ON ST. THEODORE
BISHOP OF PAVIA IN ITALY.
ABOUT THE YEAR DCCLXXVIII.
OUR PREFACE.
On the cult and life more recently collected.
Theodore, Bishop of Pavia in Italy (St.)
G. H.
The sacred memory of St. Theodore, Bishop and Confessor of Pavia, celebrate on this XX of May, Bellinus, in his Martyrology according to the custom of the Roman curia at Venice about the year MCCCCXCVIII printed; Grevenus and Molanus, in their to Usuard additions; Maurolycus, Felicius, Canisius, with the present Roman Martyrology, Sacred cult. and the Basel one of the year MDLXXXIV. Likewise the Church of Milan in the Missal of the year MDXXII and MDLX, and the Breviary of the year MDXXXIX, but on XIX and XX of March. But the proper Church of Pavia, with an Ecclesiastical Office under a double rite, venerates him on this XX of May. There agree Ferrarius in the Catalogue of the Saints of Italy, Ughelli Tome I of the Sacred Italy in the Bishops of Pavia, and the writers of Pavian matters, Stephen Breventanus, Anthony Mary Spelta; John Baptist de Gasparis, in the Breviary of the Lives of the Saints of the Ticinese or Pavian Church the Bishops, Acts. by a long inquiry from several Writers collected, and about the year MDCLI published at Pavia, the author's name being concealed, from which we give the Acts. These are as it were an epitome of all those things, which Charles Pozzi, Canon of the Collegiate and Parochial Church of St. Theodore of Pavia, in the same year and with studies likely communicated, published in the Italian tongue; with a more prolix phrase and rhetorical deduction extending each thing, so that the whole fifteen Chapters the little book fills. Scarcely however in it do we find anything, which either in the Annotations were to be related, to us from elsewhere not known, except a few about the cult after the Epitaph to be given. In the Supplement of the Bergamo one at the year DCCLI it is said, some things worthy of memory written to have committed Theodore. But these lie hidden all, except some short fragments of his Sermons to the People, which by the Church of Pavia were wont anciently to be recited in Processions, by the name of the lesser Litanies commonly known, which Fragments Charles Pozzi exhibits chapter 5 of the Life by himself written. I pass over what Bernard Saccus, book 10 chapter 17 of the Ticinese Histories; James Gualla, book 3 of the Sanctuary of Pavia chapter 4; and Anthony Mary Spelta, in the Lives of the Bishops of that Church number XXIV, published: since from them their things received de Gasparis and Pozzi, the corrected only errors chronological.
THE BREVIARY OF THE LIFE
By the Author John Baptist de Gasparis.
Theodore, Bishop of Pavia in Italy (St.)
[1] Theodore of Ticinum, of a St. Peter Bishop of Pavia of grace and of nature enriched, on account of the probity of his morals, the sanctity of his life, and the preeminence of his doctrine, from Provost of the Church b of St. Agnes, which afterward of this Saint's name was called, by a divine admonition, c Luitprand King of the Lombards through an Angel preceding, Bishop by the Church of Ticinum is elected. Thence to Rome proceeding for the grace of consecration, on the journey those possessed by a demon he freed, and with very many other signs of sanctity shone. Bishop by d Zacharias the sovereign Pontiff, is consecrated at Rome Bishop: his sanctity being known, consecrated, to his See with the people's and Clergy's gladness and veneration he is received. Who shut in his chamber, to God thanks gave: and with that piety, with which is wont the devout mind to be inflamed, the Highest Father with rising tears earnestly besought, that the best he might be of souls Pastor and Rector. Some days in prayer being passed into public he went forth, his sheep diligently visited, with so great solicitude and life's sanctimony, that the Pavian diocese from the most foul Arians' plague, which in Italy had sprouted again, unharmed he kept. The vices' pest he drove away, the virtues he recalled, minds to the Christian religion, to the world's contempt, and to its love he inflamed.
[2] He shone with miracles. When the Franks' King Pepin to the Lombards' King Aistulf, of the Roman dominion the plunderer, war waged, e and Pavia with great forces besieged; to him met Theodore, by the misery of the evils to the city impending moved. the city of Pavia from the siege he frees: For the citizens laying down arms, with war wearied, he himself walking through the walls, with prayer and the saving sign of the Cross defended the city. Therefore a certain of the King's f nephew against the Saint hurled an arrow, which at once into the archer divinely turned back, his throat pierced. By this manifest of God vengeance terrified the war's Leaders, from the holy Prelate suppliant of the dead nephew implore the life, with such a covenant struck, that the Prelate himself living the city they would not depopulate. To their prayers assented the Pastor most pious, and in Christ's name the nephew alive restored. But when according to the promise the King the siege to loose would not, and the city to plunder attempted; forthwith so great a force of showers from heaven began to rush, and the river of Ticinum so swelled, that Pavia from plunder and burnings defended, with his army to depart and across the Alps to go, certain of peace g conditions accepted, the same besieging King resolved.
