CONCERNING ST. GARIBALDUS, OR GAUBALDUS, BISHOP OF REGENSBURG.
Around the year 752.
CommentaryGaribaldus or Gaubaldus, Bishop of Regensburg in Germany (St.)
From various sources.
[1] Regensburg, an illustrious city of Germany, commonly now called Ratisbona, formerly Reginum and Regina Castra, situated on the Danube opposite the confluence of the river Reginus — whether it formerly had its own bishops at the time when Raetia and Noricum obeyed the Romans is not established. For the Paulinus who is mentioned by others was Bishop of Tiburnia, a city of inland Noricum. St. Garibaldus, the first Bishop of Regensburg. After the Boii, or Baioarii, who are now called Bavarians, were converted to the religion of Christ, St. Boniface divided the province — says Othlonus of Fulda, book 1 of the life of St. Boniface, which we shall give on June 5 — with the consent of Duke Otilo, into four dioceses, and placed over them three men of great virtues, whom, having performed the ordination, he raised to the episcopal rank. The first of these, by the name of John, received the episcopal See in the town called Salzburg. The second, Erinbert, assumed the pontifical governance in the Church of Freising. The third, Gowibolt, was constituted Bishop in the city of Regensburg, which is the metropolis of Bavaria. Vivalus also (to others Vivilus and Vivilo), already ordained by the Apostolic Bishop, was set over the Church of Passau: but his diocese, which was the fourth, was divided by St. Boniface, just as the others.
[2] The first, therefore, in the series of Bishops of Regensburg is reckoned to be Garibaldus, His name written in various forms. who is also called Gaubaldus, Gaebaldus, Gaiabaldus, Gariobaldus, Herbaldus, Garioualdus; by Othlonus, as we said, Gowibolt; by St. Willibald in the same life of Boniface, Gaibald, and in another manuscript Goibalch, in another Gaibalt. For, as Raderus rightly observes in volume 2 of Holy Bavaria, in no matter do the hands of copyists tend to waver so much as in transcribing names, especially rare, ancient, and obsolete ones, which the people, the schools, and the writers often rendered differently. The same Raderus and Hundius in the Metropolis indeed call him a Saint, but do not reveal his feast day. The German Martyrology, however, has this for January 8: "Likewise, of St. Herbaldus, Bishop of Regensburg and Confessor." And the Carthusians of Cologne in their Additions to Usuard: "On the same day, of the holy Bishops Erardus and Herbaldus, Bishops of Regensburg and Confessors."
[3] Garibaldus was constituted Bishop of Regensburg in the year of Christ 739, as is evident from the letter of Pope St. Gregory III to Boniface, When he was created Bishop. in which he approves the division of Bavaria into four Bishoprics. This letter was given on the 4th day before the Kalends of November, in the 23rd year of Leo the Isaurian, the 20th of his son Constantine, Indiction 8, already begun. Whence one may correct what Arnolfus writes in book 1 of the Miracles of St. Emmeram, chapter 1 — that this happened after the death of Charles Martel — since he did not die until the year 841. We shall treat this matter again in the life of St. Boniface and in the entry for St. Gregory III on November 28. He had the church of St. Emmeram as his episcopal seat, as Hundius reports; "just as most bishoprics," he says, "first began in monasteries." Afterwards another cathedral basilica was built, which was dedicated to St. Peter.
[4] Garibaldus re-excavated the relics of St. Emmeram and interred them more ornately, which Arnolfus commemorates in the cited place thus: "Gaubaldus, while he was fostering and also augmenting the flock entrusted to him, among other things which he well arranged and ordered, he entered into counsel with the Clergy to open the tomb of Blessed Emmeram. He translated the body of St. Emmeram. With frequent miracles proclaiming that this ought to be done, the common assent of all confirmed it. Why say more? On the appointed day of the translation and elevation, the prayers of all converged: to the praises of the Martyr who had rested so long a time among mortals in neglect, an innumerable throng of both sexes had flowed together. All hastened to see more clearly the Martyr's benefits, which they had often heard about; all hurried to attend the new joys. At length the chosen Priests with Deacons and other necessary attendants for opening the tomb expelled the people from the church and secured the doors with bolts from within. And when with trembling reverence they had loosened the earth from the tomb, and also moved the stone placed over it from the right side to the left, a space of only about a palm and a half — fear fell upon all, so that from excessive terror the hands of the laborers slipped from the stone. Struck with this terror and their strength dissolved, they fell to the ground. But one of them who stood on the right, placing his chest under the stone, alone sustained it for so long — huge though it was — not by his own strength, until the others could resume their powers and join hands to the work begun. Then with such speed and security did they remove it, as if it bore no weight of heaviness in itself. What indeed is intimated by this threefold miracle? Nothing other than what is proclaimed by the prophetic voice: 'God is wonderful in his Saints: the God of Israel himself shall give virtue and strength.' For out of reverence for his Martyr, the power of the Most High terribly struck them down, but for his praises wondrously restored them to their former strength. Thirdly, to one serving the sacred ashes, he granted the gift of strength to the glory of his name, who is three and one. For which threefold sign the venerable Priests, giving thanks to the nourishing Trinity, with great rejoicing of Clergy and people, removing the incomparable treasure of the martyred body from the tomb in which it had until then been hidden, most reverently transferred it to a new monument, which they had already prepared with sufficient care for that purpose. In which, the Princes caused plates of gold and silver to be affixed with most beautiful decoration, and to be set off with various arrangements of gems." Thus far. Concerning this translation, more fully on September 22, on which day St. Emmeram is venerated.
[5] Garibaldus presided for 13 years, says Hundius, but according to the Chronicle of St. Emmeram, 22. How long he held the see. But Trithemius assigns him more than 40 years. For he writes thus in book 4 of Illustrious Men of the Order of St. Benedict, chapter 220: "Gaibaldus, a monk and disciple of St. Boniface, Martyr of Mainz, and the first Bishop of Regensburg, a distinguished Doctor and preacher, renowned as much for the honesty of his morals as for his knowledge of the Scriptures, converted many to Christ by his preaching. He flourished in the year of the Lord 780."
[6] Besides those cited, Garibaldus is mentioned by Velserus, Bavarian Affairs, book 5; Raderus, volume 2 of Holy Bavaria, Those who wrote about him. who, following Hundius, says he died in the year 752 and was buried at St. Emmeram's; Nicolaus Serarius in the Mainz Notes, number 28, on the life of St. Boniface; Joannes Aventinus, book 3 of the Annals of Bavaria; Philippus Ferrarius in the Topography of the Roman Martyrology; Gevvoldus in the Additions to Hundius; Andreas Braunerus, volume 1 of the Annals of Bavaria, book 5; Arnolphus cited above, in the life of St. Wolfgang, where he has these words: "First presided the Lord Gaubaldus, a holy and religious man, under whom the body of Blessed Emmeram, a true Martyr and Bishop, was translated, etc."