ON S. DESIDERIUS THE MARTYR,
BISHOP OF VIENNE IN GAUL.
IN THE YEAR 608.
PREVIOUS COMMENTARY.
On the chronology, author, and faith of the Acts: and on his death, translation, relics.
Desiderius the Martyr, Bishop of Vienne in Gaul (S.)
BY G. H.
Another Bishop of Gaul and Martyr, Desiderius,
is venerated today, younger by some centuries than the other Bishop of Langres,
of whom we treated above:
who when he had rendered faithful ministry to the Church of Vienne under
four of its Bishops for more than forty years,
Chronology of his Acts. in the year 596 to S. Verus or Virus, on January 13
dying, was substituted: but in the year 603 driven into exile,
for four years lived on the island of Levis:
thence returning to his See, in the following year 608 he was crowned
with martyrdom near the river Calarona, place of martyrdom, and in the village of Priscianus
was buried. That parish is called at this time S. Desiderius
at the Calarona, commonly S. Didier de Chalaronne, situated in
the lordship of Dombes, and not far from there at the town of Thoissey
the river Calarona flows into the Saône: and of burial. through which the body
was borne down into the Rhône, and so brought to Vienne, and
deposited in the church of SS. Peter and Paul outside the walls by
S. Ætherius the Bishop; between whom and S. Desiderius alone
sat S. Domnolus, dying about the year 618.
He is venerated on June 16, and S. Ætherius on the 14th of the same
month.
[2] The Life of S. Desiderius was written by a contemporary author, under
Domnolus the successor, which hitherto unedited we give from
an old Manuscript sent by our Petrus Franciscus Chiffletius from Dijon.
A great part of it stands in plainly the same words in the
Breviary of Vienne printed in the year 1522, Life written by a contemporary author from Manuscripts. divided into nine Lessons
customarily recited at Matins, with the rest
of the part cut off and omitted. No mention is made here of the body translated
to Vienne, because that was done under the successor of Domnolus, Ætherius.
Of this Life makes mention Jonas the ancient author in
the Life of S. Columbanus the Abbot, written about the year 643,
in which he has these things: "At that time Theodericus and
Brunhild, raged not only against Columbanus,
but also against the most holy Desiderius,
Bishop of the city of Vienne.
Whom first condemned to exile, with many injuries
they strove to afflict; but at last with glorious
martyrdom they crowned him: whose Deeds are written,
with what and how great adversities he merited to have glorious triumphs
before the Lord." Thus Jonas. Ado
also Bishop of Vienne about the year 870 testifies that he wrote
the Life of the same S. Desiderius, as is commended to ancient writings, praised by Jonas and Ado,
Henry Canisius edited it
in volume 6 of Antiquae Lectiones, and from him in the last
Surius edition reprinted we have it: from which we subjoin
the things which pertain to the Translation of the body to Vienne, because the rest
are transcribed from the prior Life, with amplifications
either of no moment, or to be subjected to censure, as it will appear to one comparing.
There is also some Life of S. Desiderius in Boninus
Mombritius, which is less approved, from which the history of the Translation is given. and there can be read
what here is omitted. We also omit what we transcribed at Rome
among the Fathers of the Oratory, taken from the monuments of the Church
of Pistoia, since they were drawn from others. Fredegarius in his Chronicle
describes the exile and martyrdom of S. Desiderius, but did not have the Acts already
indicated, and therefore errs while he contracts his exile
to two years, and makes S. Aridius the Bishop of Lyons
guilty of the martyrdom, S. Aridius was not guilty of his death. of which neither his Acts, nor Ado, nor
other ancients make mention. Rainaudus in the Indiculus of the Saints
of Lyons defends his fame against Fredegarius,
and his follower Aimoinus.
[3] Florus the Subdeacon of Lyons, more ancient than Ado,
writes these things in his Martyrology: "At Vienne the deposition
of S. Desiderius the Bishop, who by command of King Theodoric
and Queen Brunhild was first stoned; and when now
he was breathing his life out, struck on the neck with a club, and so killed."
