Æmiliana of Rome
Acta Sanctorum, June 30
Source text: Public Domain. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://actasanctorum.org/june/day-30/aemiliana-of-rome.html
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CONCERNING ST. ÆMILIANA OF ROME,
TITULAR [SAINT] OF A PRESBYTERAL CHURCH.

Notice from the Roman Synod of the year 499.

Æmiliana, titular saint of a certain Roman church (St.)

D. P.

After the Consulship of Paulinus, a most illustrious man
(that is, in the year of Christ 499)
on the Kalends of March, in the basilica
of Bl. Peter the Apostle, the most blessed
Symmachus the Pope presiding, was celebrated
a Synod of 67 Bishops,
there subscribing, [In the Council of the year 499,] concerning the removal of canvassing in the Pontifical
elections: to which also subscribed, in equal number,
as many Priests of Titular Churches,
with the Deacons of the seven urban Regions; [celebrated at Rome,] who together
seventy-four, show that there would be that number which now
is held of Cardinals, beyond the number of the Disciples
of Christ extended by one pair; and thereby they show,
that the same number is not the invention of more recent ambition,
but the institution of old religion, sometimes even exceeding
the same number, however much in the middle age it
was often much more restricted.

[2] Among the Priests, whose names, as also those of the Bishops,
[Eutyches subscribes, Priest of the title of St. Æmiliana] are found arranged in the order, not of age (which you may marvel at), but of the Alphabet,
one is Eutyches of the title
of holy Æmiliana. Which title, as it makes it indubitable
for us, that a Saint of this name lived at Rome
and flourished, as of old SS. Praxedis and Pudentiana,
whose churches survive to this day; so it brings just sorrow
upon us, that all notice of her life and virtues
has so perished, that not even the church where she was
is now known by anyone.

[3] [thence added to the Roman Martyrology,] Wishing therefore the reformers of the Roman Breviary
under Gregory XIII, to revive the memory of a Saint
well deserving of the Roman Church; in the second
edition of it (for in the first there had not yet been thought
about her) they believed, that no other and better suited
day, than that on which St. Lucina was honored, of
whom we treated above, Baronius probably suggesting it.
Prudently indeed, no less than piously, [on the occasion of St. Lucina.] had they not added
the title of Martyr, on what foundation it should be presumed
to belong to her, since it did not appear, I have preferred
for now to omit it, and to leave it to the new correction of the same Martyrology
to be discussed. The same I would wish to have been done
about St. Crescentiana, whom from a like cause we received to be venerated
on May 5, with the title likewise of Martyr,
not yet proved. As yet in this, so also in
St. Æmiliana, they followed Baronius, Ferrari in
his Catalogue of the Saints of Italy, and Brautius Bishop of Sarsina
in his Poetic Martyrology, this kind of Distich
fitting to her.

She could not be bent, to betray the faith promised to Christ,
      By any tortures, Æmiliana.
