ is true God coeternal with the Father, we judge to be in no wise either a Christian or a priest. These words of Theodore of Octodurum are recited in the Acts of the council in Labbe, column 990.
[4] Being sent back to his own see of Octodurum, acting as a vigilant pastor toward the flock entrusted to him, his deeds he presided fruitfully by word and example: for as he was most fervent in the preaching of God, singular in modesty and piety, unbroken in the endurance of labors, assiduous in the zeal of prayer, so was he mighty in convincing the vain and superstitious worshipers of idols by the living force of reasons, and mighty and successful in dispelling the darkness of those same errors; and with the Apostle he was a debtor to all the churches; and to lesser Burgundy, as the Annals relate, he announced Christ. The Passion of the holy Theban martyrs of Agaunum, Maurice and his companions, he transmitted to the bishop of Geneva,\ to be communicated to all the bishops of Gaul; which Eucherius, bishop of Lyons, for the fragrance of his style, made common to all. St. Eucherius's lucubration concerning the holy Martyrs of the Theban legion Chifflet published in his Paulinus Illustrated, where at page 92 he speaks thus to our purpose: Further, I sought the truth of the matter itself from fit authors; from those, assuredly, who affirmed that they had learned from the bishop of Geneva, holy Isaac, this order of the passion which I have set forth; who (I believe) in turn had received these things back from the most blessed bishop Theodore, a man of an earlier time. To this I judge the author of the Office had regard, and therefore for the ambiguous word I have set above of Geneva*; but he said more than Eucherius relates. I return to the Office.
[5] things are related: He was marvelously distinguished with many talents; he brought the straying sheep back to the true fold of Christ; and he overthrew the shrines of the idols which remained, and in their place raised altars to St. Maurice and his companions, and churches dedicated to God; he notably assisted Ambrose, abbot of Agaunum, in building a church leaning against the rock to the holy Martyrs out of the collections of the province, and gathered the bones of the aforesaid Saints together with the abbot Ambrose. Who, showing himself in all things a Saint, and a provident and vigilant pastor, laden with virtues and merits, and advanced in age, rested in the Lord with a holy end. Thus far the lessons of the Office. Hither are to be referred what St. Eucherius in the aforesaid Chifflet records at page 91 in these words: But indeed the bodies of the most blessed martyrs of Agaunum, many years after their passion, are delivered to have been revealed to holy Theodore, bishop of that place; in whose honor, when a basilica was being built — which now, joined to a vast rock, lies leaning on one side only — what miracle then appeared I have thought by no means to be passed over in silence. These things sufficiently prove that a church was raised by St. Theodore to the holy Martyrs. But what is added concerning Ambrose the abbot involves a manifest anachronism; for Ambrose was abbot in the VI century, when the monastery of Agaunum was founded by St. Sigismund, king of the Burgundians, as we shall prove in St. Theodore II on the following day.
[6] [he was perhaps present at a certain council of Milan; he died about the end of the IV century.] For the rest, how long St. Theodore lived after the council of Aquileia, or in what year he met his death, is nowhere explained. In the time of Siricius, supreme Pontiff, about the year 390, St. Ambrose held a council at Milan against the errors of Jovinian. The synodal letter which those fathers sent to Siricius has been published in Labbe, volume 2 of the Councils, and there is found subscribed to it with the others, at column [ ], Theodulus the bishop. That this is to be understood of our St. Theodore is surmised by Carlo Bascapè, bishop of Novara, whose words were recited on the XVI of August, or volume III, page 276. The same thing Tillemont affirms without any doubt, volume 10 of the Memoirs, page 130, and again page 229. To me also it appears probable that it is our Theodore who was present at the said council, and who is there called Theodulus; especially because it is established that Theodore was present with St. Ambrose, and with certain other fathers of that council, at the synod of Aquileia. Hence I have by conjecture placed the Saint's death about the end of the IV century, although I do not deny that he may have reached the V century.
ANNOTATIONS.
\* In the copy that word could not be read.