Notker pursues him with a long elogium, but
from the Life written by Ado, that the same Apostolic
man, Relics in Switzerland. he says, in the year 870, by the most holy man
Beroldus the Presbyter native of those same places
but now in the castle Turcicum (Türgi) attending to the services of Christ,
with the relics of the same holy Martyr Desiderius
and the pledges and combats of other Saints,
directed to us established in the monastery of B. Gall."
Hence he is venerated there with Ecclesiastical office under double rite. There is
another famous monastery in Switzerland, commonly called Einsiedeln, that is
of Hermits, or the cell of S. Meinrad, in which
the head of S. Desiderius the Bishop and Martyr is preserved, testifies
Bucelinus in Sacrarium Benedictinum. John Lieuræus
in Antiquities of Vienne chapter 22 testifies, that he is venerated with public
festivity at Vienne among the people on this 23rd of May. Many
report him on February 11, on account of the translation of the body
to Vienne, on which day also he is inscribed in the Benedictine
Martyrologies, of Menardus and Bucelinus. The latter asserts that before he was
a monk of Luxeuil, but is mistaken with Wion, who hands down that he was also Bishop of Lyons.
He was not a monk of Luxeuil. But Constantinus
Ghinius commemorates him in Natales Canonicorum on the 12th day of
February, on which day he judges he suffered. Galesinius reports the same
on August 4, but for what cause he does not indicate; meanwhile by his
authority he is also remembered by Ferrarius on that August 4,
as also on June 21, whom Saussajus followed in the Supplement.
LIFE
Composed by a contemporary author.
From Manuscripts brought forth by Petrus Franciscus Chiffletius.
Desiderius the Martyr, Bishop of Vienne in Gaul (S.)
BHL Number: 2152
BY A CONTEMPORARY FROM MANUSCRIPTS.
This holy man, born in the city of Augustodunum (Autun)
of noble lineage, because he was about to desire the justifications
of the Lord at all times,
as if by some presage of the future drawing his name with Daniel,
a noble of Autun, in baptism was called Desiderius.
Who from boyhood given to studies of letters,
with supernal grace bestowing, among the scholars of his time
was made eminent in secular knowledge alone, as
will evidently appear in what follows. Then seeking Vienne,
and adhering to B. a Naamatus the Archbishop of the same city,
is diligently nurtured by him as a son
by a father, He lives at Vienne under 4 Bishops: is imbued with ecclesiastical doctrines.
But to this S. Naamatus in the rule of the Episcopate
succeeded b S. Philip; in whose times the monastery
of S. Andrew, by Romula Eugenia, daughter of Duke Ausemondus,
was built in lower Vienne, and under
testament was handed over to mother Church. For another monastery
of S. Andrew higher up situated on the hill of the city
was already, which B. c Leonianus, in the times of S.
Avitus the Bishop of the same city had founded, where the same
Romula had been nurtured under regular discipline. To S.
Philip in the Episcopate succeeded Evantius, but to Evantius
the holy d Virus. So in the times of these four Archbishops
in the Church of Vienne the Saint
dwelt as Desiderius; Made Deacon: and having received there the office of the Diaconate,
among the Clerics he strove to serve God in good works.
But with the holy man departing from this life,
in his place B. Desiderius is raised as Archbishop,
with S. Gregory the great Doctor at that time
presiding over the Apostolic See. But that he shone abundantly in knowledge of letters,
hence as I have said before, can be clearly proved, that when he was made Archbishop, then Archbishop.
according to custom he had sent to Rome to obtain the Pallium
of the Apostolic See, the aforesaid Blessed Pope e Gregory,
with a letter directed reproved him vehemently,
that he expounded Grammar to certain ones; admonishing
that he should not do this further, because in one mouth with
the praises of Jove, the praises of Christ would not have place.
