55 See " Malta Antica
Illustrata
co' Monu- menti, e coll' Istoria," dal Prelato Onorafo Bres, &c.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v5
It was then encased, by Archbishop Roger, within a crystal covering ;32 and, that member appeared of full size, having the natural colour it should present, as if just extracted from the saint's mouth.
When the people of Tarentum had often experienced the efficacy of their illustrious Patron's intercession, and when devotion towards him had greatly increased ; at a subsequent period, the clergy and senators of that city erected a silver statue to our saint.
It ap- peared to be about the natural size, and the figure 33 seemed clothed in an epis- copaldress,withamitreonthehead,andacrozierborneinthehand.
34 This
had been elaborately wrought, and intrinsically it was of great value. It is related, that the skull of Cathaldus had been enclosed in an upper part of the statue, whilst other portions of his relics were similarly covered. Before the breast of this statue to Cathaldus hung that golden cross, which had been found in his tomb, with those words inscribed on it, Cataldvs Rachav. 35
During the reign of Ferdinand,3^ King of Naples, Sicily, Jerusalem, 37 &c. , a prophecy of St. Cataldus, is said to have been miraculously discovered, and in the following manner. A deacon of Tarentum, and who was named Raphael Cucera, standing during prayer, in the choir of the great cathedral, about two or three o'clock at night, on the Sunday before Passion Sunday, a. d. 1492, had a reputed vision of St. Cataldus. At first, the Deacon was greatly terrified, but he heard these words addressed to him : " Often and often have I told you to enter the church of St. Peter, about a stone's cast, beyond the walls of Tarentum, and you have refused to do so : I now tell you once more, go to the Bishop. 38 who, having collected the inhabitants and clergy of the city, shall approach the aforesaid church, in the front of which, on a column,
et Translationis Auctore Berlengerio Taren- tino, et forsan aliis, cap. ii. , iii. , sect. 6 to 36, pp. 571 to 575-
3' His term began A. D. 1334, and it lasted until 1348. Pee Ughelli's "Italia Sacra," tomus ix. Tarentina Metropolis, col. 138, 139.
3=* According to Joannes Juvenis, " De edited by Dugald Stewart, vol. i. London,
of St. Cataldus, the reader is referred to the To him then succeeded the Emperor Charles Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , V. , of Austria. "His father, Philip the Maii X. De Sancto Cataldo Episcopo Handsome, Archduke of Austria, was the Tarentino in Italia. Historia Inventionis
Antiquitate et VariaTarentinorumFortuna," lib. viii. , cap. 3.
33 It is said to have presented the figure of a Bishop, as if preparing to celebrate Mass.
1845, ^^o-
3? The Bollandists intimate, that during
his reign, the prefixed words of the prophecy, " Domino nostro D. Ferdinando," were forged.
38 j^e appears to have been Baptista Car- dinal Ursinus, who ruled over this See, from
3-* Joannes Juvenis adds : nis ad incudem extensis. "
"argenteis lami-
35 See Bartholomew Moroni's "Vita S. Cataldi," lib. i. , cap. xxii.
3* This was Ferdinand II. , called the Catholic King, who was inaugurated as King of Sicily, A. D. 1473, and who died A. D. 1 516.
a. d. I491 to 1498. Prelate in succession. Sacra," tomus ix.
He was the sixty-fourth See Ughelli's "Italia Tarentina Metropolis,
son of the Emperor Maximilian, and of Mary, the only child of Charles the Bold, the last prince of the house of Burgundy. His mother, Joanna, was the second daughter of Ferdinand, King of Aragon, and of Isabella, Queen of Castile. "—"History of the Reign of the Emperor Charles V. ," Book i. , p. 67. See the works of William Robertson, D. D. ,
col. 144.
39 The Bollandists present a rough dia-
gram of this lead cross, with the following inscription : " Aperiatis hie : invenietis librum, in quo C. T. D. et statim mittatur Regi. "
niam nota erunt nimis oppropria eorum super terram. Tu morte tua, quae cito aderit, liberaberis, ne videas tuoium ruina. -; : piK- videbis tamen, et sollicitus vi\es : prre do- lore, ira et timore, repente morieiis : et dua- bus regni successionibus, una ex te deserta, altera ex aliorum nobiliori, et potentiori successione erit. Regnum olim tuum inva-
::
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 10.
he shall find a boy's image admirably painted, and that figure shall point with his hand and two fingers towards a place, where a certain prophetic judgment shall be discovered ; this I pronounced while living, and I buried it under the feet of that same image, which I caused to be painted. In that place, you shall first find a lead cross on which carved letters are inscribed ;39 afterwards, you shall bring to light a book of lead, under the same cross, and covered with bands of lead, on it are marked certain inscribed letters/" Let that closed book be brought to the king, and let him observe what is contained in it ; otherwise, woe to his kingdom, for it shall suffer great injury, pestilence, faming, and war, waged by infidels. And, if he believe not the prediction, do you Raphael approach him, and relate to him this vision manifested to you. " Saying these words, the apparition vanished from his sight. This prediction is said to have come to light, the eighth year of Pope Innocent VIII. , which
corresponds with a. d. 1492 ;t' although Anthonius Carracciolus 4^ has its dis- covery, at A. D. 1494,43 as likewise Alexander ab Alexandre. Accordingly, the Bishop, with a great attendance of clergy and people, went in procession to the spot indicated, and there found the book inscribed on leaden tablets, and which was kept apparently, under a lock and key. ^^ It is probable, that this prophecy,'*5 referring to the state of the Neapolitan kingdom, to the times
204
*° The BoUandists give a diagram, nearly
square, supposed to represent this Book,
while on its cover apparently was the follow-
ing inscription : " Cataldus Rachau Archiep.
