—' " See Vitacet Res GestiE Pontificum
Romanorura
et S.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v4
, pp.
1028 to 1031.
4" Dr. Meredith Hanmer, in his "Chroni-
S4 See Hams' Ware, vol. 1. , "Archbishops
of Armagh," pp. SI to 54-
55 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters,'' vol. 11. , pp. 1034, '°35-
5^ See John Bale, " Scriptorum Illustnum
cle of Ireland," incorrectly states, that he Majoris Britanniee, &c. ,
cent, sec. »4- xiy. ,
"diedofgreatage. " Seep. 203.
47 Not understanding the statement of Malachiam m Episcopatu prsecessit.
"" vi. Baronius, John Wilson, in his Martyrolo- Martyrologium Romanum, Apnlis
gium Anglicanum," has said, that Celsus preceded St. Malachy in the See of Conor, which was not the case.
"S The reader will find an accoun of this
venerable rcUc, 111 the Life of St. Patrick, at
the 17th of March, chap, v.
"9 See Dr. Meredith Hanmer s "Chronicle
of Ireland,' p. 203.
> Britannia
S" " the Signifying
r t, . • 1 of Patrick, '
height
s" See Bishop Challoner s
White remarks
:
" Mortuum anno Salutis,
1 128, et in Romano Martyrologio positum
ad 6 Aprilis. " See "Apologia pro Hiber-
=; In Hibernia S. CeIsi Episcop. qui "—
April 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 47 thatthedateshouldratherbe4thofthismonth. s* InHenryFitzsimon's
"
Catalogus aliqorum Sanctorum Iberni3e,"S9 this bishop's feast appears to be referredtothesthofAugust,evidentlythroughsomemistake. TheMartyr- ology of Donegal ^ records, on this day, the name of St. Celsus, Bishop, of Ard Macha, or Armagh. Likewise, in the Rev. Alban Butler's work,*' in that of the Rev. S. Baring-Gould,'^ and in the " Circle of the Seasons,"'^ the feast of St Celsus, is set down, at the 6th of April. Whether deservedly or not, Father Stephen ^Vhite ^ reproves Giraldus Cambrensis, for omitting all men- tion of this saint, who flourished in the twelfth century, and who is so remarkably lauded by St. Bernard. *' However, it is sufficient to observe here, that the name and memory of St. Celsus hold a distinguished position in Irish ecclesiastical records, and they cannot be obliterated, under any cir- cumstances, from the history of our national Church.
Article II. —St. Cronbeg, or Cronan Beg, Abbot of Clonmac- NOiSE, King's County. [Seventh Century. '] This Saint is called Cronan Beg, or the Little, owing probably to his want of ordinary stature. He is entered, in the Martyrology of Tallagh," at the 6th of April, as Cronbrice, Abbot of Cluana, or Clonmacnoise. The date of his birth has not been ascertained,nordoeshisgenealogyseemtobeknown. Thisholymanmost probably succeeded Colman,' Abbot, who died, in the year 681. 3 Then was his successor elected to rule, in a spot, greatly resorted to, even from distant regions. The pilgrimage to holy places is one of the oldest of Christian insti- tutions. The first known visits were to Jerusalem, and to other parts of Judea. Thus, Helena, the pious mother of the Emperor Constantine, hastened as a
pilgrim to the Holy Land, when shejvisited the scenes of our Redeemer's passion. The Empress returned, bringing with her the true cross, with other relics of Christ's death ; and, from that time forward, pilgrimages to the Holy Land were annually made by thousands, from every part of Christendom. Our Irish countrymen frequently visited this distant land, and usually com- bined with their journey a pilgrimage to the shrines of the Apostles, St. Peter and St Paul, at Rome. Hardships, persecutions, and even death itself, often overtook the zealous and devoted pilgrim. The tremendous conflicts, which shook Palestine during the period of the Crusades, barred the road thither to allbutthemosthardy,adventurous,anddaring. Thesubsequentlossofthe HolyCity,allbutcloseditsgatesagainsttheChristians. Atandbeforethisera, thepracticeofnationalpilgrimagesgrewintotranscendentimportance. Instead of turning towards the Holy Sepulchre, the penitent wended his way, towards
Cponbice Ah, only.
