Fulcran

CONCERNING ST. FULCRAN, BISHOP OF LODEVE IN FRANCE.

YEAR OF CHRIST 1006.

Fulcran, Bishop of Lodeve in France (Saint)

I.B.

[1] The city of the Lutavenses, that is, the fortress of Lutava, in the first Narbonese province of Gaul, as the old List of Provinces and Cities of Gaul has it -- called by others Loteva, Lodava, Lotova, and commonly Lodeve -- has been adorned with an episcopal see from the earliest times of the Christian religion. The first to have occupied that see is said to have been St. Florus, of Lodeve, once converted by St. Florus, who had planted the faith there. So Bernard Gui writes in his Life on November 4, himself also ^a Bishop of that same city: The man of God, he says, coming to the city of Lodeve, was there elected the first Pastor and Bishop of the Church, and he carried back the straying sheep to the Lord's fold upon his own shoulders. The principal Patron of the city is St. Genesius, the Martyr of Arles; the secondary patron is St. Fulcran, Bishop St. Fulcran: himself also Bishop of Lodeve. The feast of the former is celebrated on August 25, that of the latter on February 13. Others call him Fulcranus, Fulchrannus, Fulcrandus, or Folcrandus.

[2] Guillaume Catel, in book 4 of his Commentaries on the History of Languedoc, attests that he had three Lives of him. We have obtained two. whence is his Life published here? The shorter one was sent from Toulouse by our Pierre Possinus, divided into Lessons for use in the ecclesiastical Office. The fuller one was copied for us from ^a codex of the Metropolitan Church of Prague by our Johann Scholtz. We give this one alone, from which the other was abridged. The author of this Life is the same Bernard Gui, of the Order of Preachers, by whom was it written? created Bishop of Lodeve in the year 1324, according to Catel. He states in the title that he composed this Life from his ancient acts, another more prolix ancient one exists. cutting away superfluous material which, through excessive prolixity, generated tedium in readers. And something seems to be wanting at the end, since it breaks off quite abruptly. In the copy which we received from Prague, "Sultrammus" is perpetually written, through the fault of the copyist, as we suppose: therefore, as the other copy had it, we have restored "Fulcrannus."

[3] Saussay praises him with an elegant eulogy on the Ides of February in the Gallican Martyrology, where he also reports that he presided over that Church for fifty-seven years: Catel adds nine days. his age and time of See: The Life expressly asserts that he departed to the Lord in the year of the generation of Christ 1006, on the Ides of February, ^a Wednesday, when indeed with Solar Cycle 7, Lunar Cycle 19, Indiction 3, the Dominical Letter was F. It adds that he remained in the episcopate for sixty-two years and nine days. But since it reports earlier, in chapter 1, no. 6, that he was consecrated on the day before the Nones of February, in the year of the generation of Christ 949, there is an error somewhere: for from the year 949 to 1006, only fifty-seven years intervene. Perhaps for 949, one should read 944, and then everything is consistent, V being put for X. But another obstacle arises, in that on February 4 of the year 959 the day was ^a Sunday, and in 944 it was ^a Saturday: and consecrations of bishops of that kind are usually performed on Sundays.

[4] The body of St. Fulcran remained whole and incorrupt for 567 years. body incorrupt for 567 years. The Calvinists at last in the year 1573, having occupied Lodeve, cast it into the fire. But the fire, as if reproaching them for their inhumanity, spared the sacred remains. Yet those fierce men, not at all moved by that miracle, dragged it through the streets in Bacchic frenzy, then cut it to pieces, cut to pieces by the Calvinists, so that scarcely one hand and some fragments of the body could be rescued from the savage cruelty. And these now, though scanty, relics of their Bishop, the Church of Lodeve guards and religiously venerates: and many miracles are still wrought at them. These things are narrated by Catel in the Catalogue of the Bishops of Lodeve, and Andre Chesne in his Antiquities of the Cities of Gaul, page 699. one hand rescued, and other fragments: But that the sacrilege was divinely avenged is indicated by Claude Robert in his Gallia Christiana, and by Saussay in the Appendix to the Gallican Martyrology, page 1223, who says that if he had received the documents sent to him in time, this should have been noted at July 4.

[5] This also redounds to the honor of St. Fulcran, which is narrated in book 4 by Catel from ^a manuscript book on the Bishops of Maguelone by Jean de Verdale, Bishop of Maguelone or Montpellier, ^a contemporary of Bernard Gui. his sisters give their goods to the Churches. He says that St. Fulcran had two sisters, each the lady of ^a village, one of which was called Montpellier, and the other Montpellieret: who, emulating the munificence and piety of their brother toward sacred things, having made ^a vow, donated all their resources for the propagation of divine worship, and indeed gave those villages to the Church of Maguelone and its Bishop Ricuinus. Then, at the request of the Count of Melgueil, Ricuinus granted the town of Montpellier to him by feudal right, on the condition that he and his posterity would attest their vassalage with the due services. William, Count of Melgueil, however, restored it to the Church of Maguelone around the year 1090. And then Montpellier began to grow into its present greatness and splendor: and the See of Maguelone was translated there.

[6] Folcrannus, Bishop of Lodeve, is found to have been present and to have subscribed to the donation the memory of St. Fulcran elsewhere. which Bishop Froterius made in the presence of Count Regimond and Countess Girfeudis and others, in the year of the Incarnation of the Lord nine hundred and seventy-two. Catel recites the documents of that donation in book 1 of the History of the Counts of Toulouse, chapter 15, under Raymond III.

LIFE

by Bishop Bernard Gui, from the manuscript of the Church of Prague.

Fulcran, Bishop of Lodeve in France (Saint)

BHL Number: 3207

By Bishop Bernard Gui. From Manuscript.

CHAPTER I

The birth, education, and episcopate of St. Fulcran.