Tarentinus. Hunc nonaperiat nisi Rex cum dent ; et, ut leones, cum magno appaiatu uno solo sibi fideli : et statim mittatur depopulabuntur. Ante eos labentur homines,
Regi. i. "
4' According to an anonymous writer of
Annals.
'^ He published an account of this pro-
phecy, at Naples, in 1626.
<3 Writing under this year, he states :
" Isto anno fuit repertus Tarenti liber S. Cathdi, consistens in tribus laminis plum- beis, videlicet duabus extremis semiscriptis, et media scripta ex utroque latere ; qui prre- sentatus fuit Domino Regi loquens de dicti Regis repentina morte : et sic fuit repente mortuus.
4« Such is the account given by Alexander ab Alexandro, in his work, "Genialiuin Die- rum," lib. iii. , cap. 15.
et mLi;nia cadent. Vincent in albis : rubri et nigii cessalnmt colores. Inferi ad superos, et superi ad inferos, descendent, et mirabitur muiulus revolutiones cum ca;lo. Nee prce- sens dies erit prseterito similis. Nulla fides ; simultates, fictiones, machinationes, defec- tiones, planetus, lamentationes, mendacium, rapince undique regnabunt. Dies aderunt tribulationis, in quibus altiora anhelantes, in profundum cadent : et dissolventur fxdera, et gaudentiores tristal)untur. Occitlens com- movebitur : et occidet : Oriens ob. >curabi- tur, et timebit valde. Vailet homines leve priiicipium et horrendus finis : ex modica fiainma ingentes ignes, ex arido fomento nu- triti, longiores eiunt. P'cederibus, et anr. is perturbabitur nmndi nobdior pars ; et de summis principatihus contendetur, et eiit multorum destructio ; quoniam iratus est Deus. Ante faciem ejus peicutient se priores, et de regno in regnum commovebun- tur. Et terra, uti mare, a ventis fluctuabit submergentur multi qucerentcs portum, et nun invenient ; quoniam a recto itinere de-
•s The following are its words, which are
rather dubious and difficult in translation :
" Tu ex riesperia venisti, unde pestis bis
mortifera ob infidelitatem, et mon>tia quse-
dam, interquam tui commemorabuntur.
Damna tamen lecompensahunt duo potentes
conjuges regnantes. V'cetibi Christiana re-
ligio : incredulos et hypocritas apertos, et
occultos habebit spoiisa Christi ; quoniam viaveiunt. Invcniat quendam tuus fune
sponsus sjionsce irascetur. Cai)ita eorum in- sensata erunt ; et occuli eorum tenebuntur, ne videant. Sensualitas, ambitio, et cupidi- tas regnandi prrcvalebunt. Sed dicent Beati pauciora pcissidantcs. Oricntur prx- lia : Insurgent I'harisa:i contra Samaritanos ; et erunt ingentes Christianorum strages : quo-
vexatum, cujus aucupio et occulto consilio dcponit sua, et omnia donabit, diiigens qua; cunque in meliorem viam : Et regnabit ex hoc usque in nomen generationem. Ser- pentes multi venena effundeiit ; sed deficiet ex illis caput ; et ilulciore efticientur venena ex percussionibus. Potentes ex adversitati-
—
May io. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 205
of Ferdinand, called of Arragon,'*^ and first King of Naples,-*' as, also, to the French Invasion, was a forgery,i8 made up on the occasion of passing events, and to serve some peculiar interestJ^ However, it must be observed, that Alexander ab Alexandro declares, the prophecies therein declared were ful- filled, in a remarkable manner, by events which followed. 5° A prophecy of this saint, and said to have been composed by him, is introduced by Moroni, towards thecloseofCathaldus'Life. WhenastudentatNaples,thatwritersawsucha document in the possession of Adrian William Spataphori, a learned antiqua- rian. The same document was found by a Friar, in the Aracseli Library, at Rome, and thence it was sent to him for insertion is his Life of our saint. 5' In the year 1600, John de Castro, s^ a noble Spaniard, who had been Arch- bishop of Tarentum, added another cross to the silver statue of Cataldus, much larger in size, than that one formerly placed upon the figure. This cross wasmadeofgold,likewise,ornamentedwithemeralds,andit wasexquisitely wrought. S3
Manytowns and parishes in Italy are called after St. Cataldus. 54 At Venice, in Umbria, and Sicily, he was venerated. At Coralti in Apulia, permission was given to the Minorite Fathers in 1506, to build a church, in honour of Blessed Cataldus, so that a plague which broke out might cease. ss In the Island of Malta, and near its chief city, there was a crypt and ceme- tery, dedicated to St. CatalduSjS^ in the middle of the seventeenth century. There, also, was a small church dedicated to him, and it was frequented by a great number of devoted clients, because of the graces they received, through
bus minores coram Deo in facies cadent, et humiliabuntur. Et bonorum supplicationibus placabitur Omnipotens et Orientalis rabies
;
magno apparatu petetur. Bonum ex malo nascetur ingens ; quoniam apparebit Ange- lus cumgladio, et magna minabitur. Insur- gent multi et potentissimi ; et renovabitur mundus. Erit homo super mensam plum- beam comedens in una de quatuor civitati- bus, qui omnibus istis remedium affert. " Moroni's " Vita S. Cataldi," lib. i. , cap. xvii. , xviii.