[2] At that same time f Brunhild the most impious Queen
held the kingdom of the Burgundians, Reproving Brunhild for incestuous nuptials,
a most famous fosterer of the Arian heresy: whose husband
King Sigebert while he proceeded against his brother Chilperic
the King, residing in the city of Tournai, wishing to obtain
his kingdom, and by two young men
near the same city by God's judgment g by deceit was killed;
the same Brunhild, with the lawful matrimony spurned,
took as husband his nephew Merovech the youth,
son of the aforesaid King Chilperic, h received.
Which Chilperic hearing, and toward his son
for so incestuous a marriage, which without his knowledge
he had committed, with most just wrath gnashing his teeth;
ordered the same son
his Merovech, captured and tonsured, and ordained
the Bishop the same Brunhild, both for that incestuous
matrimony, and for her other depravities,
inflamed by Divine zeal, began to reprove. Forthwith she
is inflamed with excessive fury; and as Jezebel against Elijah
and Herodias against John the Baptist so also now
their imitator and follower Brunhild, against
Desiderius is inflamed. She addresses noble and ignoble,
plebeians and military, he is driven into exile: and against the holy man stirs the whole
world. She seeks accusers,
and that they may accuse him of some falsity, exhorts some,
commands others; she also solicitously joins false witnesses,
and that they may render aid to the criminators in the contrivance
of falsehood by testifying, by the promise of rewards
corrupts. Why say more? With the Devil instigating
and the Lord permitting, the woman accomplishes what she attempted;
and forces the holy man into exile on the island called Levis
k to be dragged.
[3] But God, who Joseph sold in Egypt and
placed in prison did not desert, was also clemently present to Blessed Desiderius
directed into exile. For when entering
the oratory, where he is honored by the miracle of the lamp not failing, and wishing to perform the customary course of the divine Office at night,
he had with his own hand kindled a lamp;
the Lord deigned to show such great
grace, that from the Lord's day on which he had kindled it,
through each day of the whole week coming one by one in turn
up to the next Lord's day, neither was the oil diminished
nor the wick of the lamp. l By the fame of so great a miracle the whole
province is at once filled; and various run, and
prove with their eyes by seeing the things to be true, which they had heard
with their ears. Some also from various
parts come sick to the Saint, and anointed by him
with the same oil of the aforesaid lamp in Christ's name
each one escapes his calamities. Among whom a certain
leper came, and anointed by the Bishop with the aforesaid oil,
was at once restored to his pristine health.
[4] Some also relate that heavenly manna was sent to him by the Lord,
through a bird, just as to the holy Paul and Antony, and other prodigies.
there transmitted. Once also, when by the faithful
fearing the Lord and proceeding to him
a vessel full of wine had been brought, and from there
for a long time for all coming to him a banquet had been
prepared, and now they did not think
even one meal of refreshment could be had from it;
behold suddenly one of the household servants suffused with the dew of tears,
ran to the Pontiff, saying that the wine had altogether
failed, and the vessel had remained empty. The Bishop, no way
moved, nor held by sadness or sorrow, but with cheerful
heart exulting in the Lord, prayed for a little while: then
ordered the servants to go to see the vessel again.
They obedient to his command, entered the place in which
the vessel had been placed; and approaching nearer
beheld it full of wine up to the brim;
and at once with quick course returning to the Pontiff, what
they had found with joy they reported.
[5] When therefore these and similar things Christ the Lord
was assiduously working through his servant; Recalled from exile, and from there his fame
through the whole province grew from day to day,
the envious and insatiable persecutor touched by excessive ill-will,
because she saw his glory more and more
disseminated among the people; pretending herself moved with piety
over him, ordered him to return to his own See, when
now in exile he was settled to have been detained for four years.
The people of Vienne, as if after the darkness of so long a time
they saw a new light from heaven descend upon
them, joyfully sang praises to God,
and as to John the Evangelist once returning from the island of Patmos
all the people of the Ephesians ran,
shouting and saying, "Blessed is he who
comes in the name of the Lord"; so also they to their Pastor coming
far from the city ran out to meet him, and going before
and following, in the voice of exultation and jubilation,
led him to his own See.