Colman.
3 See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. a88, 289. This Abbot b said to have been of the sept of Ciaraighe-Airtich, seated between the rivers Lung and Brideog, in the old barony of
5* See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's " Lives of "" •^P"' "• P' '°9-
' ^^- ^""= '•'«* ">« on an inscription
'^t»^c*'"'^'. 'c^M' " S>ee O Sullevan Beare'. s
old tomb in Clonmacnoise, which belonged to one Colman, in 1822, and it is still extant. •^ "°** *"* "'^'l"'' but the lettering is now indistinct. A representation of it will be found, in Miss Stokes' "Christian Inscrip- tions in the Irish Language," vol. i. , plate ii. , 6g. 6, p. 17. It is ascribed to the present
Historia: Ca- thelicse Ibemi^ Compendium. " tomus L,
»o cj''^'i,*"? «P' ^^'
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
9°> 97-
bee Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and
other pnncipal Saints," vol. jr. , April vi. "See "Laves of the Saints," vol. iv. ,
April vi. , p. 106. / See p. 97.
•*
See"ApologiaproHibemia,"cap. ii. , p. 15, and cap. iv. , p. 31.
°5 In "VitaS. Malachia:. "
Articleii. —' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, Boyle, and county of Roscommon. See p. XX. In the Franciscan copy we read, ibid. , n. (f).
48 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 6.
some shrine in his native land, famous for some deed of sanctity, or for some spiritual manifestation. In Ireland, Lough Derg, Kildare, Glendalough, and
Clonmacnoise, were the great pilgrimages. The ten ruined churches, which surround St. Kieran's grave at the latter place, are said to have been the
offering of ten royal pilgrims, who knelt at his shrine. Among the religious foundations here is shown, what purports to have been a church or chapel of the nunnery,^ said to have been built inn 70, by Dearvoirgilla. s and it was con- sumed,withotherbuildings,byanaccidentalfire,a. d. 1180. Thefestivalin honour of Cronbeg—a contraction most probably of his regular name—who was placed as Abbot, over Cluainmic Nois, occurs, in the Martyrology of Donegal,^ at this date. This was the day for his death, and the year was 689,
Queen Dearvoirgilla's Church, Clonmacnoise.
according to the Annals of Clonmacnoise, or according to those of the Four Masters,^a. d. 692. TheAnnalsofUlsterplacehisdemise,undertheyear
693. 8
Article III. —St. Celestine I. , Pope and Confessor. [Fourth and
Fifth Centuries. '] Owing to the instrumentality of this great Pontiff, Ireland received the opportunity of admission to the Church, as a portion of the Chris- tian fold. Grateful for the favour, his name has been inscribed on our National Kalendars; for he sent St. Palladius and St. Patrick, to open their missions among our pagan ancestors. The Acts of this illustrious Pontiff have
* The accompanying illustration is from a
photograph, taken on the spot, by John L. Robinson, Esq. , M. R. I. A. , Architect. Dub- lin. It was drawn on the wood, by WilUam F. Wakeman, and it was engraved, by Mrs. Millard.
Hibemicum,"p. 393.
5 She was daughter to Murrough O'Meal-
—"Annales
mc nois obiit. " Ultonienses,"
" O'Rourk. See Archdall's Monasticum bernicarum Scriptores, tomus iv.
aghlin. King of Meath, and wife of Tighernan
'
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
96, 97.
' See Dr. O'Donovan's Edition, vol. i. ,
pp. 296, 297.
