Paulinus
Acta Sanctorum, May 4
Source text: Public Domain. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://actasanctorum.org/may/day-04/paulinus.html
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ON SAINT PAULINUS,

BISHOP OF SENIGALLIA IN ITALY.

[Commentary]

Paulinus, Bishop of Senigallia in Italy (S.)

G. H.

Senigallia a city Episcopal of the Duchy of Urbino,
on the shore of the Adriatic sea, midway almost between
Pesaro and Ancona, venerates on this IV of May
S. Paulinus the Bishop, as Patron
its, with an Ecclesiastical Office through an Octave deduced,
as indicates Ferrarius in the General Catalogue; who besides
in the Catalogue of the Saints of Italy these things writes: Saint
Paulinus the Bishop, although the Acts of him are wanting,
the greatest has among the people of Senigallia veneration:
for his birthday on this day with the highest celebrity they keep
with an Octave, as of their city the chief Tutelary:
whose Relics most religiously preserved they have.
The time in which he was among men not could be found:
and then in an Annotation these things he adds. This from Paulinus
of Nola diverse we believe, both that on diverse days
are celebrated their Birthdays, and the bodies in their
cities exist; and that while we were at Senigallia,
in that city's Annals or Chronicles MS. we read,
S. Paulinus Bishop of Senigallia to have been. These things
Ferrarius. Meanwhile Ferdinand Ughelli volume 2 of Italia sacra
describing the Bishops of Senigallia not mentions S.
Paulinus: whom in the Poetic Martyrology Nicolaus Brautius
with this distich honors:
Paulinus the holy Senigallia was wont as a Father,
      and Patron pious to sanctify its own.
Of another Paulinus, who at Cologne Agrippina on this also day is venerated,
now about to treat, we wonder what of cause they had cities
so distant, that to their own each Saint both the same day they dedicated:
but by a vehement suspicion we are moved, that of one or the other
the name, in some old Martyrology on such a day found,
of the other's cult hither also to be referred gave occasion.

ON SAINT PAULINUS

DEACON, MARTYR AT COLOGNE.

[Commentary]

Paulinus the Deacon, Martyr at Cologne (S.)

G. H.

The ancient Martyrology, at Cologne and Lübeck
in the year MCCCCX printed, from this Saint
begins with these words: On the fourth Nones of May,
at Cologne Agrippina, [Martyrdom and cult,] in the church of S. Cæcilia,
the birthday of B. Paulinus the Deacon and
Martyr, whose head by an iron mallet for
Christ crushed is recognized, and his brain
together with pious blood patiently to have poured out. Which same
has Greven in the Auctarium, in the year MDXV and MDXXI
printed. There follow the Author of the MS. Florarium, Molanus, Galesinius,
Canisius with the present Roman Martyrology. And these
about the cult and martyrdom are sufficiently certain. Gelenius, book 3 on
the Magnitude of Cologne Agrippinensis Syntagma XI § 2,
where of the sacred Treasure of the collegiate church of S. Cæcilia, these things
number 2 writes: S. Paulinus Levite and Martyr, of the old
silver tomb of S. Evergislus enclosed, with brightness eternal
shines in the heavens, and on earth glows with the glory of miracles, [Burial,]
of whose frequency by his diploma testifies
in the year MCCLXI Conrad Archbishop of Cologne.
These things there. Of miracles no further memory exists;
Conrad's diploma still is found, of which a copy procured
for us R. P. James Martini, of our Society a Priest and
of Metaphysics Professor at Cologne, in the year MDCLXXVI: it is
moreover of this kind tenor:

[2] Conrad by the grace of God of the Holy Cologne Church
Archbishop, through Italy Archchancellor,
to all the faithful of Christ the present letters about to inspect
salvation in the true saving One. [Rom. 14, 10] Since, as says
the Apostle, all we shall stand before the tribunal of Christ,
about to receive according as in the body we have done, whether good it was
or evil: it behooves us the day of the last reaping,
by the noonday's works to anticipate, and of the eternal in view
to sow on the earth, what the Lord rendering with
multiplied fruit to gather again we may be able in the heavens,
and a firm confidence holding, since who sparingly
sow, sparingly also shall reap; and who sow in blessings,
of blessings also shall reap life eternal. When therefore the beloved in Christ Abbot and
Convent of the church of S. Cæcilia of Cologne, to the praise
of God and B. Mary ever virgin, in honor of the most blessed Paulinus the glorious Martyr, [the miracles by Conrad the Archbishop attested,] through whom God infinite
in our times has deigned to work miracles,
a chapel within their church to build have begun
with a sumptuous work, and to the completion of that
work their own to them suffice not the faculties; your universality
we ask and exhort in Christ the
Lord, to you for the remission of sins enjoining,
that of the goods to you by God conferred
pious alms and grateful for these of charity to them subsidies
you should give; that through your subvention the said work
may be able to be completed, and you through these and other goods which
God inspiring you shall have done, to the of eternal felicity
joys may be able to come. We moreover of almighty God's
mercy confiding, His helpers all
truly penitent, those who a hand to this shall have extended helping, one year and one carena of
the penance enjoined them mercifully we relax:
provided that this letter from the place of the church remembered
to a place other through questors for the cause of begging in no wise
be carried: it if this shall have been done, to lack
force we decreeing. Given at Cologne XIII Kalends
of October, in the year of the Lord MCCLXI.