[1] The blessed Fulcran was descended from the territory of Lodeve, which was anciently called the territory of Lutorona and the city of Luteva, in the province of Narbonne, in the region of Aquitaine, from parents who were great in lineage and power according to the dignity of the world. St. Fulcran, of noble birth, It is reported that his mother Biligardis was shown ^a vision by night, while she still carried him in her womb, what sort of person he would be was declared to his pregnant mother in ^a dream, that she had given birth to ^a leafy tree laden with fruit in place of ^a son: beneath whose shade she saw many people resting and being refreshed and greatly rejoicing. When she had narrated this vision to ^a certain holy man, she heard from him ^a quasi-divine response that she would bear such ^a son as would hold ^a great place in the Church of God, and that he would be of great merit before God: beneath whose shade many children of the Church would find excellent rest, would be strengthened by fortitude, would be protected by good deeds as by branches, would be adorned also with virtues and morals as with flowers, and would be refreshed by the food of his teaching and the fruits of his merits. All of which the truth of the matter afterward confirmed more clearly than light. Having received the response, the woman was made joyful, and pouring herself entirely into love for the son not yet born, she prayed to the Lord with her whole heart, that as she had heard, so she might see.

[2] The child was born, and when he became ^a boy he was handed over to teachers to be instructed in letters: he is educated in letters, in which, having been not moderately trained, he quickly attained knowledge especially of those Scriptures which pertain either to divine worship or to the salvation of souls. For the Lord anticipated him with the blessings of sweetness, making known to him the ways of life, and gave him the water of wisdom to drink. endowed with an excellent character, For from infancy he was allotted ^a good soul, being an ingenious, teachable, and very lovable boy: to whom it was sweet to frequent the church and to be attentive in hearing the readings, according to the strength of his body and age. In the discipline of morals diligent, and in the advancement of virtues, he appeared in ^a short time more learned than those of his own age, indeed even more so than those who taught him, by divine anointing and grace. Striving also to adorn the nobility of his blood with the nobility of morals, he was modest in countenance, pure in mind and body, pleasing to all, and upright: gracious to all. And such ^a boyhood of Blessed Fulcran was followed by an even better adolescence.

[3] When he had now reached ^a greater age and was blooming with the flower of youth, as his age increased, so also did wisdom and grace before God and men grow in him. For so great ^a love of virginity and chastity had settled in his soul he loves to maintain virginity, that he prized it above health and all beauty, and spurned and fled, as ^a kind of plague, whatever was contrary to it. He chastised his body with fasting and vigils and compelled it to serve the spirit. Innocent in hands and pure in heart and body in his youth, and preserves it inviolate, he preserved the virginal modesty of his mind and heart unharmed until the end of his life, as he himself truthfully confessed while dying, placed in the presence of the most sacred Body of Jesus Christ. which the incorruptibility of his body after death declared: The integrity of his body, when examined, attests to his virginal body, which the earth that contained it within its grave gave back miraculously whole and uninjured after ^a long time, just as it had received it free from the corruption of the flesh.

[4] Advancing through the individual grades of the Ecclesiastical Order to the Order of the Diaconate, he becomes ^a Priest: he then ascended to the honor of the Priesthood: which he illumined by his life and morals, advancing and growing until he became exceedingly great. In the mortification of his flesh he was of such rigor, out of love for chastity he variously mortifies his body, that out of love for chastity he unceasingly afflicted it with hunger, thirst, cold, nakedness, labors, vigils, and many fasts: and now the adornment of precious garments was cast aside by him, and the preparation of sweet foods was despised. Inwardly, next to his skin, he wore ^a hair shirt in place of ^a delicate garment, with hair shirts, while outwardly he was still covered with honorable vestments. He spent nights in prayers, which he offered to the divine ears with an outpouring of tears vigils, and with devotion of mind. Thus, therefore, according to the teaching of the Apostle, he learned and strove to possess his body, that it might be ^a vessel sanctified, in honor before God, and prepared for every good work. 1 Thess. 4:4

[5] At that time there was ^a venerable and in every respect praiseworthy man, Theoderic, Bishop of the Church of Lodeve, who, loving Blessed Fulcran most tenderly from the very age of his boyhood, nurtured him and distinguished him with good morals. educated by Bishop Theoderic, With him, as his merits daily increased, ascending from virtue to virtue, he gained so great the favor of the Bishop himself, as well as of the entire clergy and people, on account of the grace and wisdom of God dear to him and to all, which shone in his countenance, that all venerated him with exceeding affection and regarded him in the place of ^a Father. And when the aforesaid Bishop had now advanced in years, he desired above all mortals to have Fulcran as his successor in the See of Lodeve: and to this same end the intention of the clergy and people of Lodeve sighed. When therefore the aforesaid Bishop Theoderic had happily completed the course of his days, at the Lord's call he departed to Christ.

[6] After the death of the aforesaid Bishop Theoderic, the entire City assembled, together with the Princes of the people, Odo and Eldinus, he is sought as successor, and on the death of Theoderic is elected: requesting and requiring that the venerable Priest Fulcran be made their Lord and Bishop. The Cathedral Canons, hearing and attending to the devotion of the people, rejoiced that they desired to have set over them the one whom they themselves proposed to elect. Agreeing upon him with one voice and the same judgment, they elected Blessed Fulcran as Bishop and Pastor of souls, and suddenly there was great joy among the people and in the city. When the man of God heard this, he was more frightened than can be believed, dragged back from flight, and having fled, desiring to hide but unable, he was at length found and compelled and led to Narbonne, the metropolitan city, and was confirmed by the Most Reverend Archbishop of that See, Aimeric, he is consecrated on February 4, 949, and was consecrated in the basilica of St. Paul, the first Bishop of that city, on the day before the Nones of February, in the year of the generation of Christ 949. And returning from there to his city and his See of Lodeve, he was received with joy and the exultation of the whole land.

CHAPTER II

The zeal of St. Fulcran for justice against evildoers.