*"An. Dcxcii Cronbeg Abbas Cluaii
p. 65. Rev. Dr. O'Conor's ""
Rerum Hi-
April 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 49
been given, by Alphonsas Ciaconius,' of the Dominican Order, by Baronius,^ by the Bollandists,3 by Baillet. t by the Rev. Alban Butler,5 by the Rev. S. Baring-Gould,* as also by Mgr. Paul Gu^rin,' and by various other authors. St. Celestine was born in Rome, towards the close of the fourth century, and his father's name was Priscus. ' During the episcopate of St. Ambrose,' and in early life, Celestine had visited Milan. '" He became a Deacon to Inno- cent, and at that time, he had written a cordial letter to St. Augustine," the
great Bishop of Hippo Regius, in Africa. Celestine sent it, through a cleric, named Projectus, and to that epistle St. Augustine returned a suitable reply. "
Celestine held a very distinguished place among the clergy at Rome, while his virtues and talents caused him to be universally respected. During the earlier part of the fifth century, the illustrious Bishop of Hippo had borne the great burden of controversy, against the heretics of that age, the Dona- tists,'3 the Manichaeans,'* and the Pelagians. "' The latter heresy had its origin from a British monk, named Pelagius, a man of great mental and moral excellence, but, of bold speculative opinions. Another man, known as Coelestius, an Irish-Scot,'* a lawyer, and a man of even more aggressive tem- per,'7 had come to Rome, about a. d. 400, for the purpose of continuing his studies. Pelagius and Celestius withdrew to Carthage, in 411, and there propagated their errors. Afterwards, they removed to the East. In the year 416, both heresiarchs were excommunicated, in the Synods of Carthage and of Mileve,'* while this decree obtained confirmation, from Pope Innocent I. However,PelagiusandCoelestiusstillperseveredintheiropposition. '» When -Pope St. Boniface I. , who ruled from a. d. 418, had died, in the year 422,^° with the acclaim of both clergy and laity throughout the whole city, Celestine was unanimously elected to succeed him. " Before his elevation to the Papal
Article hi.
—' " See Vitacet Res GestiE Pontificum Romanorura et S. R. E. Car- dinalium, ab Initio nascentis Ecclesix usque ad Clementem IX. P. O. M. " Romac, 1577, lol.
'^ See, an account of them in " Memoires
pour servir a I'Histoire des Egaremeiis de
I'Esprit Humain, par Rapport a la Religion Chretienne ; ou Dictionnair? des Heresies,
des Erreurs et des Schismes," &c. Tome ii. , pp. 3to24. A. Besan^on,1817,8vo.
'" See
vi. De S. Caelestino Pontifice Ro- Primo,
Annales Ecclesiastic! ," tomus v. , 529.
•* See Ibid. , to pp. 335
to
5 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Aprilis
pp. 410
397. '5 . See Ibid. , pp. 534 to 582.
mano. They are contained in Three Chap- graphy," &c. , by Dr. William Smith, and
ters, and Eighteen Paragraphs, drawn from various sources, pp. 543 to 547.
* See *' Les Vies des Saints," tome iv. , Avril vi. , pp. 187 to 193.
s See " Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and
other principal Saints," vol. iv. , April vi. 'See "Lives of the Saints," vol. iv. ,
April 6, p. 94.
'See "Les Pelits Bollandistes Vies des
Saints de I'Ancien et du Nouveau Testa- ment," &c. , tome iv. , 6 Avril, pp. 248, 249.
Henry Wace, the reader will find an account of this heresiarch, who, we are told, "oc-
'
According Prosper.
" See " A of the Councils of the History
Church, from the original Documenis," by the Right Rev. Charles Joseph Hefele, D. D. , Bishop of Rottenburg, vol. ii. , book viii. , sec. 118, pp. 455, 456. English Trans- lation, Edinburgh, 1871, et seq. , 8vo.
'' See an account of these transactions, in Rev. John Alzog's "Manual of Universal Church History, vol. i. Period i. . Epoch 2, chap. 2, . sec. 1 16, pp. 399 to 408.
">
to the " Chronicon " of St.
—"Annales Ecclesiastici," tomus v. , A. D. 41 1, sec. xliv. , p. 274.
' His Feast occurs, at the 7th of Decem- ber. He died A. D. 397.
'° See " A Dictionary of Christian Bio- graphy, Literature, . Sects and Doctrines," &c. Edited by William Smith, D. C. L. , LL. D. , and Henry Wace, M. A. , vol. i. Art. Coelestinus I. , p. 584.
" His Festival is held, on the 28th . of Au- gust.
See Sir Harris Nicolas' "Chronology of History," p. 208.
" In the "Opera" S. Augustini, this is numbered among the Epistolx, 192.
" According to Alphonsus Ciaconius, this D
'' In the " of Christian Bio- Dictionary
cupies a unique position among the Hiber- nian Scots, as he taught not the faith, but
heresy. "—Vol. i. . Art. Coelestius, pp. 588, S89.
