Petronax
Acta Sanctorum, May 6
Source text: Public Domain. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://actasanctorum.org/may/day-06/petronax.html
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ON SAINT PETRONAX

ABBOT AND RESTORER OF MONTE CASSINO.

YEAR DCCLII

[Commentary]

Petronax, Abbot and Restorer of Monte Cassino (S.)

By G. H.

The monastery of Monte Cassino, illustrious for its antiquity
and for the magnitude of things done there,
reveres S. Benedict as its founder,
and acknowledges S. Petronax as its restorer. [Toward the monastery of Cassino, destroyed by the Lombards,]
The Acts and miracles of S. Benedict
we have largely set forth on the day of his birth XXI March, on which
he ended this mortal life in the year DXLIII, on the day before the Lord's
Passion. There succeeded in the rule of this monastery
Constantine, Simplicius, Vitalis, Bonitus: under whose presidency
when the said monastery was being despoiled by the Lombards,
the monks fled to Rome, carrying with them the codex
of the holy Rule, which B. Benedict had written, and
certain other writings, also the weight of bread,
the measure also of wine, and whatever furniture they could
snatch up: and by the concession of Pope Pelagius,
beside the Lateran Patriarchium, they constructed a monastery:
as we have abridged from chapter 2 of book 1
of the Cassinese Chronicle written by Leo Marsicanus.
This is Pelagius II, raised to the Supreme Pontificate
in the month of November of the year DLXXVII, who died in February
of the year DXC. Adds Leo, that the monastery of Cassino remained destroyed
for one hundred thirty years:
that is, from the year DXC up to the year DCCXX, when, witnessing
Paul the Deacon and monk of Cassino, in book 6 *On the Deeds
of the Lombards* chapter 39, [Petronax sent] Petronax, citizen of the Brescian
city, pricked by divine love, came to Rome:
and at the exhortation then of Gregory, the Pope of the Apostolic
See, sought the fortress of Cassino: and reaching the sacred
body of the blessed Father Benedict, there with some
simple men, already before residing, began
to dwell: who that same venerable man Petronax
constituted as their Senior (that is, Abbot). [by S. Gregory 2 Pope,]
So there. That this Pope was S. Gregory the second,
we said on his Life on day XIII February § III. He administered
the Roman Church from the year DCCXV to the year
DCCXXXI. Under this Pontiff, about the year DCCXX,
Petronax came to Cassino: for S. Willibald, afterwards
Bishop of Eichstätt, as his Acts to be elucidated on July VII
have it, coming to S. Benedict, that is, to
the monastery of Cassino, found there a few monks
and an Abbot, by name Petronax, with whom for
ten years he remained: which having been completed he proceeded to Rome,
with the supreme Pontiff Gregory III sitting, who
had succeeded the said Gregory the second. But S. Willibald
came around the year DCCXXIX or the following, as we have more broadly
said on February VII on the Life of S. Richard the father §. 2,
and on the Life of S. Gregory Pope the second under the end of §. 3.
Further S. Willibald in the first year was Chamberlain
of the church, [restores a double monastery,] and in the second was Dean in the monastery:
and afterwards for eight years he was porter in
that monastery, which stands above on a very high mountain,
and four others he was in another monastery, which
stands below by the river Raphito. Each monastery
Leo describes broadly in book 1 chapter 31. Now the lower
monastery does not exist.

[2] But what about the construction of these monasteries others
have, let us inspect. Paul the Deacon in the chapter above indicated
writes thus. This Petronax not after much time,
with divine mercy cooperating, and the merits of the blessed Benedict
the Father supporting, and now with almost a hundred and *
ten years elapsed, since that place had been destitute
of human habitation, with many monks there,
noble and middling, gathering to him, was made
Father, under the yoke of the holy Rule,
and the institution of the blessed Benedict, [and Abbot of many monks is constituted] with restored dwellings
he began to live, and he raised this holy convent
to the state in which now it is seen. So Paul the Deacon:
whose words, related above here, thus expounds Leo
of Ostia in book 1 chapter 4. When however almighty God
had decreed to restore the aforesaid monastery of B. Benedict
by His most omnipotent compassion, and
the cenobitical institution, which had taken its beginning thence,
from the place of the same Father and through the circle of the orb
to propagate; it happened by God's disposition, that
Petronax, citizen of the Brescian city, a man very religious,
inspired with divine love, came to Rome: whom
the Most Reverend… Pope Gregory inspired from heaven
admonished, that he should seek this fortress of Cassino;
and the monastery of B. Benedict, which now for so many
years had remained destroyed, by his zeal he should strive
to restore. With him assenting, soon the same venerable
Pontiff with him directed some of the Lateran
Congregation Brothers, and other
helps to him conferred. He therefore here to the holy
body of B. Benedict reaching, both with those
who had come with him, and also with some
simple men, whom he found there from long ago residing,
began to dwell in the year of the Lord seven hundred
and twentieth: [year 720.] and by the same Brothers
preferred as Abbot, with God cooperating and B. Benedict
supporting by his merits, with becomingly constructed
dwellings, and with the gathering of many Brothers there
established, under the rule of holy doctrine he studied to live.
Thus far Leo: into whose text some pretender but
clearly inexpert, has inserted, that Pope Gregory was the third:
which word with affixed marks, as against the mind
of the author intruded, we have omitted: and this is most clearly
proved from the year DCCXX appended: and the said word is missing in
Paul the Deacon.