^* Although we read in Alexander ab Alexandro, lib. iii. , cap. 15, " Cum florente fortuna Ferdinandi Primi Regis Aragonii Urbs Neapolitana," &c. , yet, Colgan re- marks, that this prophecy appears referable to Ferdinand the first King of Naples, bearing this name, but, he was not the first King of Aragon.
47 Ferdinand, son of Alphonsus, King of Arragon, who died A. D. 1494, was the first King of Naples, bearing such name, and the second King of Arragon known by this name, as will be found, on referring to histo- ries of those respective countries. See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," viii. Martii, n. 17, p. 556.
^^ A printed Tract, on the Finding of this Prophecy, has stated, however, that it came to light anno 1362. See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hibernice," viii. Martii, n. 16, P- 556.
^9 Dr. Richard R. Madden, when alluding to St. Cataldus, says, " Enquiries into this subject have led the author to the acquisi- tion of information of a very singular nature, respecting the alleged fabrications of metallic
plates with an inscription, in apparently an- cient characters, purporting to be prophe- cies of St. Cathaldus, which had been ful- filled after his death. "—"Shrines and Sepulchres of the Old and New World," vol. ii,, chap, v. , pp. 154, 155. In a note to this passage, the author promised this infor- mation in his Appendix, under the heading " Pretended Prophecies of St. Cathaldus. " Yet, we search there in vain for this matter, which the author seems to have overlooked.
5° In his work, " Genialium Dierum," lib. iii. , cap. 15.
5' ItwasextractedfromtheworkofPetrus Galatinus, " De Ecclesia destituta," lib. viii. , cap. i.
5^ He was elected the seventy-fifth bishop over this See, on the 20th of March, A. D. 1600. " Sedit plus minus annis tribus,"&c. —Ughelli's "Italia Sacra," tomus ix. Tarentina Metropolis, col. 147.
53 See Moroni's " Vita S. Cataldi," lib. i. , cap. xxii.
54 According to Joannes Juvenis, " De Antiquitate et Varia Tarentinorum For- tuna," lib. viii. , cap. 3.
55 See " Malta Antica Illustrata co' Monu- menti, e coll' Istoria," dal Prelato Onorafo Bres, &c. , lib. vi. , cap. xvi. , pp. 447, 448. Roma, 1816, 4to.
5^ This is stated, by Joannes F'ranciscus de Abela, Vicecancellarius, in a work " De- scriptio InsulcE Melitne," lib. i,, Notitia iv. De Coemeteriis. He states, that it was "prope cryptam S. Pauli et contigua cryptae a S. Maria de spe noncupatae," &c. —See p. 47. This work was issued, at Malta, A. D. 1647.
57 See Les Petits Bollandists, "Vies des Saints,"&c. ,tomev. , xe. jourdeMai,n. 2. p. 425.
cap. i. , p. 8. ^^See"HistoricCatholicseIbemiseCom-
pendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. x. , p. 48. '^Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
5* The Decree is dated thus: "Datum
Romse in palatio Apostolico, in loco 124, 125.
nostrse solita: residentise v. Nonas Julii MDLXXX.
59 This is thought, by some writers, to have been the aniversary for his death. However, we can find no mention of his name, in the ancient Irish calendars, at that date, nor even at the 8th of May.
*" See Rev. Dr. Kelly's "Calendar of Irish Saints," &c. , pp. xvii. , xviii.
*' At the loth of May we read Tarentum S. Cataldi Episcopi, miraculis clari. " —" Martyrologium Romanum," p. 210. Edition of Baronius.
'' In "Natales Sanctorum Canonicorum. "
*^ See "Vita S. CatalJi," lib. i. , cap. xxi.
** "Cujus Nalalis Dies celebratur 8 Id. Mail. Inventio 6 Id. ejusdem. "—Ughelli's " Italia Sacra," tomus ix. Tarentina Metro- polis, col. 121.
*5 See " Apologia pro Hibernia," cap. ii. , p. 15. Also, cap. iv. , p. 37.
**Sec "DeScriptoribus Ilibernix," lib. i. ,
*' In a note, Dr. Todd here says, "The paragraph within brackets is in the more recent hand. Letha is the Irish name for Italy. "
'" It is thus entered, in the " Menologium Scoticum :" "Tarenti inventio pretiosi corporis Cataldi Episcopi. "—Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 199.
'' In his Note (h) to the Roman Martyr- ology, p. 211.
'= . see '• Britannia Sancta," parti. . May x. , pp. 285, 2S6.
" See " Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. v. , May x.
7^ See p. 131.
