CONCERNING ST. SICHARIUS, BISHOP OF LYON IN GAUL.
ABOUT THE YEAR 425
CommentarySicharius, Bishop of Lyon in Gaul (St.)
[1] Theophilus Raynaud in his Catalogue of the Saints of Lyon has this about the aforesaid Bishop: St. Sicarius, Bishop of Lyon, sat around the year of Christ 425. He was added to the Martyrology of Usuard by Molanus on April 11. The Church of Lyon however commemorates him on the 7th before the Kalends of April, Sacred cultus of St. Sicharius, especially in the chapel which is sacred to him in the basilica of St. Nicetius. John Chenu adds that his body lies in the said chapel, and that a celebrated Office is held for him in the church of St. Nicetius. But the Sainte-Marthe brothers in their Christian Gaul report that he has a chapel dedicated to himself in the church of the Blessed Apostles. We have a manuscript Calendar once proposed to the Clergy of Lyon so that according to this norm the Breviary and Missal of Lyon might be directed: in it on March 26 is established the feast of St. Sicharius, Bishop of Lyon and Confessor, of nine Psalms and three Lessons. Saussay proposes this eulogy for the same day: At Lyon, of St. Sicharius, Bishop and Confessor, who on account of his merits of doctrine and religion, succeeding Blessed Elpidius, wonderfully illuminated this Church with saving examples and teachings, and having completed his life in all holiness, rested in the Lord. His body is interred in his own chapel of the basilica of St. Nicetius, where today his birthday is honored with sacred annual rites.
[2] Another person seems to be constituted as distinct from this Bishop St. Sicharius, whom with a companion the ancient Martyrologies ascribe to Lyon on April 11: another, St. Siagrius, on April 11. of these the triple copy of St. Jerome, the Corbie, Lucca, and our Antwerp copies have: At Lyon in Gaul, the deposition of Siagrius and Patricius. The same is found in the Liessies and Tournai manuscripts of St. Martin, in the latter however by the fault of the copyist Fiagrius is found in place of Siagrius. The word "deposition" is also absent in our ancient Hieronymian copy. In the Utrecht manuscript of St. Mary and the Trier manuscript of St. Martin, with Patricius omitted, these words are read: At Lyon, of Siagrius the Confessor: which without the city are found in the Augsburg manuscript of St. Ulrich and the Paris manuscript of our Labbe. Meanwhile in place of the name Confessor, Bishop is read in Bellinus's Paris edition of 1521. But because among the Bishops of Lyon none is found called Siagrius, Molanus changed the name and wrote: At Lyon, of Sicharius the Bishop. Galesinius, Canisius, Ghinius, Ferrari, and Saussay soon followed, who in the Index gives his ordination, but as we have shown elsewhere, from conjecture. We judge rather that SS. Siagrius and Patricius should be ascribed to Lyon on April 11: as we have shown them to be honored in the older manuscript Martyrologies, and we give this day to St. Sicharius, Bishop of Lyon. If men who love the antiquities of their Church can point out more certain monuments, we shall gladly give them on the said April 11.