ON BLESSED JORIUS, BISHOP, OF BÉTHUNE IN BELGIUM.
In the Year 1033.
CommentaryJorius, bishop, at Béthune in Artois of Belgium (St.)
BY THE AUTHOR P. B.
Béthune is a town excellently fortified in Artois, which is one of the provinces of Belgium, situated between Flanders and Picardy. It is distant about six leagues from Douai to the west, and from Arras four, toward the East. It is celebrated on this day at Béthune, Among others there adorns it a collegiate church, erected by Robert I, lord of Béthune, toward the end of the tenth or the beginning of the eleventh century, as Chesne shows in the History of the family of Béthune, book 2, chapter 1, and dedicated under the name of St. Bartholomew the apostle, whose arm, stripped of its skin, is believed to be preserved there. Its administration pertains to a provost and twenty-four canons: as the same teaches ibidem, book 1, chapter 2: of these benefices the foundations of at least twenty-one—by whom and when they were made—you will learn in the same work from the proofs, or monuments pertaining to the second book, chapter 1. And this is the church in which our Blessed Jorius long ago obtained a cult, according to John Molanus, or, if you prefer, Peter Louwius, who from the papers of Molanus (now deceased) collected the "Natales" (Feasts) of the Saints of Belgium, and who, on the twenty-sixth day of July, concerning St. Jorius the bishop, from those things which Jacob Franchus, of Béthune, bachelor of sacred Theology, contributed, has these things:
[2] in the church of St. Bartholomew the apostle, Blessed Jorius the bishop. At Béthune, the birthday (natalis) of blessed Jorius the pilgrim, who held the bishopric of Mount Sinai. Whose feast, in the choir of the canons of St. Bartholomew, is a great double. In the lessons, however, there is nothing proper; but in the hymns and Rhythms it is sung concerning him:
Worthy is it that the Lord be praised, and be honored, in His holy Jorius, whom He adorned with joy.
This Jorius, a bishop from Mount Sinai, joyfully performed the work of God, and faithfully taught.
Rejoice, O castle of Béthune, that thou, through the King of glory, hast the treasures of grace, with which thou shinest today.
He was the full brother of Macarius, a holy man, sharer of the crown; who so strove against vices, that both are in the glory of God.
By prayer he restores gait to the lame, healing him who is oppressed by every calamity. By whose prayer may life be given us through the infinite ages of ages.
On the small white stone, which was laid up with the sacred bones, it is inscribed that the blessed Bishop came from Greater Armenia; that he had as parents Stephen and Helena; seven brothers, among whom was Macarius; and that he died in the year one thousand and thirty-three.
[3] It was once doubted who that holy Macarius was, whom some thought to be the brother of St. Macarius, bishop of Antioch; the full brother of blessed Jorius, as is gathered from the hymn just cited and from the inscription of the stone, such as was just recited: for since no other holy Macarius is known to have lived through these times, except that bishop of Antioch, who is worshipped with great celebrity at Ghent in Belgium on the 10th of April, on which day we illustrated his Acts, and who himself also is written to have been an Armenian, there long prevailed among the common people, nay among certain of the learned too, an opinion which asserted this holy Macarius to be the brother of our Blessed. This our Malbrancq also followed, in "De Morinis," book 8, chapter 30, and before him Rayssius in the Belgian Hierogazophylacium, page 83. Others, however, thought that it must deservedly be otherwise determined; first indeed, because in neither Life of St. Macarius bishop of Antioch is any mention made either of Blessed Jorius or of any other brother of his; then indeed, and especially, because the parents of Macarius, according to his second Life composed about the year 1067, chapter 1, are named Michael and Maria; whereas, from what has been said, Blessed Jorius had as parents Stephen and Helena. The canons of Béthune therefore, consulted upon this matter, replied by the following instrument, which we have.
[4] It is not otherwise established for the lords canons of the collegiate church of St. Bartholomew in the town of Béthune, gathering this from an ancient inscription, that blessed Jorius is the full brother of St. Macarius, than from his Office, wont to be sung on his feast, and from the following words, engraved in ancient letters on a small square stone, existing and laid up in the bier of the said Blessed Jorius beside his bones. These are: "Blessed Jorius died on the 7th of the Kalends of August. He came from Greater Armenia. And he was bishop of Mount Sinai. His father Stephen, and his mother Helena. Seven brothers there were. Macarius. From the Incarnation 1033." The very same, in a very ancient red codex, I found toward the end: in which are contained the goods and statutes of the said collegiate church: his Office thus has in the 4th and 5th Responsory: "4. He was the full brother of Macarius, a holy man, sharer of the crown, who so strove against vices, that both are in the glory of God. 5. O happy uterine brothers, who enjoy the heavenly life, deign, O Saints, to obtain that we be associated to the light of heaven." His feast is without proper Lessons. The Martyrology of the said collegiate church only has: "On the same day, the Birthday of Blessed Jorius the pilgrim, who held the bishopric of Mount Sinai." More authentic documents are not found among the said canons. Wherefore, because I saw with favor the things alleged in the Office and on the said stone, and read them accurately, therefore I willingly subscribed these things, and signed them, being asked. Done at Béthune, the 22nd of November, 1617. M. de Senermont, formed bachelor of sacred Theology, canon of the said Collegiate church of St. Bartholomew, and also Apostolic notary.