' Although usually called the disciple of Pelagius, yet Cardinal Baroniussaysof him, " immo jam magister et totius ductor exerci- tus. "
50
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 6.
throne, one Anthony, who had been a disciple of St. Augustine, was elevated to the See of Fussala. Occupying this position, he had been wanting, in the discharge of his duties, and, on that account, he was condemned in a Council of Nuraidia, though sustained by the Metropolitan, who presided. Anthony had even imposed, by an artifice, on Pope Boniface, to whom he had ap- pealed, and returning to Fussala, great commotions were there excited. '"
During these proceedings, the death of Boniface took place. Taking occa- sion to congratulate Celestine on his promotion,=3 St. Augustine wrote to induce him tor a confirmation of that sentence of deposition, pronounced by the Council of Numidia. Finding the charges made against Anthony to be well founded, St. Celestine deposed him. =4 This holy Pontiff effected certain additions, such as the Intriot, to the Liturgy of the Church. He desired, hkewise, that the clergy should have a knowledge of the Canon Law, and
that
they
December, he consecrated thirty-two priests, twelve deacons, and forty-six bishops, destined for the service of various churches. =* The solicitude of this holy bishop for the interests of Christ's Church was universal, as his jurisdic- tion was extensive. The Pelagians made a vain effort, to have their cause examined by Pope Celestine. In the year 425, Coelestius appealed to him for a hearing. An eastern monk of Scythian extraction, and named Cassian,"' had settled at Marseilles, in the South of France, where he became Abbot over the Monastery of St. Victor. '* He took exception to the teaching of St.
Augustine, on the doctrine of Grace, and his opinions were adopted by many
monks in southern Gaul. Owing to their number in Marseilles, they were
called Massilians, but they were better known as semi-Pelagians, because
their system was a compromise between the extreme views of St. Augustine,
on Predestination, and those extravagant claims asserted for Free-will, by
Pelagius. 's Some short time before his death, which occurred on August 28th,
A. D. 430, St. Augustine was enabled to write against the Semi-Pelagians. After
his departure, two zealous laymen from Gaul, and, who were named. Prosper
andHilary,continuedthestruggleagainstthem. 3° Aboutthistime,Nesto-
rius, a man of brilliant endowments, and bishop of Constantinople,3' who
protected and encouraged the Pelagian leaders and preachers, had broached
his own very subtile heresy ; and, this was artfully couched, in two letters,^'
which he wrote to Pope Celestine. 33 The Nestorian heresy was much more
daring and impious in speculation and assumption, than were the Pelagian or Semi-Pelagian theories ; for, while the latter dealt with an over-estimate of
Pope was created and consecrated "tertio in the " Histoire Literaire de la France,"
'' See a very lucid exposition of this heresy,
should take care to instruct the people. ''s During the month of
Nonas Novembris, anno Dom. ccccxii. "— tome ii. , pp. 215 to 230.
" '' "
Vitse et Res Gestae Pontificum Romano-
See L Abbe Fleury's Histoirer,Ecc! e- siastique," tome v. , liv. xxiv. , sec. Ivi. , pp. 63210634.
rum," &c. , tomus i. , col. 291.
'"See L'Abbe Rolirbacher's " Histoire
Universelle de I'Eglise Catholique," tome vii. , liv. xxxviii. , pp. 573 to 575.
"^ This Epistle begins : "Domino beatis- simo et debita charitate venerando, Sancto PapEE Coelestino, Augustinus in Domino Sa- lutem. " Epistola cclxi.
"
logie," tome iv. , Art. Semi-Pelagianisme.
"
tome v. , liv. xxiv. , sec. xxxiv. ,
Universal Church History," vol. i. . Period
i. , Epoch 2, chap. 2, sec. 117, pp. 408 to
413.
3' He was elevated to that in the position,
year 428.
3» These have been published, in the
" Annales Ecclesiastici " of Cardinal Baro- nius, tomus v. , sec. ii. to vii. , pp. 453, 454.
'3 gee Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the
Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints,"vol. iv. , Aprilvi.
»* See L'Abbe Fleury's astique,"
Histoire Ecclesi- pp.
583 to 585.
-'i See tiie Bollandists'
"
Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Aprilis vi. , De S. Coelestino Primo,
Pontifice Romano, cap. i. , sec.