[6] Yet that pestilent persecutor, filled
with serpentine venom, did not cease to seek out tricks and counsels,
by which she might be able to kill him, he receives ministers from chains through S. Severus. or if she could not do this,
at least to irritate him daily. So she established a certain Judge
in the aforesaid city, who would serve the pleasures
of her miseries, and inflict the zeal of all snares
upon the servants of the holy Church.
And while the Judge of iniquity intended in such matters,
so that he might provoke the holy Pontiff to wrath
with all his strength; on a certain day, having seized twelve servants
of the holy Church, ordered them to be consigned to the public
prison, and bound them with chains in hatred
of the blessed man. And when
for a long time, not in workhouse, but in the deep gloom of prison they were detained;
with B. Desiderius the Bishop praying for them,
S. m Severus, who many years now had migrated from this
life, and was buried in the church of B. Stephen within the walls
of the same city, on a certain night
among the burdens of chains stood in the midst of the imprisoned:
and visibly rousing them sleeping from sleep, removed
the bonds from their bodies: and so with the doors
unlocked, compelled them to go out with him, and ordered them
to depart free. So all with the bonds taken off them
came together to the basilica of B. Stephen, and to the sepulchre
of B. Severus; then hastening to S. Desiderius,
they conferred no small joy, both on himself and
on all the sons of the same Church.
[7] These therefore and similar miracles of B. Desiderius
when they had come to the ears of the most excellent Prince Theodoric
the King, Because he had counseled King Theodoric about marriage, sending legates to him humbly
asked, that he might deign to be wearied as far as his presence:
since he very much desired to enjoy his
conversation. Soon the servant of Christ did not delay to obey the King's
petition. Coming therefore he is asked by the Prince,
whether it is better to take a marriage, than to revel through the
misery of the flesh. At once the holy man by the example of B.
Paul the Apostle answered him, that it is better to marry
than to burn. And likewise, that on account of fornication
each man should have his own wife, and each woman
should have her own husband. But after the Pontiff had departed,
when this his counsel by running fame had reached the ears
of the aforesaid Brunhild the Queen; forthwith
inflamed by excessive fury, with burning counsel she attempts to kill the servant
of God; complaining that the King's love had grown cold
toward her by his words. So by three impious
counts, namely Beffanus, and Gasisredus, and Beto,
ordered constant snares to be prepared for the Pontiff of God
even within the doors of the church: and wherever he could be apprehended,
ordered him forthwith to be killed. Then the holy
man, with mind fixed on the Lord, undaunted chose to receive, By the order of Brunhild he is killed.
what he had previously known to have been promised to him by the Lord:
and hastening to attain the desired martyrdom,
hence and into himself the lines packed with armed men with quick course he enters.
When therefore the enemies in the territory
of Lyons, near the river whose name is
Calarona, espied him standing, and wished to kill him,
and many of the people themselves with great weeping testified,
that they wished by no reason to admit such things; then
the Saint of God, with knee fixed on the earth, and prayer
completed, offered his head undoubtingly, showing himself
willing to receive the stroke of the striker. Suddenly one of the satellites
of the impious, casting a great stone, struck
the head of the Pastor; and soon by only one stroke of the stone the holy
man fell to the earth. But when for a long time
the soul pleasing to God by no means wished
to leave its own seat; that perfidious one, having seized
a stake with both hands, broke the neck of so great a Pastor.
By such martyrdom therefore the soul of B. Desiderius
migrated to the Lord, to receive from him glory and
honor, through all ages of ages. Amen.
[8] But the body of the same with great honor in
of what merit he was, began by many
signs of miracles to demonstrate: of which we describe a few, At the sepulchre the contracted are healed,
because to relate all would seem too tedious. A certain
poor man, of Roman origin, was so altogether
contracted by the dryness of all his nerves and limbs,
that he seemed to move only his head and tongue.
