Saint Leontius the Younger

A native of Aquitaine and born in Saintes (Charente-Inférieure) around 5 10, Leontius th Léonce le Jeune Bishop of Bordeaux and benefactor of the Church of Saint-Vivien. e Younger was one of the greatest and most pious bishops of his time. A birth of which he did not boast, and great wealth of which he showed himself liberal, gave new luster to the personal merit that distinguished him. Son of a Roman senator, he served under the banners of King Childebert and acquired some glory in the wars against the Visigoths in Spain and in Narbonnese Gaul. In his youth, he was married to Placidina, who was of imperial Placidine Wife of Leontius, of imperial blood, associated with his works. blood, as she was the daughter of Arcadius, grandson of Sidonius Apollinaris. The latter had had Sidoine Apollinaire Poet and contemporary who celebrated the basilica of Perpetuus. , by his wife Papianilla, daughter of the Emperor Avitus, Apollinaris, who in turn had as a son Arcadius, father of Placidina. Such is the genealogy of Leontius, as it results from several passages of Gregory of Tours, and from the notes of Dom Ruinart on this subject. Fortunatus speaks thus of this illustrious marriage of Leontius:

"At that time, those who were most distinguished in the world by nobility and merit considered themselves highly honored to accept ecclesiastical dignities. The integrity of Leontius's conduct, the purity of his morals, his love for justice, his piety, and his alms made him judged worthy of the episcopate. After the death of Leontius the Elder, the people and clergy of Bord eaux gra Bordeaux City and diocese of which Amand was bishop. nted him their votes and elected him as their chief pastor. Once ordained bishop, Leontius regarded Placidina only as his sister. She was a woman of great piety, and one who held sentiments worthy of her high birth. She did not separate from her husband, however, regarding good works, for she wished to participate in all those he undertook." Fortunatus, in mentioning Leontius, counts him as Fortunat Contemporary poet and primary source for the life of Leontius. the thirteenth bishop of Bordeaux, saying that he would be the first in his virtues: Tertius a decimo buic urbi antistes haberis, Sed primus meritis enumerandus eris. This passage from the contemporary poet indicates to us that four bishops have escaped the catalogues preserved by the church of Bordeaux. A Saint Fort, patron of several villages of his name in the ancient provinces of Aunis, Angoumois, and Saintonge, and whose tomb is seen in the church of Saint-Seurin, is perhaps one of the bishops about whom history has transmitted nothing to us. The Abbé Lenglet du Fresnoy speaks of a certain Felix, Bishop of Bordeaux, around the year 510, who had a silver vessel in the shape of towers (turribulum) cast to preserve the Holy Eucharist. It could certainly be that Bordeaux had a bishop of this name omitted from the diptychs, but Lenglet du Fresnoy is mistaken in attributing the fact in question to a bishop of this church. Felix, who had a precious vessel made in the shape of a tower to preserve the body of Jesus Christ, was Saint Felix, who died in 576, Bishop of Bourges. Fortunatus of Poitiers speaks of this vessel, and ecclesiastical historians have noted it to prove that at that time the body of the Savior was already kept in churches, outside the time of the sacrifice.

Leontius did not enter the episcopate to enrich himself with the goods of the Church; rather, he wished to enrich the Church with his own goods. With the consent of his wife, he used his great wealth to build and endow a large number of churches. He had one built in honor of Saint Martin on one of his estates, and two others in honor of Saint Vincent, martyr of Agen: the first on the banks of the Garonne, which he had covered with plates of bronze, and the second in a town of Aquitaine then called Vernemetum, which means in ancient Gaulish 'Great Temple,' which leads one to judge that there had been a famous temple in that place, perhaps today's Verdelais. This holy bishop also had a church built in honor of Saint Nazarius, another under the invocation of Saint Denis, which had been begun by Amelius, one of his predecessors, and a third in Bordeaux in honor of the Blessed Virgin, where he founded, it is said, such a great number of lamps that the brightness of the night did not yield to that of the day.

Leontius extended his munificence to neighboring cities: he had the Church of Saint Eutropius, the first bishop of that city, rebuilt in Saintes; he had the church begun by Bishop Eusebius in honor of Saint Vivian completed there, and he had the tomb of this holy bishop covered with plates of silver and gold.