4" Dr. Meredith Hanmer, in his "Chroni-
S4 See Hams' Ware, vol. 1. , "Archbishops
of Armagh," pp. SI to 54-
55 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters,'' vol. 11. , pp. 1034, '°35-
5^ See John Bale, " Scriptorum Illustnum
cle of Ireland," incorrectly states, that he Majoris Britanniee, &c. ,
cent, sec. »4- xiy. ,
"diedofgreatage. " Seep. 203.
47 Not understanding the statement of Malachiam m Episcopatu prsecessit.
"" vi. Baronius, John Wilson, in his Martyrolo- Martyrologium Romanum, Apnlis
gium Anglicanum," has said, that Celsus preceded St. Malachy in the See of Conor, which was not the case.
"S The reader will find an accoun of this
venerable rcUc, 111 the Life of St. Patrick, at
the 17th of March, chap, v.
"9 See Dr. Meredith Hanmer s "Chronicle
of Ireland,' p. 203.
> Britannia
S" " the Signifying
r t, . • 1 of Patrick, '
height
s" See Bishop Challoner s
White remarks
:
" Mortuum anno Salutis,
1 128, et in Romano Martyrologio positum
ad 6 Aprilis. " See "Apologia pro Hiber-
=; In Hibernia S. CeIsi Episcop. qui "—
April 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 47 thatthedateshouldratherbe4thofthismonth. s* InHenryFitzsimon's
"
Catalogus aliqorum Sanctorum Iberni3e,"S9 this bishop's feast appears to be referredtothesthofAugust,evidentlythroughsomemistake. TheMartyr- ology of Donegal ^ records, on this day, the name of St. Celsus, Bishop, of Ard Macha, or Armagh. Likewise, in the Rev. Alban Butler's work,*' in that of the Rev. S. Baring-Gould,'^ and in the " Circle of the Seasons,"'^ the feast of St Celsus, is set down, at the 6th of April. Whether deservedly or not, Father Stephen ^Vhite ^ reproves Giraldus Cambrensis, for omitting all men- tion of this saint, who flourished in the twelfth century, and who is so remarkably lauded by St. Bernard. *' However, it is sufficient to observe here, that the name and memory of St. Celsus hold a distinguished position in Irish ecclesiastical records, and they cannot be obliterated, under any cir- cumstances, from the history of our national Church.
Article II. —St. Cronbeg, or Cronan Beg, Abbot of Clonmac- NOiSE, King's County. [Seventh Century. '] This Saint is called Cronan Beg, or the Little, owing probably to his want of ordinary stature. He is entered, in the Martyrology of Tallagh," at the 6th of April, as Cronbrice, Abbot of Cluana, or Clonmacnoise. The date of his birth has not been ascertained,nordoeshisgenealogyseemtobeknown. Thisholymanmost probably succeeded Colman,' Abbot, who died, in the year 681. 3 Then was his successor elected to rule, in a spot, greatly resorted to, even from distant regions. The pilgrimage to holy places is one of the oldest of Christian insti- tutions. The first known visits were to Jerusalem, and to other parts of Judea. Thus, Helena, the pious mother of the Emperor Constantine, hastened as a
pilgrim to the Holy Land, when shejvisited the scenes of our Redeemer's passion. The Empress returned, bringing with her the true cross, with other relics of Christ's death ; and, from that time forward, pilgrimages to the Holy Land were annually made by thousands, from every part of Christendom. Our Irish countrymen frequently visited this distant land, and usually com- bined with their journey a pilgrimage to the shrines of the Apostles, St. Peter and St Paul, at Rome. Hardships, persecutions, and even death itself, often overtook the zealous and devoted pilgrim. The tremendous conflicts, which shook Palestine during the period of the Crusades, barred the road thither to allbutthemosthardy,adventurous,anddaring. Thesubsequentlossofthe HolyCity,allbutcloseditsgatesagainsttheChristians. Atandbeforethisera, thepracticeofnationalpilgrimagesgrewintotranscendentimportance. Instead of turning towards the Holy Sepulchre, the penitent wended his way, towards
Cponbice Ah, only.
Colman.