[7] Among the other gifts of grace with which St. Fulcran shone, the virtue of humility was especially conspicuous in his very exaltation, very humble, through which he made himself so accessible to all that he seemed in no way to differ in his manner of life from what he had been before. Since God, the giver of all graces, is accustomed to give grace to the humble, conspicuous in every grace, He so abundantly poured out His grace upon this humble servant of His that he seemed to lack nothing in any grace. He was truly that leafy tree laden with fruit which his venerable mother Biligardis, before she gave birth, foresaw in ^a vision that she would bear, as was touched upon above at the beginning of this account. Since therefore

"From ^a sweet tree fall sweet fruits,"

as soon as he could, the man of God Fulcran, having assumed the episcopate, put his hand to mighty deeds, he visits the diocese, and with the sword of the Spirit drawn, which is the word of God, running through his entire diocese, he said to the unjust: "Do not act unjustly." And to transgressors: "Do not exalt your horn": and his hands were upon the necks of enemies, and he strove to disturb the disturbers of peace. So great ^a zeal for justice burned in his heart and zealously exercises justice: that his mere presence struck great fear into criminals.

[8] The man of God did not hesitate to set himself as ^a wall for the Church of God and the house of the Lord, shining himself with the royal priesthood as ^a Pontiff and Prelate. So indeed that with royal magnanimity he might crush the haughty, and with priestly kindness show himself favorable to the good and humble. This holy man, led by zeal for God, repelled the Count of Toulouse, ^a nobleman and powerful man, he repulses the adulterous Count from the kiss and harshly rebukes him, who was once coming to meet him and wishing to kiss him respectfully and reverently, and severely rebuked him before many, because he had dismissed his own wife and married another woman who had been dismissed by her husband, and for this he said, reproaching him gravely, that both were adulterers. In this he became an imitator of Elijah and John the Baptist, because, like them, he preferred to incur the indignation of that same Count and risk his life rather than not strike the one who sinned publicly with ^a public rebuke. Therefore all willingly obeyed Blessed Fulcran, because they saw that his life did not disagree with his teaching.

[9] Some time had passed after his assumption of the episcopate when he repaired the humble and meager cathedral of his See, he builds the Cathedral church and ^a tower, which he had found built in ^a plain style in honor of St. Genesius the Martyr, by raising and enlarging it, and planned to build ^a tower at the end of that same basilica. When the Viscount Heldinus heard this -- who at that time seemed to rule the city of Lodeve unjustly and by violence -- he immediately sent ^a messenger to Blessed Fulcran, commanding and forbidding him to dare to erect that tower higher than he himself should order. But the messenger, overwhelmed by the authority and spirit of so great ^a Pontiff, did not dare to convey his lord's command to him, the Viscount's prohibition being spurned, but secretly told one of his servants, so that the Viscount's command, transferred from one to another, might at last reach the ears of the Bishop. But the messenger did not dare to await his response; rather, fleeing secretly, he immediately disappeared, and although diligently sought, he could not be found. The holy Bishop, however, considering the fullness of jurisdiction which he held in the city of Lodeve by royal donation and Apostolic authority, trusting in the Lord and in the power of His might, completed ^a tower more lofty and stronger than he had originally planned.

[10] Then the aforesaid Viscount, having become harsher than usual, came to that same city on ^a certain day, greatly agitated and almost furious, and, to the injury of so great ^a Pontiff, began to afflict the citizens cruelly by extorting wrongfully usurped taxes from them. him, extorting unjust taxes, Although entreated through honorable persons interposed on behalf of the Pontiff, he refused to desist from such barbarity. The man of God, nobly angered over the distress of his people -- as ^a noble anger befits ^a noble man -- immediately ordered the Viscount himself to be seized, and to be detained he detains as prisoner until he restores what was taken, until he should return and restore everything that both he and his predecessors had violently and unjustly seized and taken from the Church of Lodeve, and that for the future he should never again claim any of those things in perpetuity, having given sufficient and sworn surety. Once this was done, and not before, he permitted the Viscount, now placated by gifts, to go free. Thus, lest the sword of correction in the hand of St. Fulcran rage to the point of destruction, then dismisses him placated: he took care to temper his correction to such ^a degree that he might subtract something from his vengeance, because it is scarcely without fault always to pursue the whole, so that it could truthfully be said of him:

"You have the rod of ^a Father, you have the breast of ^a Mother."

Nevertheless, he strove to sweeten with so great ^a gentleness those whom he had sometimes exasperated, that they were not only not sorry to have been brought to sorrow for their penance, but greatly rejoiced thereafter, on account of the joy and grace that followed.

[11] Thus the man of God, by his Providence, corrected some by blandishments, others by cheerfulness, others by severity, others by services, sometimes gentle, sometimes severe, others by words, others by stripes, and led them back to the path of life.

A man pious and grave, ^a man so moderate toward both sides, That malice could not reckon him to either.

For although Blessed Fulcran was of noble birth and powerful according to the dignity of the world, nevertheless the nobility of his soul availed more in him for doing the things he did than the strength of his lineage. The resolution of Blessed Fulcran was firmly founded in his heart, that he would always oppose with all his strength the adversaries of the Church, he strongly resists the enemies of the Church: of the faith, and of peace, and that rising up from the opposite side he would set himself as ^a wall against them. For while he sat in his See, many sons of Belial, by the rod of the Lord's fury, were disturbing the peace of the people in the land, and their impiety blazed forth to such ^a degree that it saddened very many servants of God and brought much trouble upon them. For just as they humbled the monastery of Joncels to the ground and dragged it down to the dust, so also the ministers of Satan devastated other sacred religious places, and did not allow the sons of peace to live in peace: brigands seethed, heretics raged, and their supporters among the faithful: scarcely was anyone anywhere permitted to work in his own dwelling. In the midst of these things the soul of the man of God burned, with zeal, where he saw so many crises of affairs, so many crimes of lost men, raging and multiplying; whence with the Apostle he could say: "Who is weak, and I am not weak? 2 Cor. 11:29 Who is scandalized, and I do not burn?" He had taken upon himself ^a constant struggle against the man of sin, and tortures himself with penances: an indefatigable combat, and his life, which he led most harshly in vigils, disciplines, and many fasts, in hair shirts and the wearing of an iron tunic against his bare skin: for whom there was no drink before thirst, nor food before hunger. We can confirm in him, as it were, ^a great martyrdom without the sword.