And when by his friends in
a basket for recovering health, through many places of Saints
he had been carried, and had heard the fame of the virtues
of B. Desiderius; he asked to be borne there.
But where he had anointed his limbs with his holy
blood, forthwith with the Bishop's grace working,
restored to pristine health, unharmed he returned to his own.
Another man also, by name Claudius, dwelling in the territory
of Lyons, had a daughter, by name Seclisia,
who with the assiduous corrosion of an adhering worm,
with the soundness of her shins lost, continually limped,
and now despaired of being further healed; her father
persuaded her, that with faith seeking the holy Martyr's sepulchre
she should implore his mercy. Which as soon
as she fulfilled: and was able to touch that covering, with which
the holy sepulchre was covered; and merited to be anointed
with that holy oil; forthwith with the pain dispersed, most healthy
she returned to her father's house. Many blind also there
were enlightened, the blind and feverish. and some feverish were
healed: also many other sick were freed by God's
grace from various ailments.
[9] But B. Desiderius the Martyr suffered, and the twenty-
seventh Bishop of the Church of Vienne,
on the 10th Kalends of June, in the times of Theodoric the King and Brunhild
the Queen. Chlothar indeed the most renowned
King of the Franks, hearing that B. Desiderius, by command
of Brunhild the perfidious Queen, had been killed as unjustly
as cruelly, with God willing, fired with just wrath,
and divinely animated to avenge so great a crime,
ordered the same o Brunhild to be apprehended by his soldiers
and presented to him, Brunhild is punished. and his court
of Optimates being gathered, both for this
and for other crimes; with the Franks judging her
he commanded to be tied to untamed horses: and with arms and
legs spread apart, torn limb from limb, with horrible
death he caused her to be slain; and afterwards he ordered her bones
to be burned with fire. With our Lord Jesus Christ reigning,
who with the Father and Spirit lives and reigns through all
ages of ages. Amen.
Notes.
ACTS OF THE TRANSLATION,
By the author S. Ado Bishop of Vienne.
Desiderius Martyr, Bishop of Vienne in Gaul (S.)
BHL Number: 2150
[1] So with the time elapsed, it seemed to the Pontiff
of the people of Vienne and the most holy Clergy and the whole
people, that they should prevail by their prayers upon Chlothar,
at that time the pious King, that he might
deign to grant them the limbs of the most blessed man, which as
they had been buried, were preserved in the diocese of Lyons and in the place
of his suffering. Which the same pious King clemently
granted; for he saw they were asking a most worthy thing and
most dear to God, With the faculty received from King Chlothar, and the affection of pious
sons toward their father's reverence to be poured out.
Who would not concede so great a work of piety to those seeking?
Fathers ought to lay up treasures for their sons. He plainly laid up
a treasure for them not failing in heaven,
whom by the purple of his blood he over-clothed for the adornment of his sons;
and sons ought to fathers the affection of pious
charity and obedience, and from the desirable fruits
of virtues to refresh them, that they refreshed by their taste and odor
and satisfied in charity, may become a temple of beauty and one house
of God in Christ. What grace of the pious mother
Church is greater, than that she should see her sons
walking worthily before God? a head of humility joined in the structure
of charity, ministering vigor of fear and piety
and good hope to the limbs?
[2] Both Clergy and people return swift from the Prince,
because the desire of their heart, the desire of their love
they had merited to obtain. It goes to the place of martyrdom. Blessed be God
who put this in the heart of the King, that he should magnify our
city, by the reception of our most blessed Pastor
and his Martyr. The whole Church is gathered,
a joy so famous is announced to all, are prepared
crosses, are prepared lights, the bier with most precious
vestments is composed, with festive ornaments all are clothed,
and with such pomp of honor a procession is made to the holy
Pontiff's martyrdom.
[3] I am about to relate a thing of devotion most full toward God.
