Felix and Gennadius

ON SS. FELIX AND GENNADIUS

MARTYRS AT UZALA IN AFRICA.

Felix, Martyr at Uzala in Africa (S.)

Gennadius, Martyr at Uzala in Africa (S.)

G. H.

Uzalis, or Uzala, a city of the Proconsular Province in Africa, Episcopal, mediterranean, once celebrated two Martyrs, on this XVI May thus reported in the Tablets of today's Roman Martyrology: At Uzala in Africa of the holy Martyrs Felix & Gennadius. To which Baronius annotates these things: Mention of these holy Martyrs is made by the author of the commentary on the Miracles of S. Stephen the Protomartyr, who under the name of Euodius of Uzala is inscribed book 1 chap. 2. Their bare memory there is thus inserted: Another sacred Virgin to the place of the ancient Martyrs, in the suburb of the city established, who Felix & Gennadius are called, seemed to herself to make a journey through a dream, not by that road, by which from the city it is wont to be gone, somewhat shortcut, off-road, & winding … Whence also a star to the place of the said Martyrs from those, who then in the field had been, is said to have come forth. Therefore after nearly forty days, since these things were revealed, in the place of the said Martyrs of ours, with the Relics of S. Stephen taken up to the city we began to return. &c. The day of today's cult, if in some old writing Baronius had found, he would not have omitted I believe to annotate it. I think therefore, that, considering it indecorous that Martyrs known by such certain testimony through ignorance of a certain day should lie hidden, this very one to them by his authority he assigned, the deed approved by the Church, when it received it.

ON SAINT PAPYLINUS

MARTYR AMONG THE GREEKS.

Papylinus, Martyr among the Greeks (S.)

D. P.

This holy Martyr is suggested to us by MS. Greek Menaea, which at Dijon in the College of the Society of Jesus with Petrus Franciscus Chifletius we found: in which these things are read: On the same day S. Papylinus, who struck by the sword, by martyrdom finished life. And these verses are added Ὁ Παπυλίνος τραῦσιν ἑυρὼν ἐκ ξίφους, Πάπους πλάνης ἔτραυσε καὶ θέρος ἅμα. While Papylinus finds a wound from the sword, the Papi of error & the harvest at the same time he kills. But the Papi or Pappi, to which here is alluded, are those down feathers, which to the falling leaves of thistles succeed, & by the wind then snatched, scatter widely evil seeds, whence ἐκπαπποῦσθαι, to depart in pappi. Aptly therefore, taken from the name of Papylus the occasion, the holy Martyr is said in the very seed to have extinguished the hope of a noxious harvest, that is of error of gentility, justly to be compared to vile & flying papi or (as I shall speak diminutively) papyli of this kind.