ON ST. PLAUTILLA
A CONSULAR ROMAN MATRON.
ABOUT THE YEAR LXVI
HISTORICAL COLLECTION
From the Life of St. Domitilla her daughter, the Martyrdom of Paul the Apostle, and others.
Plautilla, a Consular Matron at Rome (St.)
G. H.
[1] Plautilla, the mother of St. Flavia Domitilla, Virgin and Martyr, chiefly has her notice among posterity from the Acts of Domitilla herself, related under May XII: in which, at number 9, it is related that St. Domitilla, inclined to virginity, and then Nereus and Achilleus went to St. Clement the Bishop, The mother of St. Domitilla, baptized by St. Peter, and said to him: Although your glory is wholly placed in our Lord Jesus Christ, and you glory not of human but of divine dignity; yet we know that Clement the Consul was your father's own brother. His sister Plautilla acquired us as servants: and then, when hearing from the Lord Peter the Apostle the word of life she believed and was baptized, she also consecrated us together with herself and with her daughter Domitilla in holy baptism. In the same year the Lord Peter the Apostle hastened to the crown of Martyrdom to Christ, and Plautilla forsook her earthly body.
[2] Thus far that. Mention of the same Plautilla is had in the Passion of St. Paul (which is carried under the name of Linus, but is of some other) and it stands thus: When they were proceeding to the place of passion, with innumerable throngs of peoples accompanying, Paul came to the gate of the city of Rome, where he met a most noble matron, by name Plautilla, a most fervent lover of the Apostles, and a worshipper of the divine religion: who weeping began to commend herself to his prayers. To whom Paul says: Go, Plautilla, daughter of eternal salvation, lend me the cloth with which you cover your head: and withdraw a little aside on account of the hindrances of the crowd, To St. Paul going off to martyrdom she holds out the cloth from her head: awaiting me here, until I return to you, and restore the benefit to you: for I will bind my eyes with it in place of a kerchief, and to your love, as a pledge of my love for the name of Christ, going to Him, I will leave it. She with haste held out the cloth; and obeyed him, as the Apostle himself had bidden. But Parthenius and Pheretas mocked, saying: Why do you believe an impostor and magician? Why do you lose a most excellent cloth, since you will gain nothing through him in the world? But Paul said to her: Even so, daughter, await my coming, and I will offer you the signs of my death in the little cloth, being about to live with Christ.
[3] Then, the Martyrdom of St. Paul having been related, these things are added: But returning, those who had been bidden to hasten his slaying, came to the gate of the city: where they found Plautilla, praising and glorifying the Lord, in all things which she had heard and seen through His holy Apostle. And they questioned her with mockery, why she did not cover her head with the head-veil which she had lent to Paul. She, kindled with the heat of faith, answered with magnanimity: O vain and wretched men, who know not how to believe except what you see with your eyes and handle with your hands. then she receives it back from him steeped in blood For truly I have the same cloth which I had held out to him, precious from the pouring of his own blood. For coming from heaven, accompanied by an innumerable band of those clad in white, he most truly brought it back to me: and rendering thanks for the kindness shown toward him, he said: You rendered me service, Plautilla, on earth: I will most dutifully wait upon you, as soon as you go to the kingdoms. For in a short while I will return for you, and she is invited to heaven: and I will show you the glory of the unconquered King. And Plautilla drawing out the cloth from her bosom, steeped with rosy blood, showed it to them. They, seized with exceeding terror, with hurried step went to Caesar, announcing what they had seen and heard.
[4] Inscribed in the Roman Martyrology, Thus far that. Both testimonies just related are brought forward by Ordericus Vitalis, book 2 of the Ecclesiastical History, in St. Paul, page 397, and by Baronius in the Notes to this day, May XX, to whom in today's Roman Martyrology she is inscribed in these words: At Rome St. Plautilla, a Consular woman, mother of Bl. Flavia Domitilla: who, baptized by Peter the Apostle, shining with the praise of all virtues, rested in peace. she died about the year 66. We have shown elsewhere that SS. Peter and Paul were crowned with Martyrdom under the Consuls Silius Nerva and Julius Atticus Vestinus, that is in the year sixty-five of the vulgar Era; but to the following year we refer the death of St. Plautilla, supposing that it has been established that she departed on this May XX: and thus within ten months the death of the Apostles and of St. Plautilla would have occurred. Masinus, in his survey of Bologna, asserts that some relics of St. Plautilla are kept in the church of St. Bartholomew of the Theatine Fathers, relics. But whether of this one, who shall divine? Piazza, in the Roman Sanctuary, says her body is kept at Rome in the church of SS. Nereus and Achilleus.