Paschasius

ON SAINT PASCHASIUS

DEACON AT ROME.

ABOUT DXX.

HISTORICAL COMMENTARY.

On his cult and miracles, even existing in Purgatory: also on his writings, and on a different Deacon of Dumium from him.

Paschasius, Deacon at Rome (S.)

BY THE AUTHOR G. H.

Joannes Molanus in the first

edition of his Auctarium to Usuard,

on XXXI May, in smaller

character, and prefixed by the letter

Q, to signify that the following

are had from a certain other

Martyrology, Memory in more recent Fasti, subjoins

these words: At Rome of S. Paschasius

Archdeacon and Confessor,

of whom Gregory in the Dialogues bk. 4 ch. 40.

At the Arverni of the Holy Confessors Alexander and

Galla, of whom Gregory of Tours in the book on

Confessors ch. 36. Petrus Canisius the same transferred

into his German Martyrology. Of the two last

we shall presently treat. Of the former in the present-day Roman

Martyrology these things are read: At Rome of S. Paschasius, Deacon and

Confessor, of whom B. Gregory the Pope makes mention. He

indeed of the said Paschasius, bk. 4 ch. 40 under this title. On

the soul of Paschasius the Deacon, when before he had treated of the fire

of purgatory, subjoins these things.

[2] For while I was still a youngster, and in

a lay habit constituted, I heard related by elders and

knowing ones, that Paschasius, elogium from the Dialogues of S. Gregory, of this Apostolic

See a Deacon, whose with us most correct and

luculent books on the holy Spirit exist, was a man of marvelous

sanctity, especially intent on the works

of almsgiving, cultivator of the poor and despiser of himself. But this man

in that contention, which kindling with the zeal of the faithful

between Symmachus and Laurentius arose, to

the rank of Pontiff Laurentius elected, and overcome by the unanimity

of all afterwards, in his sentence however

even unto the day of his death persisted, the same died in venial schism. loving him

and preferring him, whom by the Bishops' judgment

the Church refused to be set over her. He therefore when

in the times of Symmachus the Apostolic See's President

was deceased, his Dalmatic placed upon the bier

a demoniac touched, and forthwith was healed. After

much time however to Germanus Bishop of Capua,

of whom above I made memory, the physicians for the body's

health had dictated, that in the Angulan thermae

he should bathe. Who entering those same thermae, the aforesaid

Paschasius the Deacon, standing and serving

in the heats, found. Whom seeing he vehemently

was frightened; and, what so great a man was doing there, he inquired.

To whom he replied: For no other cause in this penal

place have I been deputed, except because in the part of Laurentius

against Symmachus I held. But I beg you, for me

beseech the Lord. And in this you shall know,

that you have been heard, if returning here you shall not have found me.

For which matter the man of the Lord Germanus

constrained himself in prayers, and after a few days returned, but already

the said Paschasius in the same place by no means he found.

For because not by malice, from purgatory liberation, but by the error of ignorance he had sinned,

he could be purged after death from sin.

Which however is to be believed, that from the largeness

of his alms this he obtained, that now he could

merit pardon, when now he could do nothing.

[3] So there, but in the Chapter following to these things Petrus adds these:

It pleases what you say: but in so great a man Paschasius this moves the mind

to inquiry, that after death

he was led to a penal place: whose bier's vestment

could be touched, and a malign spirit from a possessed man

put to flight. although before he had been declared a Saint by miracles. To which thus replies S. Gregory: In this

matter the great dispensation of omnipotent God, and

how manifold it is, must be acknowledged. By whose judgment it was done,

that the same man Paschasius, both himself within for some

time should receive what he had sinned, and yet

before human eyes marvels through his body should do,

who before death also to those knowing them pious

works had done: that neither these who his goods had seen, of

his almsgiving's estimation be deceived; nor

he himself without punishment loosed of the fault, which he did not even

believe to be a fault, and therefore did not extinguish it with weeping.

[4] So S. Gregory, to which sentence to be confirmed can serve

a similar example of S. Vitalina XXI February, from

S. Gregory of Tours. From that further excuse of Paschasius,

which Gregory the Great uses, as how Baronius excuses him. in the Notes Baronius infers,

those words, that in his sentence even unto the day of his exit

he persisted, either are to be exclusively understood,

as if so he persisted in the sentence, that at last on the day

of his death he repented; or it is necessary to say, that Paschasius,

while still that controversy of Symmachus's election was turning,

migrated from this life … Of the aforesaid

therefore the one or the other to have preceded is necessary,

since to his sanctity God by the virtue of an outstanding miracle

seems to have given assent; nay also an honest sepulture

with the covering of the Dalmatic he obtained. Where Baronius

very many things on the use of the Dalmatic has, which there can be seen.

[5] On the said contention of Laurentius with S. Symmachus more largely

it must be treated at the Life of S. Symmachus, who was created

in the year CCCCXCVIII, died in the year DXIV, buried

on the day on which he is venerated XIX July, when the Acts will be illustrated.

Meanwhile his elogium can be seen in the old

Catalogues of the Supreme Pontiffs, The age of S. Symmachus and S. Germanus published by us before

the first volume of April page XXXV. But S. Germanus,

Bishop of Capua, whose soul S. Benedict to

heaven by Angels saw being borne, is venerated XXX October.