[3] To a woman h with a paralytic son, his help imploring, by night the Ticinum river about to cross, wonderfully appearing he showed a ford, a paralytic he heals: whose also son with the Cross's sign sound he made. To a Jew a swollen arm by sacred baptism to soundness he restored. By Desiderius the last of the Lombards' King, of Bl. Peter's rights the plunderer, and of the admonitions of the Roman Pontiff and of Theodore contemptuous, into exile driven, recalled from exile: many evils he suffered; until Charles the Great i, Desiderius being conquered, with the highest of the whole city congratulation, from exile him recalled. To Augustine his Archdeacon, of the Episcopate ambitious, that he would be future Bishop with a prophetic spirit he foretold, and soon k about to die: which to him from Rome to Pavia returning happened: for on the journey he died. At length when about years forty- seven with a singular life's sanctimony he had been over it as Bishop, the days drawing near of his from this life departure, by SS. Syrus l and Juventius, whom while he lived as Patrons always he venerated, he is forewarned of his death, of his dissolution the time to be at hand he was admonished. In the morning rising, what through quiet he had seen, the Clergy and people gathered he narrated: and them he exhorted, that the promised in baptism faith they should keep, their enemies should forgive, and God and at the same time their neighbor should love. These and other of salvation admonitions the pious Pastor left m. The disease growing strong, to heaven lifting his eyes, he said: Comes Christ, that from the flesh loosed to His I may hasten judgment. And saying these things, and he dies in the year 778. to God gloriously he sent forth his spirit, on the tenth third Kalends of June in the year seven hundred seventy-eighth: whose tomb with frequent of possessed persons and other languishing the liberation both then and thereafter shone.
ANNOTATIONS.
c Luitprand the King died in the year 744, and succeeded Rachis, who afterward leaving to his brother Aistulf the kingdom, a monk of Cassino was made. Pozzi with many things exaggerates the authority, with which among the same Theodore prevailed, to either bringing or retaining them in peace with the Roman Pontiff.
thou hast studied, namely about a son, whose father has received another's daughter from the font of sacred baptism, that is, whether a spiritual daughter of the same father, which to say is cruel, in matrimony to take is permitted, which, with thee enormously thou hast asserted to have happened.
was besieged in the year 755 and again 756, in which afterward Aistulf from a fall of his horse made the end of living; and to him succeeded Desiderius.
f These things relate Breventanus and Gualla to the times of Desiderius the King and Charles the Great, who besieged Pavia in the year 773 and 774. But Spelta and Saccus relate them to the times of Pepin and Aistulf, whom this author followed. And the whole matter seems to rest on the tradition of the Pavian crowd. Ferrarius abstracts from the time, in which it had happened.
from the town of Castelnuovo de Scrivia, of the diocese of Tortona in the State of Milan, and that she by the Saint to her through a dream appearing was bidden her son to be cured to bring to Pavia.
ended, and only 14 years Bishop to have been: but from the Epitaph subjoined they are refuted, where he is said dead, while Pavia held and ruled Charles, certainly the Great, called King of the Lombards. Pozzi chapter 11, at length describes the labor by Theodore expended in converting the Kings of the Saracens, whom Desiderius the King in war had taken: and his daughter, to Charles betrothed, he calls Theodora, I know not by what author, Bertha some Franks call her. I on 30 April treating of St. Hildegard §. 2, judged Desiderata she was called.
k Spelta says there are those who say, 20 days only presided Augustine; he himself to Rome to have gone says for the cause of Confirmation or Consecration; and that obtained on the journey on his return he died.
m Galesinius and Gualla say present to the dying was Leo Pope III, and his funeral cared for: which this our Author and Charles Pozzi deservedly omit: since Leo Pope III was first elected in the year 795, and so 17 years after the Saint's death.
EPITAPH
published by Janus Gruter.
Theodore, Bishop of Pavia in Italy (St.)
[4] Me to thee the illustrious Doctor nourished a foster-son, The Prelate Peter, of the Ticinese people the glory, Both Father and Pastor, of the country the ornament, the renowned author. Of the kindly Church always I had been a home-bred servant, From the time I in my earliest age the little letters took. First I was of the Clergy at first a Levite; then, Now though unworthy, yet a great Order filling. But afterward the wrath of God dripped upon this people: An exile I was, led far from the turf of my fathers. But me the great grace of God preserved always, Rescued me from much coming hence and thence peril: To whom great praise was, virtue, and glory always, Who me so wretched from dire death brought back, And my native lands again me made to see, At the time when Charles the King, great and best, these Held and ruled with great piety benign. These my fates were while living in the world. But now this rest holds my miserable body: My timid spirit seeks the High-throned, all with itself, The Judgment of the King, bearing whatever it bore. In body joined to Peter. Most gentle Christ, Thou whoever readest, say, say, remit the sins: And farewell mindful of me through the ages, Brothers.
[5] There grew afterward, says concluding the Life Charles Pozzi, The church restored in the year 1497. of the Pavian people the religion toward St. Theodore so much, that the old and noble Albericii family, more specially to him devoted, under the name of SS. Theodore and Blasius took care to build a church in the citadel of Pavia: which when by the length of times and the injuries of wars had been destroyed, a new one from the foundations they raised in the year MCCCCLXXXXVII Ludovico Albericii the Presbyter and John Peter Tacconi: and it they delivered to the Brothers of the Regular observance of St. Francis, by Bl. Amadeus surnamed: but the same afterward of the Holy Cross was called, at the instance of the Cardinal bearing that title. Then in the year MDLXXVI Hippolytus Rubeus, of the Holy Roman Church Cardinal, Bishop of Pavia, the body translated 1576. St. Theodore's body to the chief altar of the Cathedral church translated; where by citizens and foreigners he is honored, not without fruit of miraculous graces, of which a testimony once gave the votive offerings at his image in great number hung up; nor do the same in our times altogether cease.