Fidelis

ON SAINT FIDELIS, BISHOP OF MERIDA IN SPAIN

Around the Year of Christ 570.

Fidelis, Bishop of Merida in Spain (Saint)

By the author I. B.

[1] Merida, now commonly called Merida, is a city of Spain on the River Guadiana, formerly reckoned within Lusitania. Ennobled of old by the contests of many martyrs, it also had not a few bishops illustrious for holiness, among whom Saint Fidelis is numbered by Thomas Tamayo de Vargas in his treatise on Meritensian affairs, and by others.

[2] Fidelis, Bishop of Merida. That he died around the year 570 is indicated by Maximus, Bishop of Saragossa, in his Chronicle, although he places him out of order before his uncle and predecessor Paul. For whereas he had previously written thus -- "Paul, Bishop of Merida,

[4] is succeeded by Fidelis as Bishop" -- at the year 570 he has this: "Saint Masona succeeds Paul in the See of Merida." But from Paul the Deacon of Merida it is clear that Fidelis succeeded Paul, and Massona (or Mausona, or Masona) succeeded Fidelis. Around the year 570, he died. John of Biclaro, at the seventh year of Justin the Younger, which is the year of Christ 572, writes the following: "Mausona, Bishop of the Church of Merida, is held to be distinguished in our doctrine."

[3] George Cardoso inscribed Saint Fidelis in the Portuguese Hagiologion at February 7, inscribed in the Portuguese Martyrology either following the records of the Church of Merida, or other ancient monuments -- unless perchance, to fill out his calendar, he assigned him this feast day, which he had found expressed nowhere; since he could otherwise read that he was commonly called a Saint without qualification. For not only does Ambrose of Morales, Book 11, chapter 72, list him among the holy men who lived in Spain under King Leovigild, and Francis Padilla, Century 6, chapter 50, among illustrious and excellent men; but John Marieta, Book 5, chapter 28, simply calls him "Saint Fidelis," and then "this Saint." Maurus Castella Ferrerius, in the History of Saint James, Book 2, chapter 23, enumerating the Saints who flourished in the Spains from the coming of Saint James to his Discovery, called a Saint by writers among other things writes thus: "Saint Fidelis, Bishop of Merida, around the year 600." Barnabas Moreno de Vargas, in his History of Merida, entitles chapter 4 of Book 3 thus: "Life of Saint Fidelis, Bishop of Merida," and throughout the whole text calls him a Saint. In the Bibliotheca Hispanica also, volume 1, chapter 5, concerning the city of Merida, it is said: "It had as bishops Saint Paul and Fidelis, Greeks by nation." And then on page 121: "Saints Paul and Fidelis, Bishops of Merida." Paul the Deacon of Merida himself, from whose book On the Lives of the Fathers of Merida we here present the deeds of Saint Fidelis, His life from Paul the Deacon expressly writes that the grace of Saint Fidelis the Bishop appeared to have come to rest upon Massona, the holy bishop. Moreover, Paul lived about a thousand years ago. I omit the encomium with which Cardoso celebrates him.

LIFE

by Paul the Deacon of Merida.

Fidelis, Bishop of Merida in Spain (Saint)

BHL Number: 2530

By Paul the Deacon.

CHAPTER V.

