Saint Victorian

Where shall I find words to represent with dignity what took place in the person of Victo rien, pro Victorien Proconsul of Carthage and martyr from Hadrumetum. consul of Carthage, a native of the city of Hadrumetum? He was the wealthiest man in Africa, and he had always shown great fidelity in the offices with which King Huneric had entrusted roi Hunéric King of the Vandals, son of Gaiseric, persecutor of Catholics. him. This impious prince sent word to him, in very civil terms, that if he obeyed his wishes without resistance, he would love him particularly and give him the highest rank among his officers. But this great servant of God had him answer, through the same envoy: "That nothing was capable of separating him from the faith and love of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In the confidence he had in the help of such a powerful master, he was ready to suffer all kinds of torments rather than ever consent to the impiety of the Arians. He could have him bu rned a Ariens Heresy opposed by Columbanus in Italy among the Lombards. nd exposed to beasts, or overwhelmed by other tortures; but he would never prevail upon him to leave the Catholic Church, in which he had been baptized. Such a detestable action would expose him as an ingrate and a traitor to punishments that would never end; but even if that were not so, and there were no other life than the present life, nor any eternal reward prepared for those who have conquered, he could not resolve to leave the true and only religion, and to fail in fidelity to Him who had entrusted him with the precious deposit of His grace."

This response so irritated the fury of the tyrant that he made him suffer torments whose length and cruelty surpass all that could be said of them. The Saint endured them all in the sight of God with an incomparable joy, and having happily finished his course, he went to receive in heaven the crown of martyrdom which he had so justly earned.

Who could also explain, as is fitting, the struggles of the other martyrs who were executed in the city of Taba ye, an Tabaye Place of execution for several martyrs. d especially of two brothers from the city of Aquae R Aquæ regiae City of origin of the two martyr brothers. egiae? Having promised each other, by oath, in the humble trust they had in God, to both die by the same torment, they obtained from the executioners not to be separated, neither in place nor in punishment. They began by hanging them with heavy weights attached to their feet; and, when they had been in this distress for nearly a day, one of them, succumbing to the pain, begged to be untied and to be given some respite.

The other, seeing this from the gallows where he was also hanging, and fearing that he might renounce the faith, cried out to him:

"Take care, my brother, not to make this request; this is not what we promised to Jesus Christ, and I myself would accuse you of infidelity before his formidable tribunal if you were to persist in it; for we have sworn upon his body and his blood to suffer death together for the confession of his name."

By these words and others like them, he so encouraged his companion to sustain the fight that the latter, instead of wavering as before, cried out with a loud voice: "Add torments to torments, and let there be no cruelties that you do not exercise against us; whatever torments my brother suffers, I am ready to suffer them."

They were then burned with red-hot iron blades, torn with iron claws, and tormented for a long time and in a thousand ways; the executioners, finally fearing that their patience would serve more to convert the Arians than to shake the Catholics, were forced to leave them, especially since neither bruises nor any other mark of the torments they endured could be seen on them. They nevertheless arrived happily at the palm of martyrdom. And at the same time, two merchants, who were from the city of Carthage, and who both bore the name Frumentius, were put to death; and, throu gh a hap Frumence Two merchants from Carthage martyred for their faith. py trade, they purchased, with the price of their blood, the evangelical pearl and the kingdom of heaven.

The Arians further exiled a great number of ecclesiastics from Carthage. Among them were many children destined for the service of the altars; twelve were sought out to be brought back to Carthage. At the sight of the persecutors, they embraced the knees of their companions, and violence had to be used to tear them away. Every day they were cruelly whipped and struck with sticks; but it was impossible to obtain from them anything contrary to their faith: they generously confessed Jesus Christ until the end.

Victor of Utica also reports the victories of many other Saints, martyred under the same Huneric; b ut, as Handrie King of the Vandals, son of Gaiseric, persecutor of Catholics. only these are named on this day in the Roman Martyrology, we sha ll content ourselv martyrologe romain Official catalogue of the saints of the Catholic Church. es with the account we have just given. The persecution of this prince raged particularly in the year 454.