CHAPTER III

The works of mercy of St. Fulcran, and his sacred buildings.

[12] Blessed Fulcran took the greatest care of the poor and of pilgrims, generous to the poor, and was most lavish in supplying their want. In those days the Lord called ^a famine upon the land and broke every staff of bread. A very great multitude of poor people flocked to him, both from neighboring and from remote and unknown places, when famine was raging, so that scarcely was there ^a place in the city of Lodeve or around it which the poverty of the destitute did not fill to crowding. The pious Father, seeing the innumerable multitude of the poor, he feeds many, was deeply grieved and began anxiously to think how he might relieve them: for then the earth had denied its fruit to its cultivators. Therefore the pious Father distributed to the poor everything he had in his own stipends, retaining absolutely nothing for himself. And when all his movable goods had been expended on the poor and still many more poor remained his furnishings having been sold and grain acquired from elsewhere: who needed more as famine pressed, going around his entire episcopate, he divided among the poor all the livestock which he had gathered together with great diligence.

[13] When he heard that grain was being sold in the territory of Rouergue, taking with him ^a considerable sum of money, he went there to buy food for the poor. But Count Raymond of Rouergue laid an ambush for him on the road, he escapes the ambush laid for him, to take all that money for himself and keep it. But the holy man, having learned of this, without any hesitation, but boldly like ^a confident lion without any terror, approached the place of the ambush. Then ^a certain divine power terrified his enemy and put him to flight from the place. For the Count began to grow pale with pain and to be more violently tormented. And when he was pressed by so many pains, he said to his men: the author being divinely punished: "Let us leave him alone, because this man whom we are pursuing is ^a most placid servant of God." And scarcely had he returned to his own lands when ^a most severe fever seized him.

[14] The holy Father, however, having happily completed his business, returned safely with sufficient grain to his See and abundantly fed that multitude of poor until the new harvest. And then, when the Lord gave His bounty and the earth gave its fruit, each one returned to his own home with joy. Blessed Fulcran had made it his custom that on all the feasts of the Apostles, on Sundays and feast days as well, and throughout Lent, he would daily wash the feet of the poor he washes the feet of the poor: and provide them with food and clothing, beyond the common alms which he gave generously to all who came to him. And moreover, if he knew of any poor people in his diocese who were sick, he assists the sick: whom he caused to be diligently sought out, he spent care on healing them as if they were his own household: and he took greater care of the poor than of his own kinsmen, one who never turned his eyes to silver or gold, but grieved whenever he did not have these things to give. He never ceased to support the ruins of the poor, until he himself became poor through giving.

[15] When the work of the basilica of St. Genesius was completed, which he had raised, enlarged, and strengthened, he at length took care to dedicate it with due honor, having summoned for the dedication the Most Reverend Lord Aimeric, Archbishop of Narbonne, and the Reverend Bishops Ricuinus of Maguelone and Deusdedit of Rodez. he dedicates the Cathedral church in the year 975. This was done in the year of the Lord's Incarnation 975. The celebration of its dedication is observed in the month of October, in the octave of St. Michael the Archangel. He bestowed many goods upon that Church and the altars he built in it, and made generous gifts from the goods which came to him from his patrimony: and he ordained what the Canons should have, and generously endows it: what and how much the Priests who were to celebrate at those altars and their ministers should receive; as is more fully contained in his testament.

[16] He also built ^a monastery of the Order of St. Benedict near that same Cathedral church, in honor of the Holy Savior, transferred from another less suitable place to that location subject to the Church of St. Genesius and to the Bishop of Lodeve, he builds the monastery of the Holy Savior, which he took care to enrich and endow with many gifts and possessions: and first he bestowed upon that monastery the very church of the Holy Savior, which had formerly been built in honor of the Holy Cross in an old building, and was afterward consecrated in honor of the Holy Savior by his predecessor Theoderic of good memory. and restores the church: This church, which was nearly in ruins, St. Fulcran himself firmly repaired, raised up, and enriched from the estates of his patrimony, and placed over that monastery ^a certain Algemar, his beloved, who from ^a Canon had become ^a monk, ^a prudent and well-lettered man. When these things were thus accomplished, the year 996 of the Lord's Incarnation was being reckoned.

[17] Not only in the city or diocese of Lodeve, where he presided, but also beyond it, he extended the branches of his holiness and goodness. For he strove to repair and propagate religion. He acquired for himself the monastery of Joncels, he restores the monastery of Joncels, near to him, founded in honor of St. Peter and all the Apostles, and which had already been nearly overthrown and destroyed by evildoers who at that time were running rampant in the land, and with great labor and zeal he repaired it: and he drove out what was harmful from it, and having expelled the depraved Sarabaite monks and introduced upright cenobites, and reforms it, having expelled the disorderly: he appointed and gave them as Abbot ^a vigorous and religious man named Stephen. And because he was ^a man of venerable life, St. Fulcran himself loved him greatly. Out of love for him as well, he enlarged the monastery with many and excellent possessions.

[18] But who would suffice to explain what, what kind of, and how great the goods and gifts were that he gave to these and other pious places, and what he ordained to be done after his death? For what church in his diocese was there that needed repair he benefits many churches: which he either did not rebuild or did not give the funds for rebuilding? What enclosed person, what poor person, what pilgrim and sick person, whom he knew of in his episcopate, did he not feed and clothe, and for whom did he not cause ^a remedy to be provided? he assists the needy: What poor widow did he not sustain from his goods? What poor young woman did he not provide with ^a marriage? He caused the number and names of the poor and pilgrims to be diligently sought out and wanted to have them in writing, so that in every necessity and want of theirs he might provide for them with fatherly affection and show himself affable to the congregation of the poor.

CHAPTER IV

The humility of St. Fulcran, his other virtues, and his penance for an imprudent statement.