[1] When for very many years Bishop Paul had enjoyed a happy time with his people, and living joyously for God, always full of virtues, he flourished -- it happened one day that Greek merchants from the region whence he himself had originated arrived in ships from the East and reached the shores of Spain. When they had come to the city of Merida, Saint Fidelis came as a boy to Merida with merchants they presented themselves before the Bishop as was customary. When they had been kindly received by him, and departing from his residence had returned to the house where they were lodging, on the following day they sent him a small gift as an expression of thanks, carried by a boy named Fidelis, who had come with them from their country, hired for the purpose of earning wages. When he had been brought before the Bishop's sight, and the holy man had gratefully received what had been sent with a willing heart, he began to question him in detail -- what was his name, from what province, or from what city he came? When therefore the boy told him his name and his city, recognized by Saint Paul the Bishop as his sister's son seeing the youth was of good character, he questioned him about everything in order, and inquired after the names of his parents. And the boy consequently, according to the questioning, straightforwardly revealed his homeland, city, village, and the names of his parents. As the boy spoke these things, Paul recognized the name of his own sister. Immediately leaping from his seat, he fell upon the boy's neck with embraces in the sight of all (for his very bowels were moved with compassion over him), and throwing himself upon his neck, and kissing him for a very long time, he wept abundantly for joy. He at once ordered the aforementioned merchants to be summoned, and said to them: "Grant me this boy, and ask of me whatever you wish." But they replied: "We can by no means do this, because he is a freeborn man, and we received him hired from his parents for our assistance; without him we can in no way return to his parents, nor shall we have leave to see their faces again, if we have left him in so distant a province." He in turn said: "Let it be known to you and he is retained there that if you do not leave him with me, you shall by no means return to your homeland. But accept from me abundant money, and go, departing securely in peace." They, hearing these things, and being unable to resist so great an authority any further, said to him: "Tell us, Lord, what is the reason that you deign to love with such great affection a man unknown to you?" He indeed said that the boy was his kinsman, and very closely related to him by blood, and added: "Go in the name of the Lord without any hesitation, reporting to my sister that I have kept her son with me for the consolation of my exile." Sending through them diverse gifts to his sister, he also bestowed many gifts upon the sailors themselves, and thus enriched by his presents, they returned to their homeland with great joy.

[2] When they had departed, he immediately ordered the aforementioned youth to be tonsured, he becomes a cleric and offered him to Almighty God for service, and like another Samuel in the temple of the Lord he diligently instructed him day and night, so that within the course of a few years he taught him most perfectly the entire ecclesiastical office and the whole library of the Divine Scriptures. Then indeed, leading him through the individual grades, he ordained him a deacon, then a deacon who, immediately becoming a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, was so illuminated with all virtues that in holiness, charity, patience, and humility he surpassed the entire clergy; indeed he showed himself so agreeable and affable to God and men that people thought him to be one from the number of the angels.

[3] Of angelic character: Meanwhile, while for very many years he served God irreproachably, and obeyed his aforementioned guardian with sweet compliance in all things, and gently delighted his old age without any offense -- the same aforementioned most blessed Father, having now completed the course of many years and declining in decrepit age into senility, chose him as his successor, and soon also ordained him in his own place while still living, he is consecrated Bishop and instituted him heir of all his goods; also decreeing by testamentary provision that if the clergy of Merida wished to have him as their Bishop, he should bequeath to the aforementioned Church all the properties which Paul had conferred upon him after his death; and instituted heir of his uncle's goods but if otherwise, he should have the free will to dispose of or adjudicate the aforesaid properties however he wished. This decree the holy man promulgated by the revelation of the Holy Spirit, foreknowing by the grace of prophecy that the jealousies of many wicked men would not fail to oppose that man, who would bark at him on every side like dogs thereafter, and tear at his success with the jaws of envy. Meanwhile, after he had established him as Bishop under the Lord's auspices, he desired to attend and serve him just as he had been accustomed to minister in the time of the diaconate, so that removing his chasuble, in the manner of a minister, standing before him, he would perform every service. He wishes to serve him as before, but is not permitted: But Fidelis forbade him to do this, and admonished him to hold firmly henceforth the authority of his pontificate, and commanded him rather to take care of his brethren. The most holy old man himself then, leaving the residence and all the privileges of his honor, betook himself to a most humble cell at the basilica of Saint Eulalia. While he was dwelling there for some time, freed from the storms of this world, and established in great tranquility, lying in sackcloth and ashes, praying to the Lord for the sins of the whole world, he departed from the body.

CHAPTER VI.

[4] After his departure, certain pestilent men, just as the man of God had predicted, began to murmur with malicious words against the most blessed Bishop Fidelis, he suffers rivals in order to expel him by whatever occasion from the position to which he had been appointed. When he perceived this,

[5] and wished to separate himself together with his property from their persecution, he is admitted as Bishop: when they learned that if he withdrew from them, removing from the jurisdiction of the Church the estates that were his, absolutely nothing would remain to them, they threw themselves at his feet, more unwilling than willing. Not entirely resisting them, he gives all his property to the Church: he gave his assent both to bear the care of governance and hereafter to leave all his patrimony to the Church. And so it was done, and at that time the Church itself was so enriched that none in the territories of Spain was wealthier. And thus, with the Lord's cooperation, a pure and sincere affection toward him was so confirmed in all he is loved by all that everyone, with one and the same mind, burning with the ardor of immense charity, glowed toward him with the immense love of a holy fire, so that having become one heart and one voice with him, they in no way whatsoever differed from mutual affection by any intervening discord.