3 See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. a88, 289. This Abbot b said to have been of the sept of Ciaraighe-Airtich, seated between the rivers Lung and Brideog, in the old barony of
5* See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's " Lives of "" •^P"' "• P' '°9-
' ^^- ^""= '•'«* ">« on an inscription
'^t»^c*'"'^'. 'c^M' " S>ee O Sullevan Beare'. s
old tomb in Clonmacnoise, which belonged to one Colman, in 1822, and it is still extant. •^ "°** *"* "'^'l"'' but the lettering is now indistinct. A representation of it will be found, in Miss Stokes' "Christian Inscrip- tions in the Irish Language," vol. i. , plate ii. , 6g. 6, p. 17. It is ascribed to the present
Historia: Ca- thelicse Ibemi^ Compendium. " tomus L,
»o cj''^'i,*"? «P' ^^'
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
9°> 97-
bee Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and
other pnncipal Saints," vol. jr. , April vi. "See "Laves of the Saints," vol. iv. ,
April vi. , p. 106. / See p. 97.
•*
See"ApologiaproHibemia,"cap. ii. , p. 15, and cap. iv. , p. 31.
°5 In "VitaS. Malachia:. "
Articleii. —' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, Boyle, and county of Roscommon. See p. XX. In the Franciscan copy we read, ibid. , n. (f).
48 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 6.
some shrine in his native land, famous for some deed of sanctity, or for some spiritual manifestation. In Ireland, Lough Derg, Kildare, Glendalough, and
Clonmacnoise, were the great pilgrimages. The ten ruined churches, which surround St. Kieran's grave at the latter place, are said to have been the
offering of ten royal pilgrims, who knelt at his shrine. Among the religious foundations here is shown, what purports to have been a church or chapel of the nunnery,^ said to have been built inn 70, by Dearvoirgilla. s and it was con- sumed,withotherbuildings,byanaccidentalfire,a. d. 1180. Thefestivalin honour of Cronbeg—a contraction most probably of his regular name—who was placed as Abbot, over Cluainmic Nois, occurs, in the Martyrology of Donegal,^ at this date. This was the day for his death, and the year was 689,
Queen Dearvoirgilla's Church, Clonmacnoise.
according to the Annals of Clonmacnoise, or according to those of the Four Masters,^a. d. 692. TheAnnalsofUlsterplacehisdemise,undertheyear
693. 8
Article III. —St. Celestine I. , Pope and Confessor. [Fourth and
Fifth Centuries. '] Owing to the instrumentality of this great Pontiff, Ireland received the opportunity of admission to the Church, as a portion of the Chris- tian fold. Grateful for the favour, his name has been inscribed on our National Kalendars; for he sent St. Palladius and St. Patrick, to open their missions among our pagan ancestors. The Acts of this illustrious Pontiff have
* The accompanying illustration is from a
photograph, taken on the spot, by John L. Robinson, Esq. , M. R. I. A. , Architect. Dub- lin. It was drawn on the wood, by WilUam F. Wakeman, and it was engraved, by Mrs. Millard.
Hibemicum,"p. 393.
5 She was daughter to Murrough O'Meal-
—"Annales
mc nois obiit. " Ultonienses,"
" O'Rourk. See Archdall's Monasticum bernicarum Scriptores, tomus iv.
aghlin. King of Meath, and wife of Tighernan
'
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
96, 97.
' See Dr. O'Donovan's Edition, vol. i. ,
pp. 296, 297.
