ON ST. NEPOTIAN, BISHOP OF CLERMONT IN AUVERGNE,
AT THE END OF THE 4TH CENTURY.
SYLLOGE.
His episcopate, age, relics.
Nepotian, bishop of Clermont, in Auvergne. (S.)
BY B. B.
St. Nepotian is announced on this day in the Martyrologies of Paris, Auxerre, Évreux; St. Nepotian, bishop of Clermont. likewise in Castellan. What has come down to us about the holy Bishop is had from Gregory of Tours in various places. And first indeed in the History, ecclesiastical book I, chap. 40 and following, is read thus Migne's Patrology, vol. LXXI, col. 182.: "To him (St. Illidius) St. Nepotian succeeded." This testimony of Gregory is clear, and accordingly it must be stood by, as the new Gallia christiana rightly notes Vol. II, col. 228., treating of Isicius, who in a certain catalogue is read after St. Illidius, and whose feast is celebrated in the diocese on the 5th of June, and his translation on the 15th of December. "He was perhaps only a chorepiscopus. Certainly it is better to believe St. Gregory of Tours than the catalogues of uncertain authors." Compare the Acta SS. Vol. I of June, page 423 and 424.. Are perhaps Isicius and Illidius one and the same name? "Among the Arverni then" (so Gregory of Tours continues) "St. Nepotian was held as the fourth bishop" (namely after Stremonius or Austremonius, who was the first, accordingly, from Gregory's reckoning, as his editor and annotator Ruinart has already observed Patrology. Where cited above, note I., Nepotian is the fifth). "And envoys were being sent from Trier into Spain, of whom a certain Artemius, of admirable wisdom and beauty, and flourishing in early age, was seized by the force of fevers. The others going on before, he is left sick among the Arverni. And being visited by St. Nepotian and anointed with holy oil, the Lord granting it, he is restored to health. And having received the word of preaching from the same Saint, forgetting both his earthly bride and his own possessions, he is joined to holy church; and, made a cleric, he was advanced in such holiness that he became successor to blessed Nepotian for ruling the folds of the Lord's flock." Then in the book of the same Gregory On the Glory of the confessors Chap. 37. Patrology. Ibid. col. 857.: "There (namely in the basilica of St. Venerandus) rests also St. Nepotian the bishop, who was in the world a man of the highest holiness, obtaining now with the Lord's power the things which are implored of him. For often over these sepulchres" (of SS. Venerandus and Nepotian, whom he has just mentioned) "the prayer of the shivering (that is, of the feverish) poured forth obtains the desired medicine."
[2] about the year 388. In what years at all, or how many, he presided is not read in Gregory. Savaron puts his birthday on this day, the 22nd of October, in the year 388. But the year varies among others, as happens when chronological notes are lacking. Ruinart, on Gregory's 37th chapter On the Glory of the confessors, agrees with Savaron, assigning the year 388 Ibid.; B. Gonod has the same, though doubting somewhat, in the recent Chronology of the bishops of Clermont Chronologie des Évêques de Clermont, page 5. Clermont, 1833; but in the Martyrology of Auxerre the year 390 is set down; in Castellan the year 394. Nor is much light found with our predecessors the hagiographers either. For St. Nepotian comes in the middle in the catalogue of the pontiffs of Clermont,
between St. Illidius and St. Artemius New Gallia Christiana, vol. II, col. 227 and following.; and the latter Bolland mentions at the 24th day of January Acta SS. vol. II, page 592., and puts his death about the year 396; the Acts of St. Illidius Henschen gave at the 5th day of June Ibid. vol. I of June, page 432., who says that he died in the year 385; Savaron has the same; who, since he relates that St. Nepotian died in the year 388, it would follow, these numbers being admitted, that his pontificate lasted only three years. This alone, then, is drawn from these things, that the holy Man flourished about the end of the fourth century. As regards the day, the writers agree better. Most agree with Savaron. Ferrari alone, I should think, is the one Catalogus generalis, 25 September. who has mentioned him at the 25th day of September (on which day he occurs with us Acta SS. vol. VII of Sept. page 4., but on the faith of Ferrari alone, among the Passed Over), and that, as he notes, from the Gallican Calendar, I know not which; and he adds: "He was the sixth (rather the fifth, above num. 1) bishop of the Arverni, whom St. Artemius succeeded, as is read in the Tables in Demochares: but the feast is celebrated among the Arverni on the XXII day of October" Catalogus generalis. Where cited above.: and in very truth, as Savaron testifies [Les origines de la ville de Clairmont en Auvergne, page 47, in the margin. Paris, 1662.], he is noted on that day in the ms. Martyrology and Breviary of Clermont. On what foundation Saussay asserts Martypol. Gall. in the Appendix, page 1228. that on the aforesaid day the Translation is kept, but that the Birthday is uncertain, I do not know. I note in passing some slip of our Henschen, who, having recited the words of Saussay set down above, adds Acta SS. vol. vol. I of June, page 432.: "But Savaron's Origines of Clermont refer it (the birthday) to the 2nd of the same"; read 22, as is expressly had in both editions of the Origines Origines de Clairmont, page 123. Clermont, 1607. Likewise, page 47. Paris, 1662..