[5] Since we have mentioned the name of so great a seer, it would seem to us clearly worthwhile to commit to memory some small portion of his many virtues, with which he frequently shone forth. On a certain Lord's Day, therefore, while he was proceeding to the residence with many children of the Church, as was customary, the Archdeacon with the Clergy, coming from the church in white vestments, stood before him. Immediately he arose, he is divinely preserved with his people from the collapse of a building and with deacons bearing thuribles in the customary manner and proceeding before him, he went with all who were present to the church, in order to celebrate, with God's help, the solemnities of the Mass. But when all of them had proceeded with him from the residence barely about ten paces, immediately from its deepest foundations the entire fabric of that most spacious residence suddenly collapsed, and crushed no one, by God's command. From this event one must consider of what merit this man was, who so obtained by his prayers before God that the ancient enemy was not given power to accomplish the ruin of so great a structure before he himself had led everyone outside and saved them in full number, by God's mercy. But let no one doubt that in so great a danger no one perished, this was especially granted through the merits of the most holy Virgin Eulalia. When indeed, inquiring carefully, he found that no one had perished, he was in no way disturbed in his soul, but rather gave thanks to God, and joyfully offered him a sacrifice, and happily spent that day in the Lord with all his people. After indeed a great interval of time, he restored the ruined fabric of the residence, he magnificently restores what had collapsed and with God's help made it more beautiful, raising the spaces of the building itself far and wide on loftier columns, suspending the precious decorations of the residence on columns, and clothing the entire pavement and all the walls with gleaming marble; he wove wonderful ceilings above. And the church of Saint Eulalia: Then, moreover, restoring in a wonderful arrangement the basilica of the most blessed Virgin Eulalia to a better state, he raised in that most sacred temple the lofty pinnacles of towers to a sublime height. Often seen in the company of Saints: For this blessed man, while placed in this body, is reported to have been frequently seen standing and chanting with the companies of the Saints in the choir of the church; and many other things are told, which we have refrained from writing on account of their prolixity, lest they cause tedium to readers.

CHAPTER VII.

[6] On a certain day he sent a household servant of his to a place called Capsiana, which is sixteen miles distant from the city of Merida, and ordered him to return with all haste. His servant happening to witness this: When the servant had gone and had not managed to return on the same day, he stayed there overnight. At the very onset of night, while he was already sleeping, it seemed to him that roosters had crowed; immediately awakened, he mounted his horse and, hastening swiftly, arrived before midnight at the gate of the city itself, which is called the Gate of the Bridge. While he sat there for a very long time and saw that he had risen before the proper hour, and that although he had cried out loudly, no one would open the gate for him, it seemed good to him to give his horse a little grass until someone might perhaps unlock the gate. And behold, suddenly at the hour of dead night, lifting up his eyes, he saw from afar a globe of fire proceeding from the church of Saint Faustus, which is about a mile from the city, and arriving at the basilica of Saint Leocritia. While he was silently contemplating what this might be, without delay, behold, a multitude of Saints, preceded by that light, came across the bridge and arrived at the gate; with whom also the most holy Bishop Fidelis was walking. [At night he visits the churches with the Saints, clothed in heavenly garments, and enters the city through gates divinely opened:] When they reached the gate, the aforementioned servant, seeing the increased ranks of the white-robed company, and beholding Saint Fidelis himself, clothed in a snow-white mantle, hastening in their midst, was struck with amazement, and terrified and trembling, became as one dead with fear. But Fidelis divinely opened the bolts of the gates, and immediately they entered the city. When they had entered, the servant, rising and wishing to enter after them, was by no means able, because he found the gate shut just as it had been before. When at first dawn, the gate having been opened, he arrived at the residence, the holy man immediately asked him at what hour he had departed from the aforesaid place. The servant told him both the hour at which he had risen and the delay he had experienced at the gate. When the man of God asked him whether he had seen anything, the servant confessed that he had seen something. He orders it to be kept silent. Fidelis admonished him that as long as the holy man was in the body, he should report it to no one, lest it bring grave peril upon him.