*"An. Dcxcii Cronbeg Abbas Cluaii
p. 65. Rev. Dr. O'Conor's ""
Rerum Hi-
April 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 49
been given, by Alphonsas Ciaconius,' of the Dominican Order, by Baronius,^ by the Bollandists,3 by Baillet. t by the Rev. Alban Butler,5 by the Rev. S. Baring-Gould,* as also by Mgr. Paul Gu^rin,' and by various other authors. St. Celestine was born in Rome, towards the close of the fourth century, and his father's name was Priscus. ' During the episcopate of St. Ambrose,' and in early life, Celestine had visited Milan. '" He became a Deacon to Inno- cent, and at that time, he had written a cordial letter to St. Augustine," the
great Bishop of Hippo Regius, in Africa. Celestine sent it, through a cleric, named Projectus, and to that epistle St. Augustine returned a suitable reply. "
Celestine held a very distinguished place among the clergy at Rome, while his virtues and talents caused him to be universally respected. During the earlier part of the fifth century, the illustrious Bishop of Hippo had borne the great burden of controversy, against the heretics of that age, the Dona- tists,'3 the Manichaeans,'* and the Pelagians. "' The latter heresy had its origin from a British monk, named Pelagius, a man of great mental and moral excellence, but, of bold speculative opinions. Another man, known as Coelestius, an Irish-Scot,'* a lawyer, and a man of even more aggressive tem- per,'7 had come to Rome, about a. d. 400, for the purpose of continuing his studies. Pelagius and Celestius withdrew to Carthage, in 411, and there propagated their errors. Afterwards, they removed to the East. In the year 416, both heresiarchs were excommunicated, in the Synods of Carthage and of Mileve,'* while this decree obtained confirmation, from Pope Innocent I. However,PelagiusandCoelestiusstillperseveredintheiropposition. '» When -Pope St. Boniface I. , who ruled from a. d. 418, had died, in the year 422,^° with the acclaim of both clergy and laity throughout the whole city, Celestine was unanimously elected to succeed him. " Before his elevation to the Papal
Article hi.
—' " See Vitacet Res GestiE Pontificum Romanorura et S. R. E. Car- dinalium, ab Initio nascentis Ecclesix usque ad Clementem IX. P. O. M. " Romac, 1577, lol.
'^ See, an account of them in " Memoires
pour servir a I'Histoire des Egaremeiis de
I'Esprit Humain, par Rapport a la Religion Chretienne ; ou Dictionnair? des Heresies,
des Erreurs et des Schismes," &c. Tome ii. , pp. 3to24. A. Besan^on,1817,8vo.
'" See
vi. De S. Caelestino Pontifice Ro- Primo,
Annales Ecclesiastic! ," tomus v. , 529.
•* See Ibid. , to pp. 335
to
5 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Aprilis
pp. 410
397. '5 . See Ibid. , pp. 534 to 582.
mano. They are contained in Three Chap- graphy," &c. , by Dr. William Smith, and
ters, and Eighteen Paragraphs, drawn from various sources, pp. 543 to 547.
* See *' Les Vies des Saints," tome iv. , Avril vi. , pp. 187 to 193.
s See " Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and
other principal Saints," vol. iv. , April vi. 'See "Lives of the Saints," vol. iv. ,
April 6, p. 94.
'See "Les Pelits Bollandistes Vies des
Saints de I'Ancien et du Nouveau Testa- ment," &c. , tome iv. , 6 Avril, pp. 248, 249.
Henry Wace, the reader will find an account of this heresiarch, who, we are told, "oc-
'
According Prosper.
" See " A of the Councils of the History
Church, from the original Documenis," by the Right Rev. Charles Joseph Hefele, D. D. , Bishop of Rottenburg, vol. ii. , book viii. , sec. 118, pp. 455, 456. English Trans- lation, Edinburgh, 1871, et seq. , 8vo.
'' See an account of these transactions, in Rev. John Alzog's "Manual of Universal Church History, vol. i. Period i. . Epoch 2, chap. 2, . sec. 1 16, pp. 399 to 408.
">
to the " Chronicon " of St.
—"Annales Ecclesiastici," tomus v. , A. D. 41 1, sec. xliv. , p. 274.
' His Feast occurs, at the 7th of Decem- ber. He died A. D. 397.
'° See " A Dictionary of Christian Bio- graphy, Literature, . Sects and Doctrines," &c. Edited by William Smith, D. C. L. , LL. D. , and Henry Wace, M. A. , vol. i. Art. Coelestinus I. , p. 584.
" His Festival is held, on the 28th . of Au- gust.
See Sir Harris Nicolas' "Chronology of History," p. 208.
" In the "Opera" S. Augustini, this is numbered among the Epistolx, 192.
" According to Alphonsus Ciaconius, this D
'' In the " of Christian Bio- Dictionary
cupies a unique position among the Hiber- nian Scots, as he taught not the faith, but
heresy. "—Vol. i. . Art. Coelestius, pp. 588, S89.
