CONCERNING SAINT AETHERIUS,
BISHOP OF VIENNE IN GAUL.
7TH CENT.
Notice from Ado and the Martyrologies.
Aetherius, Bishop of Vienne, in Gaul (St.)
D. P.
Ado Archbishop of Vienne, when
in the Chronicle he treats of the Emperor Heraclius;
and of Chlothar Father of Dagobert,
King of the Franks, interposes
these things: Aetherius of Vienne, a man in
all things distinguished, is held illustrious.
Concerning him in the Martyrology of the same Ado, printed, Lausejus in Ado; his memory in the Fasti.
on this 14 June, these things are read: At Vienne, of St.
Aetherius the Bishop. There followed the Author of the supposititious Bede,
Greven and Molanus in the Auctarium of Usuard with the Manuscript
Florarium; likewise Galesinius and Canisius with the Roman
Martyrology. But in the Brussels Manuscript of St. Gudila, and
the Martyrology of Cologne and Lübeck printed about the year 1490,
he is called Eucherius.
[2] Saussay, in the Gallican Martyrology,
adorns him with this eulogy: At Vienne of the Allobroges, of St. Aetherius the Bishop
and Confessor, a man in all things distinguished, who
after B. Domnolus was created Pontiff of this See,
shining forth in that office in piety, justice, and mercy,
merited the rewards of eternal glory. Finally
in a double Manuscript Martyrology of the Church of Vienne,
this eulogy is composed for him. a eulogy in the Vienne Manuscript. On the tenth of the Kalends of July,
the birthday of St. Aetherius Confessor, and thirtieth Archbishop
of Vienne: who in the time of Dagobert the first
King of the Franks shone upon the Church of God in sanctity and
doctrine: and illustrious for other happy miracles, and
buried in the oratory of St. George the Martyr, near
the basilica of the Apostles, under the reign of Heraclius the most pious
Emperor, is celebrated with perennial memory. Thus
there. Heraclius reigned from the year 610 even to the year
641: in whose time, Chlothar King of the Franks
having died, in the year 628 succeeded Dagobert, who departed
life in the year 638.
[3] Again Saussay on 11 June has these things: At Vienne
of the Allobroges, the Elevation of St. Aetherius the Bishop and
Confessor, the elevation on 14 June whose glorious Deposition falls on
the 18th of the Kalends of July. Of this Elevation the most certain
monument, and in it the note of the time at which it was done,
we have after the Episcopal Catalogue from two Manuscripts,
one of St. Peter, the other of St. Maurice, submitted to us. Namely a Brief
of Pope Innocent IV, granting Indulgences of a hundred days,
on the day of the Revelation of the holy
bodies, made under Innocent IV reposing in the church of St. Peter at Vienne,
to this tenor. Innocent Bishop, Servant
of the Servants of God, to the beloved sons the Abbot and Convent
of the monastery of St. Peter, outside the gate of Vienne,
greeting and Apostolic benediction. Although
He, of whose gift it comes, that He be worthily and faithfully served
by His faithful, from the abundance of His piety,
which exceeds our merits and wishes, truly
repays to those serving much greater things than they could
merit; nevertheless desiring to render to the Lord
an acceptable people, we invite the Faithful of Christ
to please Him, as if by certain enticing
gifts, indulgences and remissions,
that thence they may be rendered more apt for divine grace.
[4] Since therefore, as you have taken care to set forth to us,
of the Blessed Confessors Aaron, Naamatius, Pantagathus,
Aquilinus, George, and Eutherius, who presided
to the Church of Vienne, and likewise the bodies of Saints Leonianus and Marculphus, laid up in your monastery, by his own command should have been brought to light through our beloved son H., of the title of St. Sabina, and of good memory W., of the Basilica of the Twelve Apostles, Cardinal Priests, by our mandate; we, desiring that your monastery, out of reverence for those same Saints, be frequented with fitting honors; to all who are truly penitent and have confessed, who shall honorably visit that same monastery on the day of their Revelation, and granting an Indulgence of 100 days yearly, trusting in the mercy of almighty God and in the authority of his Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, we mercifully relax one hundred days of the penance enjoined upon them. Given at Milan, the 8th of the Kalends of September, in the ninth year of our Pontificate.
[5] in the year 1251 This was the year of Christ 1251, when the Pontiff—who, avoiding the tyranny of the Emperor Frederick, had remained at Lyons in Gaul for six years—after Frederick had died on the 13th of December preceding, returned to Italy; and having lingered for some time at Genoa, was at Milan in the month of September, having in his company the Cardinals Hugh and William, expressed by full name, in similar Bulls of Indulgences, restricted to 40 days, given at Lyons on the 14th and 10th of the Kalends of April, in the seventh year of his Pontificate, for the feasts of Saints Zachary and Ysicius, Bishops of Vienne—who are honored on the 27th of May and the 12th of November—and of St. Phocas, Bishop of Sinope, belonging to the 14th of July. Neither of the two aforesaid Cardinals is to be found among the Cardinals praying under Innocent IV in Ciacconius and his Continuators. Nor is this surprising, since down to the 15th century very many are missing there, Hence two Cardinals unknown to Ciacconius are brought to light, who before 3 who are still from time to time brought out from the monuments of earlier centuries. For, not to go outside this Pontificate, Hugh, Cardinal Bishop of Sabina (and beware lest you confuse this title with the Presbyteral one of St. Sabina), concerning whom under this year writes Odoricus Raynaldus, as having discharged an Apostolic Legation in the North, and who pronounced the sentence of excommunication against King Conrad, son of the Ex-emperor Frederick—Ughellus, in the Catalogue of the Bishops of Sabina. Moreover, those Saints who are said to have been revealed while Cardinal William was still alive, are each commemorated on their own days; that Hugh, I say, neither to them nor: Naamatus, on the 18th of November; Pantagathus, on the 17th of April; Georgius, on the 3rd of November; Aaron and Aquilinus, and at that time they elevated the bodies of 8 Saints. are not numbered among the Bishops of Vienne, so that one must believe their bodies were brought from elsewhere: wherefore we would wish to know the day of their cult, if there ever was one. St. Leonianus founded that very monastery of St. Peter, and ruled it as its first Abbot, to be commemorated on the 16th of November. Marculphus is still unknown to us; for there is no reason here to think of St. Marculphus, Abbot of Reims, concerning whom we treated on the 1st of May.