[19] While Blessed Fulcran shone with the variety of virtues, virtues in him were so illuminated by virtues that authority never failed his modesty, in which he excelled; gentleness commended his constancy; patience contained his boldness; and everywhere he declined pride. For humility was so loved by him that he was its untiring champion... he is an example and object of veneration to all for his singular virtues. He so conducted himself that he was worthy of the imitation and veneration of all alike, being ^a man most famous for his nobility, knowledge, learning, and sanctity -- ^a kind of likeness and image of honor, gravity, and entire probity. If he stood to pray, you could not find one more devout, more profuse in tears: if to offer sacrifice, you would believe him not so much ^a man as an angel. If he heard cases, he was so tenacious of just and equitable judgment that he moderated everything by the rules of celestial law.

[20] At other times he was everywhere cheerful and affable, gladdening those present with ^a certain holy affability and refreshing them in ^a wonderful way. His speech was always seasoned with the salt of ^a master, effective in speech, kindled with the fire of charity, pouring the fire of divine love and the seasoning of wisdom into those who heard him. The Lord had given him ^a learned tongue, so that he might know when he ought to speak, that he might be able by ^a word to raise up those who had fallen. And so great was the grace of teaching divinely given to him that no satiety ever followed in those who heard him from hearing the word of God from his mouth. Indeed, the grace diffused on his lips poured grace into the hearts of his hearers. The man of God was also studious in letters, from which he provided not so much for his own salvation by reading as for that of others by preaching. He spoke with piety, because his speech was always pure and effective, nor did anyone dare to murmur against his precept, since his life illuminated his most righteous words.

[21] The divine virtue had conferred so great grace upon him that the people always desired to hear him, to see him, and to have him present with them. For he knew how to rejoice with those who rejoiced gratifying to all, and to weep with those who wept. None was more urbane than he in commending, none more temperate in drinking, none more gentle to the afflicted, none more affable to the poor, none more unbearable to the contumacious and proud. He was ^a lamb to the tame, ^a lion to the untamed. It was his own quality to give when God gave. Thus his inner man agreed with the outer, so that he was always found in the same state and never changed, always consistent with himself: except perhaps from good to better: although around him there was ^a manifold and varied change of circumstances. It should not seem surprising therefore if he was loved by all, who was heaped with so many goods and graces.

[22] And although the divine grace had heaped him with so many and so great goods, he himself nevertheless, always thinking humbly of himself, regarded himself as ^a useless servant, said he was unfruitful -- one who occupied the place of ^a Pontiff, he professes himself unworthy of the episcopate, who received the honor of ^a Pontiff, but did not consider himself to have either the merits or the fruits of ^a Pontiff. He alone did not see the good things that were in him, he alone did not know what all knew: thinking only of his own imperfection, so that he might know how much he lacked. Never, by ^a very subtle and zealous examination, did he think that there was any virtue in him: from ^a deep feeling of soul; so much so that, often pricked in heart by the stings of this consideration, he dissolved into tears and bewailed himself as if he were dead. Only the voice of his unworthiness was heard, interrupted by frequent sobs, so that the fatherly tears then filled the eyes of the children who heard him. Since Blessed Fulcran grieved that he had the dignity and name, but not the work, of ^a Bishop; unworthy also of the martyrdom which he greatly desired: burning also with the desire of martyrdom, he greatly wished to experience mockeries and scourges for the name of Jesus Christ, and moreover chains and prisons, to suffer for justice, to be stoned, to be sawn asunder, and to be consummated by the slaying of the sword for the Lord, that he might be of the number of those who delivered their bodies to torments for God; he considered himself far distant in the merit of his life from those whom he read had suffered all these things for the Lord.

[23] Since indeed it is the mark of good minds to fear or acknowledge fault where there is no fault, his conscience greatly pricked him that once, when in ^a judicial proceeding or outside it, certain persons were simply talking before him about ^a certain most wretched Prelate of that time -- he privately declares ^a judaizing Bishop worthy of burning: one who, having apostatized from the worship of Christianity and the faith, and wickedly judaizing, had stirred up ^a great scandal among the people -- the man of God himself, kindled by excessive zeal for the faith, upon hearing this had said, not in ^a judicial capacity but in simple speech: "That man should be burned." And not long after he heard that that apostate had been burned by the people. The man of God, fearing exceedingly that that carelessly uttered word of his had harmed that apostate, since this had later come to pass, began to be moved by ^a great scruple, and to think in his heart that perhaps that word had been carried to the ears of the common people, and that on account of it that man had been burned. What therefore the entire people had done, he imputed to himself alone, and solely for the fact that he had so carelessly uttered that word. imputing it to himself. And so that that offense, which he considered most grave -- as if he himself had cast the man into the fire with his own hands -- might be remitted both to himself and to all, he wished to do ^a penance severe enough to atone for it. For this reason, therefore, coming to Rome, when he drew near to the gate of the city, having stripped off his own garment, he goes to Rome to be absolved, and surrounded with thorns, he had himself severely beaten on both sides and led in this way, with the people publicly watching, in the church of the Blessed Apostle Peter: and arranges to be publicly scourged: and having made there ^a tearful confession, he had himself absolved from this and from all his other sins, and remained there for ^a long time in vigils, fasts, and supplications, serving God day and night.

[24] Because it is written, "Concerning the propitiation of sins, be not without fear," Ecclus. 5:5 once again at length, not long afterward, he returned to the City, fearing lest he had been insufficiently punished for the aforesaid fault, since he had not been able to obtain that the same thing which had happened before should be done to him again. He therefore provided ^a fitting example to all penitents again he goes to Rome for the same reason, who flock to the Apostolic See to obtain the indulgence of their sins: that, notwithstanding human shame or the rigor of ^a more austere penance, they should humbly and devoutly strive to confess their sins and complete the penance enjoined upon them, when they saw so great ^a man doing this so ardently.

