Sunday, March 5, 2023

Excerpts from The Book of Pontiffs (Liber Pontificalis)

The following are excerpts from:

 

The Book of Pontiffs (Liber Pontificalis) (trans. Raymond Davis; Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 1989)

 

MARCELLINUS [295 – Autumn 303] . . . was taken to sacrifice, to offer incense, which he did. After a few days, overcome with repentance, along with Claudius, Cyrinus and Antoninus, he was beheaded, and crowned with martyrdom by Diocletian. (p. 12)

 

LIBERIUS (17. 5. 252 – 24. 9. 366], born in Rome, son of Augustus, held the see 6 years 3 months 4 days. . . . He was sent into exile by Constantius for refusing to agree wot the Arian heresy, and spent 3 years in exile. . . . Liberius agreed with the emperor’s orders that he should share in a single communion with the heretics, provide that they did not rebaptize. Then they recalled Liberius from exile. (p. 28)

 

HONORIUS [27. 10. 625 – 12. 10. 638], born in Campania, son of the council Pertronius, held the see 12 years 11 months 17 days. In his time he did much good. He educated the clergy.

 

He renewed all the sacred equipment at St. Peter’s and covered the apostle’s confessio with fine silver weighing 187 lb. He covered the great main doors into the church—the ones called Mediana—with silver weighing 975 lb. He provide two pairs of great silver candlesticks, which are in front of St. Peter’s body, each weighing 62 lb. In the same place at St Andrew’s, in front of the confessio, he provided a silver panel weighing 73 lb. In his time 16 roofbeams were hoisted up at St Peter’s. HE covered the whole church with bronze tiles which he removed from the temple called that of Rome, with the assent of the pious emperor Heraclius.

 

Then he built from the ground up the church of St Agnes the martyr at the 3rd mile from Rome on the Via Nomentana, where the body rests. HE decorated it to perfection on every side, and there he put many gifts. He also decorated it to perfection on every side, and there he put many gifts. He also decorate her tomb with silver weighing 252 lb; over it he placed a bronze-gift canopy of marvellous size, and he provided 3 gold bowls each weighing 1 lb; the apse of the same basilica he made of mosaic, and there too he presented many gifts.

 

In Rome he also built from the ground up the basilica of St Apollinaris the martyr, in the portico of St Peter’s which is called ad Palmata, and there he bestowed many gifts. In the church he issued a decree, that every week on Saturday a litany should come out from St Apollinaris’ to St Peter with hymns and chants, and the whole people should join in it.

 

He built from the ground up the church to St Cyriac the martyr at the 7th mile on the Via Ostiensis, and there he presented a gift.

 

Then he built a church to the holy martyrs the Quattuor Coronati; he dedicated it and presented a gift.

 

He built from the ground up a church to St Severinus close to the city of Tibur at the 20th mile from Rome; he dedicated it and presented many gifts.

 

He also renewed the cemetery of Saints Marcellinus and Peter the martyrs on the Via Labicana.

 

Then he built from the ground up a basilica to St Pancras the martyr at the 2nd mile from Rome on the Via Aurelia, and decorated his tomb with silver weighing 120 lb; <and there he established a mill on the wall at the place of Trajan close to the city wall and the channel which brings water in Lacus Sabbatinus, and under it a channel which brings the water of the Tiber;> and he built a silver canopy above the altar, weighing 187 lb. He provided 5 silver arches each weighing 15 lb, and 3 gold candelabra, which weighed 1 lb; he also presented many good things there.

 

In Rome he built the church of St Lucy close to St Silvester’s; he also dedicated it and presented many gifts.

 

He built the church of St Hadrian at the Three Fates; he also dedicated it and presented many gifts.

 

<He made in his own house close to the Lateran a monastery in honour of Saint Andrew and Bartholomew the apostles, which is called that of Honorius; there he also presented estates and gifts.>

 

He did much else which would take too long to recount. <He built many basilicas and monasteries for monks; he confirmed the decree of St Gregory on the Antiphonal and order of offices and gesima; and at Easter and Whitsun, as the people were displeased, they should recite only 3 lessons and 3 psalms like the Roman church, and should perform their office in the Roman manner during all of those two weeks.> He performed three <December> ordinations, 13 priests, 11 deacons; for various places 81 bishops. He was buried in the above place <at St Peter’s> on 10 October. The bishopric was vacant 1 year 7 months 18 days. (pp. 64-65)

 

 

Blog Archive