[7] On another occasion similarly, a certain religious man saw him on a certain night going out from the church of Saint Eulalia with a multitude of Saints and proceeding through the basilica of the Martyrs. On another occasion he was seen making a similar procession with the Saints. But acting imprudently, he immediately told many people; at last coming to the man of God, he reported to him what he had seen. Fidelis said to him: "Have you already told anyone what you saw, or not?" The man immediately replied and straightforwardly confessed that he had told others. To this Fidelis said: "May the Lord pardon you, Brother; you have not done rightly. I know, however, that this will not be counted against you as a fault at the future judgment. Meanwhile go, receive communion, and give us the kiss of peace; punished by death, he who imprudently divulged it bid farewell to everyone, for you are about to depart; yet arrange your household affairs with all haste, and if you desire, receive the remedy of penance." The man, having soon received penance and set his house in order, bidding farewell to all, departed from the body on the following night.

[8] Again, to a certain religious man who was hurrying to attend the ecclesiastical office, on a certain night, while he lay in his bed pressed down by sleep in the silence of the dead of night, it seemed that the bell for matins had been sounded. Immediately rising with all haste, he ran to

the church lest the time of the sacrifice should pass him by; rushing at the swiftest pace, he arrived there out of breath. But when he entered the church of Saint Mary, a certain person watching which to this day is called Holy Jerusalem, he heard voices of wonderful melody singing, and looking toward the choir, he saw a multitude of Saints standing there. Shaken with immense fear and turned to trembling, and hearing the chant of the Saints he withdrew silently into a corner of the basilica, and quietly contemplating, attentively listening, he heard the entire office completed by them in the customary order. When this was finished, a little while still before cockcrow, they came with praises to the church of Saint Mary, to the chapel of Saint John, in which is the baptistery, which is so close to the aforesaid basilica, with only a wall interposed, that both are covered by one roof; and when the praises were completed, they began to say to one another: "Behold, the hour is immediately at hand when the signal must be given; therefore it is first necessary that we arrange that for which we have been sent." When they had said this, there appeared before them hideous Ethiopians, exceedingly terrible, whose stature seemed to be gigantic, their blackness utterly foul, evil angels are sent by the Saints to inflict a disease upon him so that from their very whole appearance and exceedingly dark countenance, it could be plainly understood by one beholding them that they were without doubt ministers of Tartarus. They also bore very sharp swords in their hands, to whom the Saints immediately said: "Going with all speed to the residence, enter the cell in which the holy Bishop Fidelis lies, and strike him with a grievous wound in the body, so that his soul, departing as quickly as possible from its bodily chain, may come with us to our Lord Jesus Christ and to the crown prepared for him."

[9] They immediately obeyed the command and went. But not striking him, they returned, saying: "We cannot enter his cell, they are three times deterred by prayer because he is not sleeping, but lies prostrate on the ground and prays; moreover, his cell is so redolent with the most sweet fragrance of incense that the splendor of so great a fragrance of the incense which he has offered to the Lord does not allow us to enter there at all." The Saints again commanded them, saying: "Go and strike him, because the command of the Lord must be fulfilled." When they had gone and were unable to enter, they returned again and said: "Vain is prayer when the summons has come; but go and fulfill the Lord's command: what has been given once cannot in any way be transgressed." When they went a third time, by God's permission they entered, and struck him with so strong and cruel a hand that the religious man who was standing in the church clearly heard the cry which he uttered with grievous pain and groaning. When daylight came, he approached the holy Bishop and made known to him everything he had seen and also heard. Fidelis said to him: "I know, my son, I know, and nothing of this is hidden from me." When he had said this, sick, he orders himself to be carried to the church and the approaching illness causing his limbs to fail, he suddenly felt his whole body dissolving, he ordered himself to be carried to the basilica of the most holy Virgin Eulalia, and there he first bewailed his sins with many tearful satisfactions.