[3] In the same as Conrad century flourished Ægidius of Orval
a monk, who in his to Harigerus the Abbot Additions
on the Bishops of Tongeren chapter 13 these things has: In
the said church of B. Cæcilia in most recent times was found
the Body glorious of B. Paulinus the Martyr, [Whether he was a disciple of S. Maternus.]
disciple of S. Maternus, who on account of the preaching and
faith of Christ in the said city of Cologne with martyrdom
merited to be crowned. Hermann Fleystangefol, in the Annals
of the Westphalian Circle in the year MDCXL in German edited,
the said Paulinus reckons the second Bishop of Cologne,
and S. Maternus to have succeeded in the year CXXX, and him
in the year CLXX of martyrdom the palm to have obtained. [and a Bishop?] The same
of his Episcopate judges Hermann Crumbach, in his to
us letters given in the year MDCLXXIII.

[4] But the cited Gelenius plainly contrary thinks in this manner:
Hand down very many of our elders, [by some rashly is said a Martyr under Constantine Copronymus,] S. Paulinus to be
Emperor Constantine Copronymus in the year
of Christ DCCL reigning the highest impiety, by a happy
exchange, the of secular soldiery belt laid down,
of the Levites the Ecclesiastical roll inscribed, when in the church
first he sang the Gospel, in a dove's
appearance sitting was seen to have the holy Spirit.
Thence by command of the most monstrous Emperor the nostrils cut off,
the eyes torn out, with pitch and sulphur melted in a horrendous
manner poured over, a rope to the feet bound,
through the city most cruelly dragged was, and at length when
the head with a mallet had been bruised, the brain poured out and dispersed, to heaven the soul he breathed forth. [who to Peter de Natalibus is Paulus,] These things there of his deeds and
martyrdom: but which all word for word are taken from Peter
de Natalibus book 6 chapter 69, treating, not of Paulinus the Deacon,
but of Paulus the Leader of soldiery, which names to be confounded,
and confounded the names not to be distinguished the persons, also from
the consequent appears.

[5] For when confesses Crumbach, much than Gelenius
more diligent and more faithful a witness, not to be known, when and by whom
the said Paulinus the Constantinopolitan was to Cologne
translated; he himself Gelenius in this manner the body brought
says: Who B. Paulinus our this, a Constantinopolitan
hand down, assert also his body,
after years from the martyrdom one hundred twenty and two, by divine
revelation detected, to the monastery of the Carmonians,
then to Venice into the sacred church of S. George
brought, [and gratuitously is feigned translated from Venice to Cologne] at length by the Princes Germans Italy
triumphing brought to the Ubii. The same of his Paulus
says Peter de Natalibus, which all (as by Fortunatus
Olmus edited and illustrated they exist) we shall give on the day
VIII of July, when Paulus at Venice is venerated, where his body
even now to be kept most certainly is believed. Never the German
Princes, which Gelenius assumes, so triumphed over
Italy, that the Venetians' city into their power they reduced; nor these are read anywhere into of external Princes
cult so to have been profuse, that any of those holy
bodies, which across the sea brought their city with the greatest
zeal they fortified, to anyone they donated. And so not we shall fear
those whom Gelenius followed himself his elders says, of too great
credulity to argue, and to say rashly by them assumed some of a near name Martyr, since another not was found:
and to his Martyrdom, in Peter narrated, to have added of the head
the bruising with a mallet made: which only of Paulinus was known,
of Paulus not is read. Of him moreover we say with
the aforecited Gelenius: These however they may have, and of whatever
he was S. Paulinus, certain he is of the Ubii among
the Powers above the Patrons of the ancient Church a Patron, and
in the Martyrologies on the fourth of May day known,
more known in the of eternal life book.