[25] After this, St. Fulcran also made his way to the Roman court ^a third time, and remained there throughout Lent in order to be more fully absolved, and ^a third time, and out of the consideration of divine love he generously provided daily, at his own expense, for all the Cardinals of the holy Roman Church who were then present there, until Easter. generous to the Cardinals: At length, fortified by the Apostolic blessing and having obtained absolution, and having sought and obtained the Apostolic gift of holy Relics -- he obtains Relics, namely the jawbone of the blessed Martyr Sebastian -- and the favor of privileges, whatever he wished and requested, and privileges: he happily returned to his homeland. And so that it might be clearer than daylight that this sin of his, if indeed it was any sin at all, had been entirely wiped away in him through his humble penance described above, he shines with miracles: from this point on the grace of God began more abundantly to manifest itself in him through signs and miracles, so that by signs and miracles it was shown how great was his merit before God, some of which we shall briefly touch upon below.

CHAPTER V

The illness, death, and posthumous miracles of St. Fulcran.

[26] Such, therefore, was the life and conduct of St. Fulcran, whose death was not dissimilar. For truly precious in the sight of the Lord was his death. When it pleased God to call him from the world and to reward the victor over the world above the world, the holy Father, worn out by long old age he is seized by fever: and broken by labors, at last was seized by fever and took to his bed: and having summoned all the Canons of his See, and certain Abbots, and the Most Reverend Bishop of Rodez named Magfredus, he foretells his own death: who was most dear to him, he announced to all that the day of his calling was at hand, and then had the ordinance he had made concerning the Churches of St. Genesius and the Holy Savior read and recited, which he decreed should have inviolable and perpetual firmness, he makes his testament: as is more fully expressed in his testament.

[27] When it was heard that he had said the end of his days was at hand, this report immediately ran through the entire diocese, indeed spread far and wide. a great mourning of all on this account: The number of people of both sexes flocking to him was beyond counting: all wept and lamented, as if the end of the world were at hand. You would see every corner of the basilica, of the cloister, of all the canonical houses, and of the entire city, filled with groans, sighs joined to sighs, and the desolation of the whole land bewailed by all in ^a common lamentation. If at any time the elders wished to apply the remedy of consolation to the younger, they themselves were immediately filled with tears. At every Mass, prayer was offered by the entire Church of Lodeve to God for him, that the people might not lose their guardian, the servants their lord, the children their father, the clerics their Bishop, the monks their Abbot, the disciples their teacher, the homeland its protector and advocate, the Church its reader. For he had always been all of these things to them, because he had become all things to all.

[28] When the man of God was more acutely pressed by the violence of the fever, although he desired with his whole being to be dissolved and to be with Christ, yet moved by the weeping of those who wept, and himself abounding in the bowels of mercy, weeping, he prays for his people, he began to weep with those who wept, and with his eyes fixed on heaven and his hands outstretched, weeping profusely, he prayed to the Lord that He would mercifully provide for the Church of Lodeve, would illuminate and protect it, and that He Himself, the pious Shepherd, would be there for all, and would govern it by His providence. All the Canons of Lodeve, monks, Prelates, and many nobles who had gathered upon hearing of his illness, stood by him, weeping and saying: "Why do you abandon us, Father, or to whom do you leave us desolate?" These and many similar things they repeated with groans. and he consoles them. He for his part, as much as he could, consoled and instructed them, admonishing them that they should always fear and love God, and be mindful that the mercy of God had never failed but had always been present to those who feared Him. And he himself said to them that by the will of God he would be present after death in every necessity of theirs: and pledges his patronage: provided they would keep the good precepts which he had given them.

[29] The Saint himself also poured forth prayers and supplications to the Lord, that the heavenly physician would press and cut him in the present life, and spare him in the future, and that nothing should remain in him that needed to be purged or punished. Since it had always been clear before that God dwelt in his soul by words and works, yet especially when the last affliction of his illness pressed, it was made clear who he was and of how great merit, he wishes to suffer more: and it could not be hidden how truly he had loved justice in his life and hated iniquity.

[30] As the disease grew worse, he ordered ^a tomb to be prepared for himself in the Cathedral church of St. Genesius, which he himself had rebuilt and dedicated at his own expense, he has ^a tomb made for himself and blesses it, beneath the Oratory of St. Michael, to which he had himself carried on the day before the Nones of February, as the recurring anniversary of his episcopal ordination drew near, in order to bless it. When it was blessed, he immediately had himself carried back to his own bed.

[31] These things therefore having been done, when his limbs were collapsing in his whole body and the hour of his passing was now at hand, he is anointed: the blessed Pontiff Fulcran, having received the sacrament of Extreme Unction, and having made ^a humble confession before the Priests present and the Most Reverend Magfredus, Bishop of Rodez, fortified his departure with the reception of the sacred Body of our Lord Jesus Christ. And although he accused himself of having offended in many things, he receives Viaticum: he confesses that he has not lost his virginal modesty, nevertheless in the presence of the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ he then confessed that never, with God as his guardian, had he lost the integrity of his body. And some of those who heard that his end was at hand brought candles that would be useful for his sacred funeral.

[32] When the hour of his happy passing was at hand, he began to cry out to the Lord, saying: "Lord Jesus Christ, receive my spirit in peace." Having said these things, he had ^a hair shirt and ashes spread out: and all who had assembled, at his own command, [lying on the hair shirt, he recites the Litanies with his people: blessing his own and praying,] with great weeping and lamentation, began to say the Litanies before him: which he frequently had repeated, and while dying he himself also said them with them. When he had now almost entirely failed, one of the bystanders, having taken his right hand, was commending to God all who were present and the entire city, while he himself also, as much as he could, was striving, and with his chilling lips barely faintly uttering the words of blessings. And so, while he was blessing and praying, that holy soul, freed from the flesh, sought heaven. He departed to the Lord he dies holily on February 13, 1006, ^a Wednesday, in the year of the generation of Christ 1006, on the Ides of February, the fourth day of the week, when nearly the eighth hour of the day had passed, with the heavens rejoicing for their citizen, and the earth weeping for the lost Shepherd. He remained in the episcopate for sixty-two years and nine days. The delay in burying the most holy body was extended until Friday. So great was the abundance of lights and the brightness of burning candles that it seemed in ^a way to outdo the brightness of the day.