" This is expressed, in that versicle sung in the church of Tarentum, and from a remote period :
" Felix Ilibemia, sed magis Taren- tum,
Qux claudis in tumulo grandc talen- tum. "
:
"Apud
—
2o6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May io.
his intercession. In it, too, Masses were almost daily celebrated. Formerly, he was honoured, at Genoa, at Mondovi, and at Sens, where the parish of Saint-Cartaud has evidently borrowed its name from St. Cataldus. s? Espe- cially to commemorate the Feast for the Finding and Translation of St. Catald's Relics, at the earnest request of Laelius Brancarius, Archbishop of Naples, Pope Gregory XIII. granted a Plenary Indulgence, for the solemn celebration on May loth. From about this period, the Office of St. Cataldus was sanctioned by the Sovereign Pontiff, s^ and it began to be recited by the Archbishop and clergy of Tarentum, in choir, after the form in the Roman Breviary. The office of this saint is recited as a double, by the Irish clergy, on the 8th of March. 59 The published Martyrology of Tallagh has no festi- val occurring, in honour of this saint. ^ But, we often find, in cases of Irish saints, who died on the Continent, that there is no record of their names, in our domestic Calendars or Martyrologies. According to the Roman Martyr- ology,^' Constantinus Ghinius,^^ and Bartholomew Moroni,^3 the loth of May is a festival, commemorating the Translation of Cathaldus' relics. ^4 Father Stephen Whitens has notices of this saint, and Sir James Ware*^ places his festival, at the present date. In Convseus' List of Irish Saints, Cathaldus Epis.
and Patron of Tarentum, in Italy, may be found, in the pages of O'SuUevan Beare, at the loth of May. ^7 The Martyrology of Donegal,^^ on this day, registers a festival, in honour of [Cathaldus,^? Bishop of Tarentum, in Letha]. Thomas Dempster, quoting Constantinus Ghinius, has the Festival of Finding the precious Body of Bishop Cataldus, at the loth of May. 7° Cardinal BaroniushastheFindingofhisrelics,atthissamedate. 7' Again,theFestival is noted, by Bishop Challoner,? ^ by Rev. Alban Butler,73 and in the Circle of the Seasons. 74
Not alone was Ireland honoured, in giving birth and education to this holy prelate, but still more did the citizens of Tarentum deem themselves blessed, by his ministrations among them. 75 The career of a great saint is at all times of interest to posterity, and the lives of the great teachers, or doctors of Catholicity—the men who towered like beacon fires in the compara-
—
May io. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
tive gloom of earlier times—ought to be among the studies of Catholics, who rejoice in the growth of the Universal Church, and in her triumphs over the powers of sinfulness and error.
Article III. Cormac or Connachtach, Abbot of Iona. {Eighth and Ninth Centuries. '] On the authority of the Martyrology of Tallagh, which enters Cormac^ at the loth of May, Colgan assigns to this day, the festivalofthepresentholyman. * Thisauthorityisfollowed,likewise,bythe Bollandists,3 who remark on the number of Irish Saints so called, as enume- ratedbyColgan,4whentreatingaboutseveralbearingthatname. Connach- tach—a name substituted for Cormac—is said to have been a select scribe, and he became Abbot of Iona, most probably, after the demise of Bersal Mac Seghine, which is given, at the year 8oi, ha. 'ing been incumbent for thirty-one years. Connachtach followed his predecessor to the tomb, after a veryshorttermofrule. s Hedied,accordingtosomeaccounts,in797—but rede 802—assuming the corrected chronology found, in Dr. O'Donovan's AnnalsoftheFourMasters. ^ ThecauseassignedforConnachtach'sdeath, is not recorded ; but as Hy-Columcille was burned by the Gentiles, a. d. 802,7 it is probable enough, that our Abbot met with a violent death, at their hands, having perished during the calamity inflicted on his religious community.
Article IV. —Barban the Wise. In the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick,' there is mention made of Barbanus Sapiens, or Barban the Wise. Colgan indicates, that his feast is referable to this day. * Here, too, the Bollandistss insert a notice of him.
Article V. Reputed Festival of Hildebert, Archbishop of the Scots. Wehaveanaccount,bytheAbbot,JohnofTrittenheim,'ofHilde- bertus, bishop of Mans, and also Archbishop of Tours, as a celebrated eccle- siastical writer. According to Dempster,* he had for his disciple Caius Cselius Sedulius,3 the Senior, or Presbyter,* who in like manner—to follow his account—belonged to the Scottish nation. If such be the case, Hildebert must have flourished, at a very early period. However, as the Bollandists, who
Article III. — ' That copy, published by the Rev. Matthew Kelly, D. D. , has by mis- take Conmac ; the Franciscan copy more correctly CoyviriAc.
^ See "Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Ap- pendix ad Acta S. Columbte, cap. iii. , sect. iv. , v. , pp. 500, 501.
3 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Maii X. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 492.
* See "Acta Sanctorum HiberniEC," xvii.
Februarii, Appendix ad Acta S. Cormaci under Henry IV. , A. D. , MXC.
Episcopi Athtrumensi, et postea Archiepis- copi Ardmachani, cap. i. , pp. 360, 361.
5 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of St. Columba. " Additional Notes (O), p. 388.