This one I wonder, how Ferrarius did not mention him,

in the Catalogue of Saints of Italy, where no elogium of him

he brings forth; nor there in the Topographic Index his name

does he allege: but in the Alphabetic Index these things are read:

Paschasius Deacon at Rome 3 May. Meanwhile neither

on that day nor in his Appendix mention does he make of him, silence in Ferrarius. and perhaps

31 May he wished to be printed; for also some other similar

defects so you may see in that Index supplied. Nicolaus

Brautius Bishop of Sarsina, in the Poetic Martyrology, those

verses published of the same Saint.

The Bishop praises Paschasius because greatest, with all

Eloquence of praise worthy to be held will be.

Constantinus Ghinius, in the Birthdays of the Holy Canons,

some elogium of him taken from S. Gregory has,

and Masinus in Bologna surveyed asserts that in the Church

of S. James Major some Relics of S. Paschasius are preserved:

but whether of this man, who would dare certainly to assert, when not even at Rome

are his Relics indeed known?

[6] Different from him is Paschasius the Deacon of S. Martin of Dumium. Georgius Cardosus in the Lusitanian Hagiology to his

ascribes on this day S. Paschasius; and before him Antonius

as if born in Lusitania, had been a monk and disciple

of S. Martin, first Abbot, then Bishop of Dumium and

afterwards of Braga, and by his command from Greek into Latin

translated some Eastern Councils, and the sentences

of the ancient Egyptian Fathers. Indeed of the seventh book of the

Lives of the Fathers in Rosweyde this is the title of the Prologue:

To the venerable Father Lord Martin Presbyter and

Abbot, Paschasius, who in the prior title is called S. R.

E. Deacon. But of that title Rosweyde in Prolegomenon

14 doubts: but because he had found it before printed, he was unwilling to change it.

The Acts of S. Martin of Dumium we illustrated on the day

XX March, where we showed him in the year DLXXX to have died,

when about twenty years he had lived in Galicia; and

S. Paschasius, of whom we treat here, long before the last day

had died. For S. Germanus seems from this life to have departed

in the year DXL on the day XXX October, whose successor S. Victor

to have been ordained in the year DXLI writes Ughellus on

the Bishops of Capua, just as more largely is to be said on the day XVII October

on which he is venerated. Now in how many years before his death S. Germanus

saw S. Paschasius in the Angulan thermae,

or Neapolitan baths, which then were called the Sweating-place of S. Germanus,

is not established. Indeed from the conjecture of Baronius

he had perhaps died before the Roman Synod, in which

by one hundred and twenty-five Bishops B. Hormisdas was reintegrated

to the Apostolic See, and were condemned

Petrus Altinas and Laurentius Nucerinus: and

so S. Paschasius would have died at the end of the fifth century or the beginning

of the next: but by the testimony of S. Gregory at least in the times

of Pope Symmachus he died, and so a whole half

century earlier, than Martin was ordained Bishop of Dumium.

[7] Perhaps to him Eugippius inscribed the Life of S. Severinus. Baronius for the year 496 no. 50 judges this man

to be the same Paschasius the Deacon, to whom Eugippius

the Presbyter inscribed the Life of S. Severinus the Apostle of the Norici,

which with the letter of both we gave VIII January,

where Eugippius asserts he was writing two years having elapsed after

the Consulship of Importunus, to others Opportunus, hence in the year

DXI, and so the death of S. Paschasius could be referred to the year

DXII, in which still ruled the universal Church Symmachus,

and the Capuan S. Germanus. Therefore agree the name,

the time, and the rank of the Ecclesiastical order, which make the matter

probable enough, not altogether certain; since several

of the same name could have been Deacons, and they erudite.

His books on the Holy Spirit, called most correct and luculent

by S. Gregory, were first published at Cologne

in the year MDXXIX; then transferred to the Library

of the Old Fathers, are often reprinted, under this Preface, which

for some specimen of doctrine and style in this place merits,

with some typographical errors corrected, to be tasted. The Catholic faith

was diffused into the whole world through the Patriarchs

and Prophets, dispensers of grace, Beginning of the books on the Holy Spirit. with the Holy Spirit

inspiring. This the Apostolic solicitude

and perfection, just as through the holy Pages it had dilated,

so through the salutary brevity of the Symbol with marvelous brevity

it collected, and as if through diverse species of remedies

disposed in one body, and as

from innumerable spices a precious unguent

made, whose odor all the ends of the earth with the power

of spiritual fragrance filled, that in the very

* assent of the universality the virtue might appear. And because it is fitting that

to those erring, as if to little ones and ignorant, * the first elements

of Christian tradition we repeat, in this

perfection of the Symbol both unity is evidently opened and

trinity; while a thrice-repeated confession, to the Father and Son

and Holy Spirit, returns one obedience of belief…

In this number therefore and mystery,

in which holy Abraham over the innumerable nations

triumphed, of the Elders (in the Nicene Synod)

the enemy of the faith Arius, under one preaching of Father and Son and Holy

Spirit I confound. Whence also

it is to be understood that those (Macedonians) who against the Holy

Spirit, under eternal damnation blaspheme,

either without * profession of the Symbol baptized, or in

the very Symbol of faith to the Font lied, before

which every man renouncing the devil confesses,

I believe also in the Holy Spirit … this is

to say, I confess Him, I worship Him, I adore Him,

The whole me into His right and dominion I deliver and

transfuse. In the reverence of this profession all the obediences

owed to the divine name are contained.

* al. Ascent,

* first.

* progress

* to himself

* and brow