[33] While his body was still on the bier, ^a certain man named Raynardus, whom he himself had raised, was tormented with ^a most anguished pain of the teeth to such ^a degree that an excessive swelling had deformed the jaw on the side where the pain raged, and the sufferer could neither eat nor rest. Approaching the bier and applying the aching part to it, there, out of the grief which he had over the death of his lord, he fell asleep for ^a little while: by touching his bier, the toothache and swelling are instantly healed, and upon waking he immediately found himself completely cured of both afflictions, namely the swelling and the pain, and in the sight of all who were present he gave thanks to God and to Blessed Fulcran, while many marveled who ^a little before had seen his face excessively swollen and had heard him lamenting vehemently over the excessive pain he was suffering.

[34] When the sacred body of Blessed Fulcran had been reverently entombed in the sepulcher which he himself had prepared and blessed for himself, the faith of the people did not spare the hallowed coverings of his garments and the furnishings of his funeral bier: the coverings of the bier are torn apart by the people for relics, which they held in the greatest esteem if even the smallest shred could ever be obtained, while on account of this everything was cut to pieces and torn apart, each person snatching ^a part for himself as best he could, and contending with one another for this reason. For even the bier itself was cut with saws and soon cut with iron tools, so that they carefully collected in clean cloths even the tiny fragments falling from the teeth of the saw, and the bier itself: and tied them up and carried them away with them as ^a blessing; firmly believing in faith that nothing which had touched so holy ^a body was empty of benefits. What moved the faith and devotion of the people to this, that they should break and saw the bier and divide among themselves all its furnishings, was that they had heard and seen that by the application of his aching and swollen jaw to the bier, the aforesaid Raynardus, the foster-son of Blessed Fulcran, had been healed, and therefore they did this with the bier because they had seen him work this sign on the bier. The sacred body of Blessed Fulcran was therefore buried in the tomb which he himself while living had caused to be prepared for himself, he is buried: within the church of St. Genesius the Martyr, the Cathedral See of Lodeve, in the oratory of St. Michael the Archangel.

[35] After the sacred body had lain hidden beneath the earth for many years, at length by divine direction and God's revelation, the devotion of the people deemed it fitting the body found intact long afterward is translated, to raise from the earth and elevate above the ground that body which had been ^a storehouse of graces: and it was found completely whole and entirely incorrupt and uninjured in each and every one of its parts and limbs, in skin, flesh, bones, and the nails of the hands and feet, preserved by the divine gift. Just as it had been free from all corruption of the flesh while he lived, so even to the present day it is preserved whole and is visible in the church of Lodeve, where the holy Pontiff and Confessor, whole, awaits the second resurrection with the Saints and the just, adorned with the one stole of the immortality of the soul, secure of being adorned with the other, that of the body, on the day of the resurrection, where by glorious miracles he more clearly manifests that he lives with God. The year of the Lord's Incarnation in which his sacred body was raised from the earth is not found noted in the writings of his deeds, and this through the carelessness and negligence of the clerics of that time, or perhaps the written record, if there was one, was lost. A certain popular narrative passed down to posterity [by divine revelation, as is believed. That Translation is commemorated on the Thursday before the Ascension.] that one hundred years after his faithful passing his body was translated, and that its occurrence was also divinely revealed, although the sequence of the revelation was not committed to the testimony of writing through ^a similar carelessness or negligence. The memory of the aforesaid Translation is always festively commemorated by the Clergy and people of Lodeve on the Thursday before the feast of the Ascension of the Lord.

CHAPTER VI

Miracles performed by St. Fulcran while he was still alive.

[36] There follows the account of the miracles by which God made glorious His Saint Fulcran while he still lived in mortal flesh. A certain blind man from the territory of Albi came to St. Fulcran, saying that he had been warned in ^a vision to approach him as quickly as possible, to wash his blinded eyes with the water in which the Confessor of the Lord had washed his hands, and to recover his lost sight through the merits of so great ^a Pontiff. [a blind man is illuminated by the water in which he had washed his hands, divinely forewarned:] When the holy Bishop had washed his hands as he was about to approach the altar to offer to God the sacrifice of praise, the blind man washed his eyes with the water given to him by the ministers; and immediately he saw, magnifying God.

[37] The man of God once visited ^a certain noble Cleric, the lord of the castle of Niphianum, who was gravely ill, and at his suggestion and counsel the cleric bequeathed ^a portion of certain estates belonging to him to the monastery of the Holy Savior at Lodeve, for the remission of his sins, in his last will. he induces ^a sick man to make ^a pious donation, The sick man also earnestly asked the holy Bishop, as he was departing from him, to deign to return to him without delay after completing the business for which he was hastily departing. Meanwhile the aforesaid sick man, having lost his speech, became mute, and when the Bishop had returned to him, the brother and kinsmen of the sick man, thinking him dead, said that while he was in his absence the dying man had revoked whatever he had bequeathed to the monastery. Not giving credence to their lies, the Bishop approached the sick man who was drawing his last breath, and after he had called him three times by name, and to make the dying man confirm it, he rouses one already breathing his last: immediately, having regained his strength and opened his eyes, the sick man asked in clear speech why he had been called. When the man of God had explained the reason to him, and had immediately received the response from him that he by no means wished what he had done to be made void, but wished it to have perpetual firmness, commending himself once more to the holy man's prayers, he departed in peace.