[10] Then he bestowed generous alms upon many captives and the needy; he helps the poor finally, returning their bonds of debt, he remitted the debts of many. But after he had returned everything, the bond of a certain widow remained, which had not yet been returned, and which he had been waiting to give back to her. But he returns the bonds of debt to various people the poor woman, on account of the dense crowd by which he was surrounded, could not approach; and when she came day after day and could find no place, greatly saddened in mind and anxious, accomplishing nothing, she returned afflicted with grief to her lodging. On a certain night, the most holy Cyprian and Lawrence appeared to her in a vision, the widow is helped by the Saints, by name, so that she may approach saying: "Do you know why you cannot find a place?" She replied: "I do not know." And they said: "Tell us, why do you frequently visit the basilicas of our other brother Martyrs, but disdain to come to us?" Immediately rising, she hurried to their basilicas, poured out prayer with tears, implored pardon for the negligence of past time, and thence returned to the basilica of Saint Eulalia. With wonderful swiftness she found a place, received her bond without difficulty, and rendered wonderful thanks to God and his Saint; for she merited not only to find a prepared place for entering, but indeed it was so arranged by the disposing Saints of God that when she entered, the holy Bishop was waiting with that very bond held in his own hand, to return it to her. And so it happened that as he kindly returned it and she joyfully received what she had long desired, shortly afterward the holy man, preceded by the companies of Saints and awaited by angelic choirs, passed rejoicing to the heavenly realms, he dies and, joined to the celestial hosts, merited to be gathered together with perpetual exultation in everlasting fellowship in the starry mansions, by the receiving of the Lord Jesus. He is buried with Saint Paul the Bishop. His poor body, committed to the same sarcophagus beside the body of his most holy predecessor, as if in one bed, was honorably entombed.

CHAPTER IX.

[11] Upon this aforesaid gracious man's migration to the heavenly homeland, the providence of divine mercy appointed as his successor a man orthodox in nature and not unequal in the glory of all virtues, whose name was Massona -- namely the blessed succeeding the blessed, and the holy the holy, the pious the pious, the good the kind, Massona succeeds him, a Saint succeeding a Saint and Massona, resplendent with all spiritual gifts and shining with immense virtues, succeeded Fidelis in the priestly order. With his predecessor now joined to the star-bearing citizens in heaven, the sweetness of his successor remained, and his remarkable merit soothed the grief of all the citizens on earth; so that not only was the sorrow over the death of the holy Bishop dispelled for all, but indeed, after the manner of the ancient Fathers Elijah and Elisha, the twofold grace of the Paraclete Spirit appeared, in the sight of all, to have come to rest upon Massona the holy bishop from Saint Fidelis the Bishop, and the people, though bereft of their shepherd, were not utterly worn out with affliction, 4 Kings 2:15 but rather rejoiced with doubled joy, by the granting of divine mercy -- since they had sent the former ahead to heaven for their own salvation, and gratefully received the latter, a man of extraordinary virtue, on earth.

a Thomas Tamayo de Vargas notes that elsewhere facibus "with torches" is read.

b On this rite, see the same Tamayo's notes on chapter 5.

c The same Tamayo observes this custom of the Spanish Church in his note 2 on chapter 6.

d The same Tamayo would prefer to read iuuante "helping".

e The same prefers partitus "having shared".

f On Saint Eulalia of Merida, and this her temple, we shall treat on December 10.

g Tamayo believes this to be the one who suffered at Cordoba and is venerated on October 13 with others, whose basilicas and tombs Saint Eulogius mentions in Book 2 of the Memorial, chapter 9. To me he seems to be someone else.

h Tamayo judges this Leocritia to be the one mentioned in the Life of Saint Eulogius, who is venerated on March 15.

i Tamayo observes that this signal, with examples to illustrate, was customarily given in four ways according to the diversity of times: by wood, by bronze, by voice, and by a runner.

k Tamayo notes this senior church (as the same Paul calls it in chapter 12) in the Council of Merida under King Recceswinth.

l On Saint Massona we shall treat on November 1.