The peoples both of Vienne and of Lyons
assemble in one; a pious altercation arises, nor without altercation is the body taken away. the people of Lyons
claim to have the Martyr, the people of Vienne to receive the Pastor; and
between both parties most beloved contention, while these
claimed back the acquired, those the Patron. The former with whom
the Martyr in God lived, the latter with whom and in flesh
the master had lived. Why should I delay longer? While most perseveringly
on each side for the love of the Martyr they remained in their opinion,
night fell. The people of Vienne, who had loved more,
and to whom a juster cause served, took counsel
more subtly. Stealthily with the earth removed,
unsealing the holy sepulchre, with a small boat with a fishing net
prepared, they hide the body, and through a the Saône and Rhône
send it ahead. With glad waters so holy a corpse
the Rhône itself, about to serve its citizens, receives. Twilight
returned, and the troop of Vienne with the empty bier
returns on foot: the people of Lyons exult
deceived by vain hope; but not long did so happy a theft
remain hidden from them, and so they lost their gladness with despaired victory.
[4] But those who by ship were transferring the limbs of the Pontiff,
when they came opposite b the village of Fasiana, landed
at the shore, sustaining the holy troop on foot.
There was at that time the field of Fasiana, With miracles done on the way, now as
properly assigned to the poor of the holy Martyrs,
in whose honor the Church of Vienne stands
founded; for before (as the same Martyr, in his testament
which he made to the holy Martyrs c the Maccabees,
and to S. Maurice, and the six thousand six hundred
sixty, commemorates) from maternal and paternal the same
village, by lot had fallen to blessed Desiderius. In which
testament, which in the presence of the holy Co-bishops
he made with his own hand, under the obtestation of God almighty
he constituted, that no one should presume to change his vow,
made by the regard of piety, into anything other than what he himself had established.
That if anyone, incited by the spirit of cupidity,
should do so, if by repenting he did not change the sentence of his action,
he should be made anathema forever.
So the bearers of the holy corpse waiting in this
village for those who came on foot through the land, in a
most clean place meanwhile composed the holy limbs.
What miracle then happened, I do not think to be silent. A woman
vexed for many years by an unclean spirit, drawn there
by the hands of her own, when she touched the place of the holy Martyr,
at once was cured by divine power.
[5] But when B. d Ætherius then Bishop of Vienne,
with the rest who had remained in the city, came,
and with the holy bier carried by the arms of the pious, and the chorus
of the blessed people, lifted the voices of those singing and chanting psalms
to our God on high; whose breast there was so iron,
so hard heart could be, who would not either
emit a groan from too great exultation of heart, or
bedew his face with tears?
[6] So with such a heavenly column going before and following,
the body of the blessed man is borne up to the place
of the sepulchre, which had been prepared with worthy veneration in the church
of the most blessed Apostles Peter and Paul
outside the city, it is borne to the church of SS. Peter and Paul, where also the limbs of many Pontiffs of the same
city of Vienne are kept buried.
And when now with aromatics and precious linens
the most holy Martyr's body to be wrapped, was being handled
by the Bishops' hands, what in praise of almighty
God should not be passed over in silence,
the wounds of the most holy
head appeared so healed, that nowhere
did it appear where the skin had been torn. still whole. For also the rest of the
body, constructed with its joints and nerves, with healthy
skin clothed remained, with choirs again chanting and Psalms
antiphonally consonant.
[7] When the Saint of God was placed in the tomb for the protection of the whole
city; soon a glorious woman, who had been
once the wife of B. Ætherius in lay habit, but
then truly a nun, Then a man blind from birth is enlightened. placed a man blind from birth
next to the tomb of the Bishop and Martyr Desiderius,
and admonished him to have faith. Divine
power was present, which always glorifies its own, and
of how great merit he was with God, who in that place
was held, by evident signs showed. For in
the sight of the whole Church the same blind man received
light unexperienced. And many things there the Lord through his servant
worked, which if anyone wished to write all,
he would consummate the volume of a long work … The day
of his translation, when he was translated from the territory
of Lyons, from the village of Priscianus, into the suburb of Vienne
into the Church of B. Peter, is observed on the 3rd Ides of February.