ON SAINT PAUL III, BISHOP OF BRESCIA IN ITALY
Sixth Century
CommentaryPaul III, Bishop of Brescia in Italy (Saint)
G. H.
[1] Rampertus, Bishop of Brescia -- a city of the Cenomani in Italy between the river Po and the Alps, now under the dominion of the Venetians -- in his treatise on the Translation of Saint Philastrius, among the Bishops of Brescia enumerates very many Bishops who succeeded him, and among them three Pauls, in this order: "There are thirty Bishops of Brescia," he says, "who have celebrated the prayers of the Masses at the altar dedicated to the name of the blessed Philastrius, placed above his head, and who, venerating the day of his passing and commanding the people to abstain from all earthly work, have reverently honored it. These are: third from him and second from Gaudentius, three called Paul Paul; then Theophilus and Silvinus and Gaudiosus; Optatianus and Vigilius and Titianus; Paul, Cyprianus, Herculanus, Honorius, Rusticianus, and Dominator; likewise Paul, Paterius, Anastasius, and Dominicus; Felix and Deusdedit; likewise Gaudiosus again, Rusticianus, Apollinaris, Andreas, and Theodaldus; Vitalis and Benedictus; Ansoaldus, Cunipertus, Amfridus, and Peter, Bishops of venerable memory -- in whose order and merits I, Rampertus, the last and unworthy Bishop of the holy Church of Brescia," etc.
[2] So he wrote in the ninth century of Christ, during which time they say he lived in the time of the Emperor Lothair. Saint Philastrius is venerated on July 18, having died before Saint Ambrose. But Saint Gaudentius, who embraced the life of Philastrius in a brief discourse, was ordained Bishop by Saint Ambrose and flew to heaven on October 25, and enrolled among the Saints leaving as his successor Saint Paul, the first of that name, whose birthday, after a blessed death, is celebrated among the Saints on April 29. The second Paul, who succeeded Saint Titianus, having been crowned with many merits, was enrolled among the heavenly ones upon his death and received March 4 as his sacred day. Some call this one Paulinus, a name which is ascribed to the former in the Roman Martyrology. Hence the one who is third in Rampertus's list as Paul of these, the third is venerated on February 7 is considered by others to be only the second Bishop of that name. He, according to Ferrarius in the Catalogue of Saints of Italy, on February 7, presided for some time over the aforesaid Church between Saint Dominator, who preceded him, and Saint Paterius, his successor. Having served his city most meritoriously, he migrated to heaven on the seventh day before the Ides of February. His body rests at the present time in the church of Saint Peter in Oliveto. his body is preserved in Saint Peter in Oliveto His deeds and the time in which he lived are unknown. Ferrarius also commemorates him in the general catalogue of Saints and adds that he succeeded Saint Dominator around the year 450. Peter Galesinius also inscribed him in his Martyrology on this day: "At Brescia," he says, "of Saint Paul, Bishop and Confessor." Elias Capreolus also makes mention of him in book 4 of the Annals of Brescia, and likewise places him between Saints Dominator and Paterius, of whom the former is venerated on November 5, the latter on February 21. Finally, the same Ferrarius in his Topography appended to the Martyrology assigned him to February 8, by a typographical error, which he then corrects, citing the tables of the Church of Brescia, saying that he migrated to heaven on the seventh day before the Ides of February. Ughellus, in volume 4 of Sacred Italy on the Bishops of Brescia, places between Saint Dominator and Saint Paul a certain Berticanus, or Bertacenus, whom he adds perished by sudden death because, corrupted by money, he had violated the church of Saints Faustinus and Jovita with the burial of a most wicked man. But he says that Saint Paul flourished in the year 498 and that his feast is observed on the seventh day before the Ides of February.