® See vol. i. , pp. 404, 405.
^ See " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Sco-
torum," tomus ii. , lib. viii. , num. 671, p.
353.
^ See what has been stated already re-
garding him, in Second Vol. of this work, and at the 12th day of February, Art. i. , chap. ii.
Trithemius places him, as having flourished under Theodosius, the Emperor, at a.
had been elaborately wrought, and intrinsically it was of great value. It is related, that the skull of Cathaldus had been enclosed in an upper part of the statue, whilst other portions of his relics were similarly covered. Before the breast of this statue to Cathaldus hung that golden cross, which had been found in his tomb, with those words inscribed on it, Cataldvs Rachav. 35
During the reign of Ferdinand,3^ King of Naples, Sicily, Jerusalem, 37 &c. , a prophecy of St. Cataldus, is said to have been miraculously discovered, and in the following manner. A deacon of Tarentum, and who was named Raphael Cucera, standing during prayer, in the choir of the great cathedral, about two or three o'clock at night, on the Sunday before Passion Sunday, a. d. 1492, had a reputed vision of St. Cataldus. At first, the Deacon was greatly terrified, but he heard these words addressed to him : " Often and often have I told you to enter the church of St. Peter, about a stone's cast, beyond the walls of Tarentum, and you have refused to do so : I now tell you once more, go to the Bishop. 38 who, having collected the inhabitants and clergy of the city, shall approach the aforesaid church, in the front of which, on a column,
et Translationis Auctore Berlengerio Taren- tino, et forsan aliis, cap. ii. , iii. , sect. 6 to 36, pp. 571 to 575-
3' His term began A. D. 1334, and it lasted until 1348. Pee Ughelli's "Italia Sacra," tomus ix. Tarentina Metropolis, col. 138, 139.
3=* According to Joannes Juvenis, " De edited by Dugald Stewart, vol. i. London,
of St. Cataldus, the reader is referred to the To him then succeeded the Emperor Charles Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , V. , of Austria. "His father, Philip the Maii X. De Sancto Cataldo Episcopo Handsome, Archduke of Austria, was the Tarentino in Italia. Historia Inventionis
Antiquitate et VariaTarentinorumFortuna," lib. viii. , cap. 3.
33 It is said to have presented the figure of a Bishop, as if preparing to celebrate Mass.
1845, ^^o-
3? The Bollandists intimate, that during
his reign, the prefixed words of the prophecy, " Domino nostro D. Ferdinando," were forged.
38 j^e appears to have been Baptista Car- dinal Ursinus, who ruled over this See, from
3-* Joannes Juvenis adds : nis ad incudem extensis. "
"argenteis lami-
35 See Bartholomew Moroni's "Vita S. Cataldi," lib. i. , cap. xxii.
3* This was Ferdinand II. , called the Catholic King, who was inaugurated as King of Sicily, A. D. 1473, and who died A. D. 1 516.
a. d. I491 to 1498. Prelate in succession. Sacra," tomus ix.
He was the sixty-fourth See Ughelli's "Italia Tarentina Metropolis,
son of the Emperor Maximilian, and of Mary, the only child of Charles the Bold, the last prince of the house of Burgundy. His mother, Joanna, was the second daughter of Ferdinand, King of Aragon, and of Isabella, Queen of Castile. "—"History of the Reign of the Emperor Charles V. ," Book i. , p. 67. See the works of William Robertson, D. D. ,
col. 144.
39 The Bollandists present a rough dia-
gram of this lead cross, with the following inscription : " Aperiatis hie : invenietis librum, in quo C. T. D. et statim mittatur Regi. "
niam nota erunt nimis oppropria eorum super terram. Tu morte tua, quae cito aderit, liberaberis, ne videas tuoium ruina. -; : piK- videbis tamen, et sollicitus vi\es : prre do- lore, ira et timore, repente morieiis : et dua- bus regni successionibus, una ex te deserta, altera ex aliorum nobiliori, et potentiori successione erit. Regnum olim tuum inva-
::
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 10.
he shall find a boy's image admirably painted, and that figure shall point with his hand and two fingers towards a place, where a certain prophetic judgment shall be discovered ; this I pronounced while living, and I buried it under the feet of that same image, which I caused to be painted. In that place, you shall first find a lead cross on which carved letters are inscribed ;39 afterwards, you shall bring to light a book of lead, under the same cross, and covered with bands of lead, on it are marked certain inscribed letters/" Let that closed book be brought to the king, and let him observe what is contained in it ; otherwise, woe to his kingdom, for it shall suffer great injury, pestilence, faming, and war, waged by infidels. And, if he believe not the prediction, do you Raphael approach him, and relate to him this vision manifested to you. " Saying these words, the apparition vanished from his sight. This prediction is said to have come to light, the eighth year of Pope Innocent VIII. , which
corresponds with a. d. 1492 ;t' although Anthonius Carracciolus 4^ has its dis- covery, at A. D. 1494,43 as likewise Alexander ab Alexandre. Accordingly, the Bishop, with a great attendance of clergy and people, went in procession to the spot indicated, and there found the book inscribed on leaden tablets, and which was kept apparently, under a lock and key. ^^ It is probable, that this prophecy,'*5 referring to the state of the Neapolitan kingdom, to the times
204
*° The BoUandists give a diagram, nearly
square, supposed to represent this Book,
while on its cover apparently was the follow-
ing inscription : " Cataldus Rachau Archiep.
