Peter Chrysologus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church | |
| Born | c. 380 Imola,Aemilia, Roman Empire |
| Died | 31 July 450 Imola, Aemilia, Roman Empire |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglicanism |
| Canonized | Pre-Congregation |
| Feast | 30 July 4 December (General Roman Calendar 1729–1969)[1] |
Peter Chrysologus (Greek:Ἅγιος Πέτρος ὁ Χρυσολόγος,Petros Chrysologos, "Peter the Golden-worded"; c. 380 – c. 450[2]) was anItalian Christian prelate who served asBishop of Ravenna from about 433 until his death.[3] He is known as the "Doctor of Homilies" for the concise but theologically rich reflections he delivered during his time as the Bishop of Ravenna.
He is revered as asaint by theCatholic Church and theEastern Orthodox Church; he was declared aDoctor of the Church byPope Benedict XIII in 1729.
Peter was born inImola, where the local bishop Cornelius baptized him, educated him, andordained him adeacon. He was made anarchdeacon through the influence of EmperorValentinian III.Pope Sixtus III appointed Peter asBishop of Ravenna circa 433, apparently rejecting the candidate whom the people of the city ofRavenna elected. At that time Ravenna was the capital of the West,[4] and there are indications that Ravenna held the rank of metropolitan before this time.[5]
The traditional account, as recorded in theRoman Breviary, is that Sixtus had a vision of PopePeter the Apostle andApollinaris of Ravenna, the first bishop of that see, who showed Peter, a young man, the next Bishop of Ravenna. When a group from Ravenna arrived, including Cornelius and his archdeacon Peter from Imola, Sixtus recognized Peter as the young man in his vision and consecrated him as a bishop.[6][7]
People knew Peter Chrysologus,the Doctor of Homilies, for his very simple and short but inspired sermons, for he was afraid of fatiguing the attention of his hearers.[7] His piety and zeal won universal admiration. After hearing oratory of his first homily as bishop, Roman EmpressGalla Placidia supposedly gave him the surnameChrysologus, meaning "golden-worded." His sermons are historically significant in that they reveal Christian life in fifth-century Ravenna.[4] The Emperor's mother, Galla Placidia, patronized many projects of Bishop Peter.[8]
In his extant homilies, Bishop Peter explained Biblical texts briefly and concisely. He also condemnedArianism andMonophysitism asheresies and explained theApostles' Creed, the mystery of theIncarnation, and other topics in simple and clear language. He dedicated a series of homilies toJohn the Baptist and theMary, mother of Jesus. Peter advocated daily reception ofEucharist. He urged his listeners to confide in the forgiveness offered through Christ.[9][10][11] His surviving works attest to the Catholic Church's traditional beliefs about Mary's perpetual virginity, the penitential value of Lent, Christ's Eucharistic presence, and the primacy of St. Peter and his successors. He shared the confidence ofPope Leo I the Great (440-461), another Doctor of the Church.
A synod held inConstantinople in 448 condemnedEutyches forMonophysitism; Eutyches then appealed to Peter Chrysologus but failed in his endeavour to win the support of the Bishop. TheActs of theCouncil of Chalcedon (451) preserves the text of letter of Peter Chrysologus in response to Eutyches; Peter admonishes Eutyches to accept the ruling of the synod and to give obedience to theBishop of Rome as the successor ofPeter the Apostle.
ArchbishopFelix of Ravenna in the early eighth century collected and preserved 176 of his homilies.[8] Various authors edited and translated these works into numerous languages.
St Peter died circa 450 during a visit to Imola, the town of his birth. Older reference books say he died on 2 December, but a more recent interpretation of the ninth-century"Liber Pontificalis Ecclesiae Ravennatis" indicated that he died on 31 July.[1]
When in 1729 he was declared aDoctor of the Church, hisfeast day, not already included in theTridentine calendar, was inserted in theGeneral Roman Calendar for celebration on 4 December. In 1969 his feast was moved to 30 July, as close as possible to the day of his death, 31 July, the feast day ofIgnatius of Loyola.[citation needed]
A contemporary portrait of Peter Chrysologus, found in the mosaics of theChurch of San Giovanni Evangelista in Ravenna, depicts him among the members of the eastern and western imperial family, showing his extraordinary influence.[12]
There are three volumes of "selected sermons" in the "Fathers of the Church" series (17, 109 and 110), published by the Catholic University of America Press. Despite the title, this includes all the genuine sermons. There is also a recent 2020 volume from Routledge containing a number of his sermons, translated by David Vincent Meconi Jr.