[5] not sufficiently faithfully set forth in Molanus, Gather hence, 1, that the inscription of the stone is interpolated in Molanus; and that, in place of these genuine words, "Seven brothers there were. Macarius," those suggested by Franchus are not sufficiently faithful, namely these: "Seven brothers, among whom was Macarius"; I believe, that thus he might persuade that the opinion of those was clearly established by an ancient monument, who sang, even in his ecclesiastical Office—I know not when composed or instituted—that SS. Jorius and Macarius are to be held as brothers. To me certainly that inscription, so explained as Molanus offers it, is not approved, so that Macarius should be referred to the seven brothers, as one of them: for who could hammer out this sense from these words, "seven brothers there were Macarius"? Nay, unless something be added, those words so conjoined exhibit no sense or syntax at all. I think therefore (since it is unlawful to interpolate anything) that these words are to be read separately in this manner: "Blessed Jorius died, etc. His father Stephen, and his mother Helena: there were seven brothers. Macarius, from the Incarnation, etc." So that Macarius, whoever at length he was, be not thought to pertain to the inscription, but to the subscription of the inscription: as if he should say: "I, Macarius, testify that this inscription is true"; or: "I, Macarius, took care that the Blessed be buried, and that this stone, carved for his eternal memory, be placed on his sepulcher." This sense is plain and full, and most usual in inscriptions of this kind; nor does it require any other change than of the punctuation alone, which everywhere in ancient inscriptions is either not employed at all, or is wont to be expressed only by points, by which single words are distinguished from one another: so that the point which was noted above I think was inserted by the arbitrament of the copyist; or certainly that point which, between the word Macarius and those which precede it, the sense requires, was either worn away on the stone itself, or not observed by the one copying.
[6] Gather 2, that in no sense can it be determined that St. Macarius of Antioch pertains to Blessed Jorius; whom here everyone commonly follows; neither as a brother, since they have both parents different, as we said before; nor as one subscribing the mentioned epitaph; since that St. Macarius departed from this life twenty years and more before Blessed Jorius. Gather 3, that the announcement, set forth by Molanus above, was taken from the very Martyrology of the church in which the memory of the Blessed is already of old solemnly celebrated. The same month, day, and place assign to his cult Gazet in the catalogue of the Saints of Belgium of the diocese of Arras, Miraeus in the Belgian Fasti, Constantine Ghinius in the Natales of the SS. Canons Regular, Willot in the Compendium of the Belgian Martyrology, Ferrarius in the General Catalogue of the Saints, Castellanus in the Universal Martyrology.
Gather 4, that an error has crept into the same Fasti of Miraeus, when our Blessed is said to have expired in the year 1030; whereas he expired three years later; as, from Molanus, Ferreolus Locrius determines in the Belgian Chronicle at the year 1033, and Malbrancq cited above, and other Belgian writers; for all whom indeed I have known, in those things which they noted concerning Blessed Jorius, assign no other source than the just-praised "Natales of the Saints of Belgium" of Molanus, from which therefore we too pursue, in the words of the same author, the things which remain to be said concerning Jorius, which ibidem have thus:
[7] For the rest, the tradition of the people of Béthune holds that, for the sake of a vow and of religion, he visited the memorial (shrine) of the Virgin Bearer of God at Boulogne; and from whom we too recite the things handed down concerning Blessed Jorius. thence, on account of the nearness of the place, he turned aside to Béthune, to a certain man who had once been his servant. With whom, no one being aware, he migrated at night-time to the eternal light. The servant, the death being discovered, and fearing for himself trouble from it from the judge, buried the holy body within his domestic walls. But the matter was detected through frequent apparitions. Whence a worthier burial was given to the holy Man, which is still seen within the church of St. Bartholomew, in a chapel which was afterward dedicated to God in honor of Jorius himself. But since in that place also his memory grew frequent with miracles, the head, decently adorned, was laid up in the sacristy: the remaining sacred pledges (relics) in the high altar. In memory of this matter, the place of each burial is religiously venerated. For those private houses too are yearly adorned on his birthday; the sacred head is carried thither; and there is a pious concourse to the sepulcher: around which many survivors testify that they have seen much light divinely appearing. There are preserved there, among the sacred vessels of the church, two little caskets of his, and two equestrian foot-rests (stirrups). Thus Molanus; to which there is nothing that we may add.