Tarentinus. Hunc nonaperiat nisi Rex cum dent ; et, ut leones, cum magno appaiatu uno solo sibi fideli : et statim mittatur depopulabuntur. Ante eos labentur homines,
Regi. i. "
4' According to an anonymous writer of
Annals.
'^ He published an account of this pro-
phecy, at Naples, in 1626.
<3 Writing under this year, he states :
" Isto anno fuit repertus Tarenti liber S. Cathdi, consistens in tribus laminis plum- beis, videlicet duabus extremis semiscriptis, et media scripta ex utroque latere ; qui prre- sentatus fuit Domino Regi loquens de dicti Regis repentina morte : et sic fuit repente mortuus.
4« Such is the account given by Alexander ab Alexandro, in his work, "Genialiuin Die- rum," lib. iii. , cap. 15.
et mLi;nia cadent. Vincent in albis : rubri et nigii cessalnmt colores. Inferi ad superos, et superi ad inferos, descendent, et mirabitur muiulus revolutiones cum ca;lo. Nee prce- sens dies erit prseterito similis. Nulla fides ; simultates, fictiones, machinationes, defec- tiones, planetus, lamentationes, mendacium, rapince undique regnabunt. Dies aderunt tribulationis, in quibus altiora anhelantes, in profundum cadent : et dissolventur fxdera, et gaudentiores tristal)untur. Occitlens com- movebitur : et occidet : Oriens ob. >curabi- tur, et timebit valde. Vailet homines leve priiicipium et horrendus finis : ex modica fiainma ingentes ignes, ex arido fomento nu- triti, longiores eiunt. P'cederibus, et anr. is perturbabitur nmndi nobdior pars ; et de summis principatihus contendetur, et eiit multorum destructio ; quoniam iratus est Deus. Ante faciem ejus peicutient se priores, et de regno in regnum commovebun- tur. Et terra, uti mare, a ventis fluctuabit submergentur multi qucerentcs portum, et nun invenient ; quoniam a recto itinere de-
•s The following are its words, which are
rather dubious and difficult in translation :
" Tu ex riesperia venisti, unde pestis bis
mortifera ob infidelitatem, et mon>tia quse-
dam, interquam tui commemorabuntur.
Damna tamen lecompensahunt duo potentes
conjuges regnantes. V'cetibi Christiana re-
ligio : incredulos et hypocritas apertos, et
occultos habebit spoiisa Christi ; quoniam viaveiunt. Invcniat quendam tuus fune
sponsus sjionsce irascetur. Cai)ita eorum in- sensata erunt ; et occuli eorum tenebuntur, ne videant. Sensualitas, ambitio, et cupidi- tas regnandi prrcvalebunt. Sed dicent Beati pauciora pcissidantcs. Oricntur prx- lia : Insurgent I'harisa:i contra Samaritanos ; et erunt ingentes Christianorum strages : quo-
vexatum, cujus aucupio et occulto consilio dcponit sua, et omnia donabit, diiigens qua; cunque in meliorem viam : Et regnabit ex hoc usque in nomen generationem. Ser- pentes multi venena effundeiit ; sed deficiet ex illis caput ; et ilulciore efticientur venena ex percussionibus. Potentes ex adversitati-
—
May io. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 205
of Ferdinand, called of Arragon,'*^ and first King of Naples,-*' as, also, to the French Invasion, was a forgery,i8 made up on the occasion of passing events, and to serve some peculiar interestJ^ However, it must be observed, that Alexander ab Alexandro declares, the prophecies therein declared were ful- filled, in a remarkable manner, by events which followed. 5° A prophecy of this saint, and said to have been composed by him, is introduced by Moroni, towards thecloseofCathaldus'Life. WhenastudentatNaples,thatwritersawsucha document in the possession of Adrian William Spataphori, a learned antiqua- rian. The same document was found by a Friar, in the Aracseli Library, at Rome, and thence it was sent to him for insertion is his Life of our saint. 5' In the year 1600, John de Castro, s^ a noble Spaniard, who had been Arch- bishop of Tarentum, added another cross to the silver statue of Cataldus, much larger in size, than that one formerly placed upon the figure. This cross wasmadeofgold,likewise,ornamentedwithemeralds,andit wasexquisitely wrought. S3
Manytowns and parishes in Italy are called after St. Cataldus. 54 At Venice, in Umbria, and Sicily, he was venerated. At Coralti in Apulia, permission was given to the Minorite Fathers in 1506, to build a church, in honour of Blessed Cataldus, so that a plague which broke out might cease. ss In the Island of Malta, and near its chief city, there was a crypt and ceme- tery, dedicated to St. CatalduSjS^ in the middle of the seventeenth century. There, also, was a small church dedicated to him, and it was frequented by a great number of devoted clients, because of the graces they received, through
bus minores coram Deo in facies cadent, et humiliabuntur. Et bonorum supplicationibus placabitur Omnipotens et Orientalis rabies
;
magno apparatu petetur. Bonum ex malo nascetur ingens ; quoniam apparebit Ange- lus cumgladio, et magna minabitur. Insur- gent multi et potentissimi ; et renovabitur mundus. Erit homo super mensam plum- beam comedens in una de quatuor civitati- bus, qui omnibus istis remedium affert. " Moroni's " Vita S. Cataldi," lib. i. , cap. xvii. , xviii.