[38] There was ^a certain sufficiently strong fortress in the diocese of Lodeve, which the inhabitants call Gybret, belonging to the jurisdiction of Blessed Fulcran. Certain brigand soldiers, most wickedly thirsting for the plunder of property, once retreated within the strong fortification of that fortress with their stolen booty, trusting in the fortification of the place, a fortress occupied by brigands, because it seemed impregnable and inaccessible by the vastness of the precipitous cliff, and they could secure any booty received within it and protect themselves in it. When the man of God heard this, kindled with the zeal of justice, abhorring so immense ^a crime and wishing to reclaim the fortress taken from him, he hastened to arrive at the place with an expedition. Having laid siege, when he perceived that the fortress was impregnable, having invoked the power of the holy Trinity, he went around the fortress three times. And (wonderful to relate!) [having invoked the Holy Trinity, he goes around it three times, and when the walls collapse, he recovers it,] after his third circuit, immediately the entire wall of the fortress collapsed on all sides and provided the assailants ^a wide and open entrance. Then, when the brigands saw themselves captured as the enemy rushed in, they prostrated themselves at the feet of the holy Bishop and supplicated with as much humility and urgency as they could that at least their lives might be spared. The man of God, mercifully granting this and having received hostages from them that they would attempt nothing of the sort again, permitted them to go alive and unharmed, and restored the booty to those from whom it had been violently taken. And all the land knew that the Lord had heard His Saint and received his prayer, and had miraculously overthrown the forces and fortifications of the enemy.

[39] This account was spread throughout the entire province by all who had seen and heard, and all magnified God in this deed. In this new deed, that ancient deed of Joshua was renewed, as Joshua did to Jericho, except that then by ^a sevenfold circuit of days, with the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, and the people shouting, the walls of Jericho fell: but now after ^a threefold circuit, with St. Fulcran praying and crying out to God, and containing in his faith the signified Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, the wall of the accursed fortress of Gybret collapsed. And just as by the imprecation of Joshua, Jericho remained long uninhabitable, so also on account of the malediction of this holy Pontiff the fortress of Gybret was long uninhabitable. and he renders it accursed and uninhabitable: When it was learned therefore that the Lord had thus fought for His Saint, fear and terror of him immediately fell upon evildoers, to such ^a degree that whoever had provoked him in any way feared that he had provoked God, hence he is feared by sinners: and no one dared in any way to oppose him. His name was holy and terrible to all who heard it, on account of the good works and miracles which the Lord was doing through him.

[40] The holy Bishop was once dedicating ^a certain basilica in Auvergne, and while he sat in his episcopal chair vested in pontifical garments, with the clergy singing the Gradual of the Mass, a candle does not harm his vestment, ^a burning candle that had fallen from the adjacent wall fell upon him, and in the sight of all who were present, before anyone could come to his aid, the burning candle remained on his silk garment long enough that considerable damage from burning could have been done. And when those who had seen it immediately ran up to help him by removing the burning candle from above him, behold (wonderful to relate!), and of its own accord attaches itself to the wall, the candle by itself, with no one touching it, pressed itself higher into the very wall from which it had fallen, and the vestment of the holy Pontiff appeared not at all harmed in any way.

[41] The man of God, coming to Le Puy on the feast of SS. Simon and Jude, sent ahead two or three of his household, to arrange for him to be able to celebrate the divine offices there. And because it was the feast of two Apostles, they were to gather twice twelve poor people at his lodging, for whom, according to his custom, he would wash their feet and provide food and clothing. As he was arriving, certain honorable men of the Clergy came to meet him and secretly asked his servants to give them some of the water in which the holy Pontiff's hands had been washed. They gave it as ^a drink to ^a certain noble Cleric of that Church, by the water in which he had washed his hands, fever and pleurisy healed, who was greatly suffering from fevers and ^a pain in his side, and anointed the aching place with it: and he was immediately cured of both afflictions and gave praise to God.

[42] There is ^a monastery of nuns in Auvergne, whose name is Enciatum, where St. Fulcran, much entreated by the handmaids of God, dedicated ^a certain basilica. When after the meal he had risen from the table and had left the place, those nuns, kindled by ^a great ardor of faith and devotion, by the remnants of his food, various diseases are healed: carefully and zealously collecting the remnants of his food and snatching them from one another, after his departure, as many as tasted those sanctified remnants were immediately healed of whatever infirmity held them. The entire congregation of handmaids of God, the many who obtained the benefit of health, and the whole country publicly proclaimed this, praising and blessing God.

[43] A certain powerful and honored man in Auvergne, very familiar and dear to Blessed Fulcran, once received him as his guest around sunset, in the house of ^a hospitable man, and when his entire household, rejoicing, was running here and there with burning torches to prepare the things needed for so great ^a guest, it happened by chance that ^a live coal fell from ^a burning torch into his cellar, and set alight the dry straw upon which it had fallen, and with the wind blowing, the devouring flame immediately invaded the entire storeroom. And when the entire household of the house rushed up with great clamor, shouting "Fire!" and the neighbors likewise ran together to extinguish that fire, at this cry the holy Bishop himself also went out from the place where he was to see what this was: and seeing the flame of fire struggling with the wind, he immediately raised his right hand, made the sign of the Cross, and quenched the raging flame by prayer: [he extinguishes ^a fire by the sign of the Cross and prayers, and obtains that the damage be divinely repaired:] and gently consoling his host, he promised to restore to him all the damage he had suffered from that fire. Wonderful thing! Having searched through his entire house, which seemed almost entirely burned, the host found it completely unharmed, together with everything that was in it, and rejoiced that nothing had been lost. This miracle was most celebrated, both because it had many witnesses who had rushed to extinguish that fire, and because many others, aroused by the fame of the miracle, came nevertheless to the place to see that house saved from fire by the blessing and the virtue of the blessing of St. Fulcran. When the joyful host reported to him that he had suffered no damage or injury, the holy man gave immense thanks to almighty God, by whose goodness he knew this had been done.

[44] When the holy Bishop was once present in the monastery of Issoire, ^a certain blind woman of advanced age happened to be there, [a blind woman, divinely admonished, is illuminated by the water in which he had washed his hands,] who had awaited the Holy man of God from distant parts, and who with great humility made it known in ^a familiar way to the servants of the holy Bishop that she had been newly warned from heaven in ^a vision to come to St. Fulcran without delay wherever she might know him to be present, and to wash her eyes with the water from his hands, and thus to recover her sight for certain. When they heard this they rejoiced, and advised the woman not to go far from the Saint, but to wait with patience until she could have the water she sought. It came to pass that the Saint washed his hands there, and the woman washed her eyes with that water, and immediately, just as had been promised to her in the vision, she recovered her sight and saw.