[3] His relics. St. Nepotian was first buried in the church afterwards called from St. Venerandus, his second successor in the see of Clermont Gallia Christiana, vol. II, col. 229.. This is certain, that in the age of St. Gregory of Tours (who died at the end of the 6th century) the relics of the holy Bishop were kept there: "There rests also St. Nepotian the bishop." See above num. 1. And in the little book of an anonymous author On the Saints, Churches and Monasteries of Clermont, which, as its editor Savaron gathers from various passages Les origines, etc. page 341 and following., was written in the middle of the 10th century, there is had thus Ibid. page 349.: "In the church of St. Venerandus ... the altar of St. Mary, where St. Venerandus, and St. Linguinus and St. Nepotian ... rest." Afterwards, however, in the year 1311, Bishop Arbert, when the body of St. Venerandus was translated together with the body of St. Illidius, diligently sought the ashes of blessed Nepotian and did not find them Ibid. page 350.. The Acts of that translation Henschen published in the life of St. Illidius at the V day of June Acta SS. vol. I of June, page 430 and following., where near the end these words are read Ibid. page 431.: "But on account of the difficulty of seeking, the body of blessed Nepotian, confessor and bishop of Clermont, which is known to have been buried in the same chapel, as also many other Saints, was left there." From this some doubted whether it was then really still resting there. "Perhaps," say the compilers of the new Gallia christiana Vol. II, col. 229., "it had already been translated. In the old catalogues of the Relics of the church of St. Illidius the body of St. Nepotian is recorded." Further, the Basilica of St. Venerandus, in the age of Gregory of Tours, was next to that of St. Illidius De gloria confessorum, chap. 35. Patrology vol. LXXI, col. 885., and Ruinart notes on this place Ibid. Compare Origines, etc. page 249.: "The basilica of St. Venerandus, about 20 paces from that of St. Illidius ... still survives even now in the gardens of the monastery of St. Illidius." For the rest, the abbey of St. Illidius, placed in the ample suburb of Clermont, which is named from the same Saint, commonly St-Allyre, was overthrown and sold off at the end of the 18th century when the civil storm raged [Dictionnaire des eaux minérales du département du Puy-de-Dôme, by V. Nivet, page 81 and 87. Clermont, 1846.]; the church was levelled to the ground in the year 1796 Chronologie des Évêques de Clermont, page 5.. In the circuit of the abbey were those petrifying springs, formerly as also now not a little celebrated. "In the suburb of St. Illidius," so the Gallia christiana Vol. II, col. 223., "worthy to be seen is the stream called Trundo, commonly Tiretaine, on account of the bridge placed over it, which came forth from its (not the stream's but the spring's Dictionnaire des eaux minéral. page 81 and following.) water turned into stone, by no art of men: for this water petrifies, and whatever is thrown into it." Whence an anonymous poet Gall. Christian. vol. II, col. 323.:
... A modest river, coming from the mountains, laps it; And near it a salt spring petrifies a bridge on high.
Before their expulsion the Benedictine monks already had some gain from these waters, under which they placed hollow moulds, which, gradually filled with stony sediment, gave back images of men, animals, etc. Which same thing obtains even today, but much more and better. V. Nivet treats professedly of the waters of St. Illidius and of their medicinal and petrifying properties, whom see, if you please Dictionnaire, etc. page 81 – 108..
Note. The chronological order requires that the Sylloge of St. Nepotian should come between the Acts of SS. Abibus and Apollo and the Sylloge of St. Candida. It has been wrongly inserted in this place.