^* Although we read in Alexander ab Alexandro, lib. iii. , cap. 15, " Cum florente fortuna Ferdinandi Primi Regis Aragonii Urbs Neapolitana," &c. , yet, Colgan re- marks, that this prophecy appears referable to Ferdinand the first King of Naples, bearing this name, but, he was not the first King of Aragon.
47 Ferdinand, son of Alphonsus, King of Arragon, who died A. D. 1494, was the first King of Naples, bearing such name, and the second King of Arragon known by this name, as will be found, on referring to histo- ries of those respective countries. See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," viii. Martii, n. 17, p. 556.
^^ A printed Tract, on the Finding of this Prophecy, has stated, however, that it came to light anno 1362. See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hibernice," viii. Martii, n. 16, P- 556.
^9 Dr. Richard R. Madden, when alluding to St. Cataldus, says, " Enquiries into this subject have led the author to the acquisi- tion of information of a very singular nature, respecting the alleged fabrications of metallic
plates with an inscription, in apparently an- cient characters, purporting to be prophe- cies of St. Cathaldus, which had been ful- filled after his death. "—"Shrines and Sepulchres of the Old and New World," vol. ii,, chap, v. , pp. 154, 155. In a note to this passage, the author promised this infor- mation in his Appendix, under the heading " Pretended Prophecies of St. Cathaldus. " Yet, we search there in vain for this matter, which the author seems to have overlooked.
5° In his work, " Genialium Dierum," lib. iii. , cap. 15.
5' ItwasextractedfromtheworkofPetrus Galatinus, " De Ecclesia destituta," lib. viii. , cap. i.
5^ He was elected the seventy-fifth bishop over this See, on the 20th of March, A. D. 1600. " Sedit plus minus annis tribus,"&c. —Ughelli's "Italia Sacra," tomus ix. Tarentina Metropolis, col. 147.
53 See Moroni's " Vita S. Cataldi," lib. i. , cap. xxii.
54 According to Joannes Juvenis, " De Antiquitate et Varia Tarentinorum For- tuna," lib. viii. , cap. 3.
55 See " Malta Antica Illustrata co' Monu- menti, e coll' Istoria," dal Prelato Onorafo Bres, &c. , lib. vi. , cap. xvi. , pp. 447, 448. Roma, 1816, 4to.
5^ This is stated, by Joannes F'ranciscus de Abela, Vicecancellarius, in a work " De- scriptio InsulcE Melitne," lib. i,, Notitia iv. De Coemeteriis. He states, that it was "prope cryptam S. Pauli et contigua cryptae a S. Maria de spe noncupatae," &c. —See p. 47. This work was issued, at Malta, A. D. 1647.
57 See Les Petits Bollandists, "Vies des Saints,"&c. ,tomev. , xe. jourdeMai,n. 2. p. 425.
cap. i. , p. 8. ^^See"HistoricCatholicseIbemiseCom-
pendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. x. , p. 48. '^Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
5* The Decree is dated thus: "Datum
Romse in palatio Apostolico, in loco 124, 125.
nostrse solita: residentise v. Nonas Julii MDLXXX.
59 This is thought, by some writers, to have been the aniversary for his death. However, we can find no mention of his name, in the ancient Irish calendars, at that date, nor even at the 8th of May.
*" See Rev. Dr. Kelly's "Calendar of Irish Saints," &c. , pp. xvii. , xviii.
*' At the loth of May we read Tarentum S. Cataldi Episcopi, miraculis clari. " —" Martyrologium Romanum," p. 210. Edition of Baronius.
'' In "Natales Sanctorum Canonicorum. "
*^ See "Vita S. CatalJi," lib. i. , cap. xxi.
** "Cujus Nalalis Dies celebratur 8 Id. Mail. Inventio 6 Id. ejusdem. "—Ughelli's " Italia Sacra," tomus ix. Tarentina Metro- polis, col. 121.
*5 See " Apologia pro Hibernia," cap. ii. , p. 15. Also, cap. iv. , p. 37.
**Sec "DeScriptoribus Ilibernix," lib. i. ,
*' In a note, Dr. Todd here says, "The paragraph within brackets is in the more recent hand. Letha is the Irish name for Italy. "
'" It is thus entered, in the " Menologium Scoticum :" "Tarenti inventio pretiosi corporis Cataldi Episcopi. "—Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 199.
'' In his Note (h) to the Roman Martyr- ology, p. 211.
'= . see '• Britannia Sancta," parti. . May x. , pp. 285, 2S6.
" See " Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. v. , May x.
7^ See p. 131.
