ON ST. ADELBERT,
BISHOP OF COMO IN ITALY.
THE YEAR 615.
CRITICAL COMMENTARY.
Cult: Acts for the greater part fabulous.
Adelbertus, Bishop of Como in Italy (S.)
G. H.
Como or Novocomum, a city illustrious for its antiquity and Episcopal See, situated at the extremity of Lake Larius on the borders of Insubria, has hitherto supplied us with many Saints, and in this month of June will supply us again; Eulogy from the Martyrology of Como. and among these four of its Bishops, of whom the first occurs on this third day, S. Adelbert. His deeds with an illustrious compendium were published by Primus Aloysius Tattus, in the Martyrology of the Holy Church of Como, printed about the year 1675, which is of this kind. On the third Nones of June at Novocomum, in the Cathedral basilica and in the temple of S. John of Pedimonte, the birthday of S. Adelbert Bishop and Confessor: who, in the great wickedness of the times taken up to the rule of the Church of Como, governed it most prudently with the food of the word of God and the example of holiness. But assailed by the envy and craft of the impious, and at Rome before the Supreme Pontiff accused of false crimes, by a singular benefit of the Deity, he both eluded the snares of his enemies, and approved his innocence to the Pontiff by the showing of supernal signs. For partridges flying away on the road he led to Rome; and the Pontiff, desiring to hear the celestial modulations of the Angels, by his prayers he rendered a sharer of his vow. At length, with the integrity of his life known, he was affected with many honors by the Vicar of Christ: with which heaped, when, the impudence of his enemies overcome, he had returned to Como, a little after, free from the exile of this world, he migrated to the celestial fatherland.
[2] Memory in the Breviary and among other Writers: Thus Tattus, who in his Notes adds the authors who make mention of S. Adelbert, who are: The Breviary of the Church of Como, with the Proper Offices of the same Church; Philip Ferrari in the General Catalogue, and the Catalogue of the Saints of Italy, with his new Topography; Benedict Jovius, in book 2 of the History of Novocomum; Thomas Borcacchius, in book 1 of the Nobility of Como; Felicianus Ninguarda, in his Visitation, where on the Church of S. Abundius; Philip Archintus, in the syllabus of his Predecessors; Lazarus Carafinus, in the diptychs of the Bishops of Como number 15, and in the Catalogue of the Saints and Blessed of this Church; Robert Ruscha, Cistercian Monk, in book 1 of the Nobility of his family; John Michael Plodius, of the Order of Preachers in book 2 chapter 12 of the Progeny of S. Dominic among the Italians; Quintilius Lucinus Passalaqua, in the first historical letter; Francis Ballarinus, part 2 of the Chronicle of Como; Ferdinand Ughelli, in volume 5 of Italia Sacra in the series of Bishops of Como number 15; Lelius Fravescus, in the Diary of Novocomum number 15; and Tattus himself, in book 8 of the Annals of Como.
[3] The same Tattus adds that very many fabulous things have crept into the Acts of this Saint, namely; The fabulous Acts are rejected: that, when he received the messenger of Pope Boniface IV with a sumptuous banquet, he committed seeds of turnips to the earth in the evening, gathering the same in the morning, already mature by a divine prodigy. Another absurdity he adds; that the Pontiff at the exhortation of Adelbert, who on single nights heard angelic concerts, that he himself might be a partaker of so great sweetness, placed his hands upon Adelbert's shoulders, and that Adelbert himself clung to the Pontiff's back. Finally, that Boniface IV set out from Rome to Novocomum, to perform the obsequies of the deceased Adelbert: and this last is rejected, on the grounds that the said Pontiff had died a full year before this Bishop. But this in the Baronian reckoning: for in our reckoning both would have died in the same year, and the Pope scarcely one month earlier. The reasons of the other, as he says, fables more widely deduced in his work the reader can have, since in rejecting them we do not wish to detain him; but rather to send him to similar trifles, attached on May 9 to S. Gerontius of Ficocla, and from him transferred also to S. Nicephorus in Istria, as has been shown on this also on the 28th day of the same month.
[4] The time of his See is assigned from the year 591 to the year 615, Time of his See, and Translation. when the whole city with the Clergy celebrated the solemn obsequies of the deceased. He was first interred in the basilica of the Holy Apostles, now however of S. Abundius. Then from the prior tomb he was conveyed to a new one under the altar, dedicated to his own and S. Rubianus's name. Finally in the year of the Lord 1590, with the consent of the most Eminent and most Reverend Lord Ptolemy Cardinal Galli, Abbot Commendatary as they call it of S. Abundius, by Felicianus Ninguarda Bishop of Como, together with the Bodies of SS. Abundius, Amantius, Consul, Exuperantius, and Rubianus, with the highest joy of the city and diocese and an immense concourse of peoples, the Bones of the blessed Prelate were translated: of which the half is venerated in the Cathedral under the altar of the most holy Crucifix; but the other half is deposited in S. John of Pedimonte, under the major altar. These all were Bishops of Como: the Acts of two of them we have given: of S. Abundius indeed, on the second day of April; of S. Amantius, on the 8th of the same: but his Bones, to the Church of the Society of Jesus dedicated to him, were translated in the said year 1590. S. Consul is venerated on July 7; Exuperantius, on June 22; but S. Rubianus's birthday is December 16.
[5] The bodies of this S. Rubianus and Adelbert were found in the same tomb, The bodies of SS. Adelbert and Rubianus mixed: nor could one be distinguished from the other, and together with the other sacred bodies, in chests covered with cloth of gold, with the supplication proceeding in long order and even-paced, to the Cathedral Church, under canopies and with a great abundance of lights brought; where one chest, in which was enclosed half of the bodies of SS. Rubianus and Adelbert, was left, and their translation. and was placed on the altar of the most holy Crucifix in an outstanding marble chest. The remaining half was brought to the temple of S. John Pedemontanus of the Brothers of the Order of S. Dominic, and was deposited at the high altar, to be placed in the chapel of Cardinal Galli, when it should be completed. Of this translation to the Cathedral Church was made such an Inscription: Of the Holy Bodies of Adelbert
and Rubianus, Bishops of Como, the other part has been translated hither from the Church of S. Abundius, in the year 1580 on the first day of the month of July, with a most celebrated supplication.* Nor do I doubt that another Inscription was also placed in the Church of the Order of S. Dominic.