' Although usually called the disciple of Pelagius, yet Cardinal Baroniussaysof him, " immo jam magister et totius ductor exerci- tus. "
50
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 6.
throne, one Anthony, who had been a disciple of St. Augustine, was elevated to the See of Fussala. Occupying this position, he had been wanting, in the discharge of his duties, and, on that account, he was condemned in a Council of Nuraidia, though sustained by the Metropolitan, who presided. Anthony had even imposed, by an artifice, on Pope Boniface, to whom he had ap- pealed, and returning to Fussala, great commotions were there excited. '"
During these proceedings, the death of Boniface took place. Taking occa- sion to congratulate Celestine on his promotion,=3 St. Augustine wrote to induce him tor a confirmation of that sentence of deposition, pronounced by the Council of Numidia. Finding the charges made against Anthony to be well founded, St. Celestine deposed him. =4 This holy Pontiff effected certain additions, such as the Intriot, to the Liturgy of the Church. He desired, hkewise, that the clergy should have a knowledge of the Canon Law, and
that
they
December, he consecrated thirty-two priests, twelve deacons, and forty-six bishops, destined for the service of various churches. =* The solicitude of this holy bishop for the interests of Christ's Church was universal, as his jurisdic- tion was extensive. The Pelagians made a vain effort, to have their cause examined by Pope Celestine. In the year 425, Coelestius appealed to him for a hearing. An eastern monk of Scythian extraction, and named Cassian,"' had settled at Marseilles, in the South of France, where he became Abbot over the Monastery of St. Victor. '* He took exception to the teaching of St.
Augustine, on the doctrine of Grace, and his opinions were adopted by many
monks in southern Gaul. Owing to their number in Marseilles, they were
called Massilians, but they were better known as semi-Pelagians, because
their system was a compromise between the extreme views of St. Augustine,
on Predestination, and those extravagant claims asserted for Free-will, by
Pelagius. 's Some short time before his death, which occurred on August 28th,
A. D. 430, St. Augustine was enabled to write against the Semi-Pelagians. After
his departure, two zealous laymen from Gaul, and, who were named. Prosper
andHilary,continuedthestruggleagainstthem. 3° Aboutthistime,Nesto-
rius, a man of brilliant endowments, and bishop of Constantinople,3' who
protected and encouraged the Pelagian leaders and preachers, had broached
his own very subtile heresy ; and, this was artfully couched, in two letters,^'
which he wrote to Pope Celestine. 33 The Nestorian heresy was much more
daring and impious in speculation and assumption, than were the Pelagian or Semi-Pelagian theories ; for, while the latter dealt with an over-estimate of
Pope was created and consecrated "tertio in the " Histoire Literaire de la France,"
'' See a very lucid exposition of this heresy,
should take care to instruct the people. ''s During the month of
Nonas Novembris, anno Dom. ccccxii. "— tome ii. , pp. 215 to 230.
" '' "
Vitse et Res Gestae Pontificum Romano-
See L Abbe Fleury's Histoirer,Ecc! e- siastique," tome v. , liv. xxiv. , sec. Ivi. , pp. 63210634.
rum," &c. , tomus i. , col. 291.
'"See L'Abbe Rolirbacher's " Histoire
Universelle de I'Eglise Catholique," tome vii. , liv. xxxviii. , pp. 573 to 575.
"^ This Epistle begins : "Domino beatis- simo et debita charitate venerando, Sancto PapEE Coelestino, Augustinus in Domino Sa- lutem. " Epistola cclxi.
"
logie," tome iv. , Art. Semi-Pelagianisme.
"
tome v. , liv. xxiv. , sec. xxxiv. ,
Universal Church History," vol. i. . Period
i. , Epoch 2, chap. 2, sec. 117, pp. 408 to
413.
3' He was elevated to that in the position,
year 428.
3» These have been published, in the
" Annales Ecclesiastici " of Cardinal Baro- nius, tomus v. , sec. ii. to vii. , pp. 453, 454.
'3 gee Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the
Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints,"vol. iv. , Aprilvi.
»* See L'Abbe Fleury's astique,"
Histoire Ecclesi- pp.
583 to 585.
-'i See tiie Bollandists'
"
Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Aprilis vi. , De S. Coelestino Primo,
Pontifice Romano, cap. i. , sec.
