CONCERNING SAINT LUPICINUS, BISHOP OF LYON IN GAUL.
ABOUT THE YEAR OF CHRIST 486.
CommentaryLupicinus, Bishop of Lyon in Gaul (Saint)
By the Author I. B.
[1] It is necessary that Saint Lupicinus flourished with the illustrious praise of sanctity, since his name is celebrated in all Martyrologies on the third of the Nones of February. We have related the words of very many above, when there was discussion of Saints Felix and Felicitas, because most of them join Felix as his companion, the feast of Saint Lupicinus, some also Celerinus; neither of which we have indicated is approved by us. But not a few record him separately. Bede the Vulgate, Rabanus, the manuscripts of Saint Maximin and Saint Lambert at Liege: At Lyon, the deposition of Blessed Lupicinus, Bishop; the manuscripts of Saint Mary at Utrecht and Saint Martin at Tournai add: and Confessor. The Prague manuscript: Of the holy Bishops Lupicidus, Teredus, Remedius. Wandelbert:
And on the third of the Nones the feasts of Lupicinus are consecrated.
His Acts, however, are entirely unknown and hidden. Acts unknown, Petrus de Natalibus, book 11, last chapter, number 49, makes him a Martyr: Lupicinus the Bishop, he says, Felix and Celerinus suffered on the same day at Lyon. On what authority does he establish his credibility?
[2] Johannes Savaro rightly warns in his Notes on the letter of Sidonius Apollinaris, letter 15 of book 7, that the lists of the Bishops of Lyon have been corrupted. For according to Demochares, after Saint Eucherius, who is placed as the twentieth, his era, the following successors are listed: Salonius (Saloinus, incorrectly written), Desiderius, Veranus, Patiens, Africanus, Rusticus, Stephanus, Lupicinus, Viventiolus, the thirtieth Lupus. In another Catalogue according to the same, with Desiderius and Africanus omitted, the rest after Eucherius are enumerated thus: Salonius, Veranus, Peter, the twenty-fourth Lupicinus, Rusticus, Stephanus, Viventiolus, Lupus. In both, however, for Viventiolus he has Vincentius. Jacobus Severtius, Johannes Chenu, and Claudius Robertus establish them in this order: Eucherius, Veranus, Patiens, Africanus, Rusticus, Stephanus, Lupicinus, Viventiolus, Lupus. We arrange them thus, following no lists but those reasons which we shall bring forward at the feast days of each: Saint Eucherius, who is venerated on November 16. Saint Patiens, September 11. Saint Africanus, May 1: if, however, it shall be established for certain that he is to be placed among the Bishops. Saint Lupicinus, February 3. Saint Rusticus, or Rusticius, April 25. Saint Stephanus, February 13. Saint Veranus, November 11. Saint Viventiolus, July 12. his successor, Saint Rusticus, Savaro rightly separates Saints Veranus and Salonius, sons of Saint Eucherius, of whom the former was Bishop of Vence and the latter of Geneva, from these. Since, however, Saint Avitus, Bishop of Vienne, as is stated in his Life on February 5, gave the venerable Abbot of monks Veranus to the people of Lyon as Bishop; and designated Saint Viventiolus, chosen from the flock of the Presbyters of God, as Bishop for the same; it is necessary to admit another Veranus who sat immediately before Saint Viventiolus. Severtius acknowledges that in the Homiliary of the Church of Lyon, Lupicinus is placed before Rusticius.
[3] Since moreover Saint Rusticus sat at Lyon when Saint Epiphanius, Bishop of Pavia, undertook an embassy to Gundobad, King of the Burgundians, at the command of King Theodoric, in the year 494, who sat in 494; as is stated on January 21 in his Life; and since Saint Patiens is said to have been present at the Council of Arles around the year 475, and soon afterward at the Council of Lyon; the consequence is that Saint Lupicinus appears to have sat between the years 480 and 494. But how long he sat, what he did, or what he suffered under the Arian King of the Burgundians, we have nowhere read. Chenu and Severtius write that his sacred body was buried in the church of Saint Justus. where his body was buried. Nor does Saussaius narrate anything further about him in his Martyrology: he joins Felix, Bishop of Belley, to him, and says that both were distinguished for their learning; namely in accordance with the usual practice. But no one else counts that Felix of Belley among the Saints; except that our Rainaudus expresses some doubt, as indicated above.