The most general opinion identifies Leontius the Elder as one of the Fathers of the fourth council of Orléans, and Leontius the Younger, having been unable to attend the council held in October 549 in the same city, was represented there by the priest Vincent. He attended in person those held in Paris, the first in 552, where Saffarac, bishop of that city, was deposed; the second in 557, where ten canons were enacted to prevent the dispersion of church property that the Frankish kings were giving to the first comer.

In 562 or 563, Leontius assembled a council of the bishops of his province in Saintes and deposed Eumerius or Emerius, the bishop of that city. The reasons for deposing this bishop appeared just. He had been ordained without the suffrages of the clergy and the people, and had obtained a decree from King Chlothar to be consecrated without the consent of Leontius, his metropolitan, who was then absent from his diocese. Both actions were contrary to the ecclesiastical discipline established in the last Council of Paris. In place of Emerius, the bishops elected Heraclius, a priest of th e church Charibert King of the Franks who opposed Leontius during the Emere affair. of Bordeaux, and sent the decree of election, subscribed by themselves, to King Charibert. The priest who was charged with this, having arrived in Tours, recounted to the metropolitan Euphronius what had happened, asking him to also subscribe to the decree. This holy prelate, who knew Charibert and whom this matter did not concern, did not deem it appropriate to subscribe. He also foresaw the scandal that this election would cause. Nuncupat, for that was the priest's name, arrived in Paris and presented himself before the king: "Prince," he said to him, "the apostolic see greets you." In the style of that era, all episcopal and especially metropolitan sees were called apostolic. Charibert replied, however, feigning not to hear him: "Did you go to Rome to bring me compliments from the Pope?" The priest replied: "It is your father Leontius who greets you with the bishops of his province, letting you know that Emerius has been deposed from the bishopric of Saintes, which guilty intrigues had allowed him to obtain in contempt of the canons. This is why they have sent you their decree to put another in his place, so that the punishment of those who violate the canons may bring a blessing upon your reign." At these words, the king, trembling with anger, said to him: "Do you think, then, that there are no longer any sons of Clotaire left to drive out, without our order, a bishop he has chosen?" At the same time, driving Nuncupat from his presence, he ordered that he be placed in a cart full of thorns, which was a mark of disgrace, and had him led into exile. He immediately sent ecclesiastics who were devoted to him to restore Emerius to the see of Saintes, and officers of his chamber to pay Leontius, who had deposed him, a sum of one thousand gold sous, and to the other bishops of the council, in proportion to their means. It is thus, says Gregory of Tours, that Charibert avenged the injury done to his father. This affair was settled, however, and Emerius was recognized by Leontius as bishop of Saintes.

Fortunatus speaks of three lands on the Garonne that belonged to Leontius the Younger, which he names Bissonum, Voreginem, and Premiacum, which are believed to be Bisson, Vérines, and Preignac.

Leontius the Younger died on November 15, 564, at the age of fifty-four, as Fortunatus informs us in the long epitaph he dedicated to him, which is conceived as follows:

"Under this stone rest the ashes of Leontius, that venerable pontiff whom renown raises to the heavens. From the cradle, the nobility of his birth made for him an illustrious name, and the senate of Rome perhaps counted none as great. Although patrician blood flowed in his veins, he increased the glory of his ancestors through his own talents. Extremely dear to kings, he was the head of the fatherland, the support of his family, the protector of his friends, the ornament of the people, and the honor of the city. Full of respect for the holy temples, he quietly spread his largesse into the bosom of the poor, and welcomed the pilgrim by distributing food to him with his own hands. The stranger who arrived from the ends of the earth had barely seen him before he said that he was a father. His mind was penetrating, his heart full of gentleness, and serenity always shone upon his face. And for me, what was he not? I say it only with a heart oppressed by tears. This illustrious bishop, who has no equal in Gaul, lies here in this humble tomb with all his glory. He appeased kings, he made his administration gentle to his fellow citizens, he was the joy of so many peoples, alas! a single day has taken everything from us. He lived happily for fifty-four years, and at the rising of the dawn, he was taken from us. To render the final duties to his ashes is today the only consolation permitted to the tenderness of Placidina."

Excerpt from Gallia Christiana nova, by Fiequet.