Saint Mammertus
Archbishop of Vienne
(† 477)
Feast – May 11
Vienne is a commune in southeastern France, located 21 miles south of Lyon, at the confluence of the Gère river and the Rhône. Today, it is the fourth largest city in the Isère department, of which it is a subprefecture, but previously it was a major center of the Roman Empire. Inhabited by the Allobroges and other Gaulish tribe’s, it was conquered by the Romans before the 50 BC conquest of Gallia by Julius Caesar.
In the 5th century when the Western Roman Empire was on the brink of collapse, Almighty God awoke the people of Vienne from their spiritual lethargy by berating them with wars, earthquakes, fires, and ravenous wild beasts, some of these beasts were seen in the very market-places of cities, and other public calamities which threatened them with total destruction.
In such circumstances, in the year c. 460, St. Mammertus was elected and consecrated Archbishop of Vienne.
Prior to his elevation to the see of Vienne, little has been recorded about his life. He was born into a wealthy Gallic family from the neighborhood of Lyons. During his youth, he and his younger brother, Claudian Mammertus, received sound training and were distinguished for their secular learning as well as their knowledge of theology.
Claudian was celebrated by St. Sidonius Apollinaris as the greatest scholar and theological writer of his age and enjoyed the personal acquaintance of Bishop Eucherius of Lyons. St. Mammertus enlisted the aid of his brother Claudian, who at the time was a cloistered priest of commendable modesty and virtue, to assist in governing the affairs of his diocese.
One day a terrible fire started in the city of Vienne, which overwhelmed the efforts of men; but by the prayers of the good bishop, the fire suddenly went out. This miracle strongly affected the minds of the people. The holy prelate took this opportunity to make them sensible of the necessity and efficacy of devout prayer, and to improve their salutary dispositions to sincere compunction and penance, and a thorough amendment of life. On Easter-night, a second great fire broke out which alarmed the city more than ever. The zealous pastor had recourse to his usual arms, and poured forth his prayers with many tears, lying prostrate before the altar till the flames were miraculously extinguished. During this second conflagration, the archbishop formed a pious design of instituting an annual fast and supplication of three days, in which all the faithful should join with sincere compunction of heart to appease the divine retribution by fasting, prayer, tears, and confession of sins. This would be observed with processions and the Litany of the Saints called the Rogations, during the three days before the Ascension.
The Latin word “rogare”, means to supplicate or ask, and the purpose of the Days is to beg God for His mercy, to turn away His anger, and to ask Him to bless the fruits of the earth while protecting us from natural disasters.
It is clear from the homily of St. Avitus on the Rogations, that St. Mammertus regulated the psalms to be sung, and the rite to be observed on the three Rogation days.
St. Sidonius Apollonarius, bishop of Clermont, also adopted this pious institution and in a very short time it became a universal practice. St. Mammertus’s pious reform was received by all the churches of France after the first Council of Orleans under Clovis the Great, and then by the Church of Rome under the authority of Pope Leo III.
During his episcopate, the remains of St. Ferreolus were discovered, and were translated to a church in Vienne, built in honour of that martyr.
St. Mammertus summoned a synod at Vienne between 471 and 475 and at 475 attended a synod at Arles, which dealt with the predestination teaching of Lucidus, a Gallic priest, the first theologian who can legitimately be styled ‘predestinarian’. Of a particular importance are his assertions that Christ did not die for all man, that divine grace is irresistible and that those who are lost, are lost through God’s will.
St. Mammertus died about the year 477 in Vienne, but his body was transported to Orleans and placed in its cathedral. There, until the 16th century, it remained in great veneration, then was burnt by enemies of the Church.
References and Excerpts
[1] “Saint Mammertus, Archbishop of Vienne.” https://sanctoral.com/en/saints/saint_mammertus.html (accessed May 06, 2020).
[2] “Saint Mammertus, Archbishop of Vienne, Confessor. May 11. Rev. Alban Butler. 1866. Volume V: May. The Lives of the Saints.” https://www.bartleby.com/210/5/111.html (accessed May 06, 2020).
[3] “Mamertus,” Wikipedia. May 11, 2019, Accessed: May 06, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mamertus&oldid=896613381.