ON S. VALERIUS, BISHOP AND MARTYR, AT LUCCA IN ETRURIA. From the Italian of Cesare Franciotti.
Under the late first century.
CommentaryValerius, Bishop and Martyr at Lucca in Etruria (S.)
From the Italian of Franciotti.
[1] The Church of Lucca celebrates, as the feasts of many other Saints, so also the birthday of S. Valerius, Bishop and Martyr. But despite every diligence applied, nothing could be found concerning his life, deeds, and death, beyond these few facts, received almost entirely by tradition. It is credible that by the various calamities of wars and fires, both other records the acts of S. Valerius are obscure, and especially those which existed concerning his surname, lineage, manner of life, and mode of death, as well as those of many other Saints (whose bodies are preserved there), were destroyed. By report, therefore, we have heard roughly the following: That he was a citizen of Lucca, and that he was converted from the worship of idols, like many others, by S. Paulinus preaching the Gospel there, He was a disciple of S. Paulinus the Bishop, to the Christian faith.
[2] When Paulinus perceived that no long span of life remained to him, he began to consider whether any of his disciples might be fit designated by him as successor to be entrusted with the care of the other Christians. Valerius seemed especially worthy of that office: him he judged it right to have substituted for himself, should anything befall him. Scarcely had Paulinus undergone martyrdom and legitimately elected after him, when Valerius was designated his successor by the unanimous voice of all, the matter having been legitimately referred to Linus, the Roman Pontiff and Pastor of the universal Church. The same fortune that had befallen Paulinus, and most of the leaders of the Churches in that age, befell Valerius as well, crowned with martyrdom, having obtained the laurel of martyrdom on 29 January, around the year of Christ 90, under the Emperor Domitian.
[3] It is said that he completed an Oratory, or chapel, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, whose foundations S. Paulinus had laid; and that two other chapels were built by him, one sacred to the name of S. Peter, the other to S. Paul, Temples constructed by him, since both had been put to death not long before for the sake of religion: one is said to have stood at the old gate of the city, which is reported to have retained its name, so that it was called from thence the Gate of S. Peter; the other to have been not far from the church of SS. Martin and Regulus, and from the city walls, as is manifest from ancient Acts composed more than 1,060 years ago.
[4] And from these facts it is clear that this man is by no means the same Valerius, as some have supposed, He is distinct from S. Valerius of Saragossa, who, because his tongue was impeded, assigned the duty of preaching to his Deacon, Vincent of Spain, who afterward achieved a most noble martyrdom. For that Valerius was the Bishop of Saragossa, and did not undergo martyrdom: for although he was thrown into prison by Dacian, the governor appointed by the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian over the Spains, and was variously tortured together with his Deacon in the year 303 at Valencia; yet while he was held in custody, when Constantius, the father of Constantine the Great, obtained the empire, being of a kindly disposition toward Christians, he was released from chains, returned to his own Church by right of restoration, and at length died his natural death. These two therefore differ in time, place, and manner of death.
[5] Others have supposed that this is the same Valerius whose memory is found on 29 January in the Roman Martyrology: that he was driven from Lucca on account of the faith, and from the Bishop of Trier. went to Trier, and died there: but that the people of Lucca afterward obtained his body from the people of Trier. They were led to this belief because both are named Valerius, both were disciples of S. Peter (as Peter of Cluny, book 1 of his epistles, and Marianus Scotus, book 2, age 6, attest concerning the one of Trier), and both are venerated on the same day: but the one who is commemorated in the Roman Martyrology was Bishop of Trier, not of Lucca; he was appointed to the governance of that Church around the year 75, and was not crowned with martyrdom, which did befall the Bishop of Lucca.
[6] Since therefore after S. Paulinus we find no Bishop of the Church of Lucca more ancient than Valerius, His relics, feast day he is rightly held to be the second of the Bishops of Lucca. His body is preserved in the basilica of S. Paulinus. His feast is celebrated on 29 January.
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