" This is expressed, in that versicle sung in the church of Tarentum, and from a remote period :
" Felix Ilibemia, sed magis Taren- tum,
Qux claudis in tumulo grandc talen- tum. "
:
"Apud
—
2o6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May io.
his intercession. In it, too, Masses were almost daily celebrated. Formerly, he was honoured, at Genoa, at Mondovi, and at Sens, where the parish of Saint-Cartaud has evidently borrowed its name from St. Cataldus. s? Espe- cially to commemorate the Feast for the Finding and Translation of St. Catald's Relics, at the earnest request of Laelius Brancarius, Archbishop of Naples, Pope Gregory XIII. granted a Plenary Indulgence, for the solemn celebration on May loth. From about this period, the Office of St. Cataldus was sanctioned by the Sovereign Pontiff, s^ and it began to be recited by the Archbishop and clergy of Tarentum, in choir, after the form in the Roman Breviary. The office of this saint is recited as a double, by the Irish clergy, on the 8th of March. 59 The published Martyrology of Tallagh has no festi- val occurring, in honour of this saint. ^ But, we often find, in cases of Irish saints, who died on the Continent, that there is no record of their names, in our domestic Calendars or Martyrologies. According to the Roman Martyr- ology,^' Constantinus Ghinius,^^ and Bartholomew Moroni,^3 the loth of May is a festival, commemorating the Translation of Cathaldus' relics. ^4 Father Stephen Whitens has notices of this saint, and Sir James Ware*^ places his festival, at the present date. In Convseus' List of Irish Saints, Cathaldus Epis.
and Patron of Tarentum, in Italy, may be found, in the pages of O'SuUevan Beare, at the loth of May. ^7 The Martyrology of Donegal,^^ on this day, registers a festival, in honour of [Cathaldus,^? Bishop of Tarentum, in Letha]. Thomas Dempster, quoting Constantinus Ghinius, has the Festival of Finding the precious Body of Bishop Cataldus, at the loth of May. 7° Cardinal BaroniushastheFindingofhisrelics,atthissamedate. 7' Again,theFestival is noted, by Bishop Challoner,? ^ by Rev. Alban Butler,73 and in the Circle of the Seasons. 74
Not alone was Ireland honoured, in giving birth and education to this holy prelate, but still more did the citizens of Tarentum deem themselves blessed, by his ministrations among them. 75 The career of a great saint is at all times of interest to posterity, and the lives of the great teachers, or doctors of Catholicity—the men who towered like beacon fires in the compara-
—
May io. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
tive gloom of earlier times—ought to be among the studies of Catholics, who rejoice in the growth of the Universal Church, and in her triumphs over the powers of sinfulness and error.
Article III. Cormac or Connachtach, Abbot of Iona. {Eighth and Ninth Centuries. '] On the authority of the Martyrology of Tallagh, which enters Cormac^ at the loth of May, Colgan assigns to this day, the festivalofthepresentholyman. * Thisauthorityisfollowed,likewise,bythe Bollandists,3 who remark on the number of Irish Saints so called, as enume- ratedbyColgan,4whentreatingaboutseveralbearingthatname. Connach- tach—a name substituted for Cormac—is said to have been a select scribe, and he became Abbot of Iona, most probably, after the demise of Bersal Mac Seghine, which is given, at the year 8oi, ha. 'ing been incumbent for thirty-one years. Connachtach followed his predecessor to the tomb, after a veryshorttermofrule. s Hedied,accordingtosomeaccounts,in797—but rede 802—assuming the corrected chronology found, in Dr. O'Donovan's AnnalsoftheFourMasters. ^ ThecauseassignedforConnachtach'sdeath, is not recorded ; but as Hy-Columcille was burned by the Gentiles, a. d. 802,7 it is probable enough, that our Abbot met with a violent death, at their hands, having perished during the calamity inflicted on his religious community.
Article IV. —Barban the Wise. In the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick,' there is mention made of Barbanus Sapiens, or Barban the Wise. Colgan indicates, that his feast is referable to this day. * Here, too, the Bollandistss insert a notice of him.
Article V. Reputed Festival of Hildebert, Archbishop of the Scots. Wehaveanaccount,bytheAbbot,JohnofTrittenheim,'ofHilde- bertus, bishop of Mans, and also Archbishop of Tours, as a celebrated eccle- siastical writer. According to Dempster,* he had for his disciple Caius Cselius Sedulius,3 the Senior, or Presbyter,* who in like manner—to follow his account—belonged to the Scottish nation. If such be the case, Hildebert must have flourished, at a very early period. However, as the Bollandists, who
Article III. — ' That copy, published by the Rev. Matthew Kelly, D. D. , has by mis- take Conmac ; the Franciscan copy more correctly CoyviriAc.
^ See "Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Ap- pendix ad Acta S. Columbte, cap. iii. , sect. iv. , v. , pp. 500, 501.
3 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Maii X. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 492.
* See "Acta Sanctorum HiberniEC," xvii.
Februarii, Appendix ad Acta S. Cormaci under Henry IV. , A. D. , MXC.
Episcopi Athtrumensi, et postea Archiepis- copi Ardmachani, cap. i. , pp. 360, 361.
5 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of St. Columba. " Additional Notes (O), p. 388.
® See vol. i. , pp. 404, 405.
^ See " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Sco-
torum," tomus ii. , lib. viii. , num. 671, p.
353.
^ See what has been stated already re-
garding him, in Second Vol. of this work, and at the 12th day of February, Art. i. , chap. ii.
Trithemius places him, as having flourished under Theodosius, the Emperor, at a.