[3] [with SS. Paldo, Taso and Tato helping,] About other helpers of the construction these things adds the same Leo.
Whom, namely Petronax, three certain noble
men of Beneventum, Paldo and Taso and Tato, brothers
german, who about fifteen years before the monastery
of the holy Martyr of Christ Vincent, beside
the source of the river Volturno, of their own expense to construct
had begun, since they were powerful and rich,
in the work itself both through themselves, and through their men
up to the restoration of this place, very much helped.
So there. The Life of these brothers wrote S. Autbert,
there an Abbot almost contemporary, of whom Paul
the Deacon makes mention. He relates moreover S. Paldo to have undertaken the rule
of the convent in the year DCCVII, when already two years before
the monastery seems to have begun to be constructed, so that there are fifteen
or so years before the restored Cassino in the year DCCXX,
in which S. Paldo died on October XI, on which day
the said Acts will have to be elucidated. Him succeeded S. Taso, in the year
DCCXXIX on day XI of January died; to whom the third brother
S. Tato substituted, died on December XI of the year DCCXXXIX.
We following Ferrarius, because we did not yet have the said Acts,
referred Tato in place of Taso to January XI,
which in the Supplement can be emended. About S. Petronax
helped by these brothers the indicated Acts are silent, what otherwise
Leo could have known. To the said relation these adds Leo:
He augmented the church of B. Martin, which he found
small, by almost sixteen cubits, and there making
an apse in honor of the Blessed Mary ever Virgin and
of the holy Martyrs Faustinus and Jovita, in it an altar
he placed, in which also the arm of one of them,
which he had brought with him from Brescia,
becomingly deposited. The various Acts of these Martyrs we illustrated
on day XV February.

[4] S. Petronax presided over the Cassinese convent under three
Roman Pontiffs and these Holy ones, namely S. Gregory
II, S. Gregory III, and S. Zacharias, who administered the church
from the year DCCXLI and the beginning of December, [and S. Zacharias Pope conferring various gifts] up
to the year DCCLII and day XV March, on which we adorned his Acts.
The benefits conferred by him on the monastery thus describes
in the place indicated Paul the Deacon: To this venerable man
Petronax in the following time the chief of priests
and beloved of God Pontiff Zacharias many helps
conferred, namely the books of holy Scripture and
also other things, which pertain to the utility of the monastery,
moreover the Rule, which the blessed Father Benedict
had written with his own holy hands,
with paternal piety conceded. So Paul and from him Leo, who adds
these: He also conferred the weight of a pound of bread, and the measure
of wine, which once thence under the invasion of the Lombards,
the monks fleeing carried with them to Rome.
From this most holy Pope also the aforesaid Abbot
the privilege first received, [and exemption granting.] that this monastery
with all the cells pertaining to it, wherever
in lands constructed, on account of the honor and reverence
of the most holy Father Benedict, from the dominion
of all Bishops should be free, so that under no jurisdiction
it should lie, except only of the Roman Pontiff. So
there, to which place most learned notes about the quality and origin
of the spiritual jurisdiction of Cassino adds Angelus
de Nuce, from Abbot of Cassino made afterwards Archbishop
of Rossano in Calabria.

[5] Among the noble monks, whom above Paul the Deacon
asserts gathered, [There were under him as monks Carlemann,] eminent was Carloman Duke
of the Franks, brother of King Pepin, whom in the year DCCXLVII
to retire to Cassino and become a monk,
the Annals of Fulda have. There came also Ratchis King
of the Lombards, who, witness Leo chapter 8 of the said book first,
to this monastery of B. Benedict reaching, [Ratchis with wife and daughter] and
under regular magisterium handing himself to be instructed, after
sufficiently religious and pleasing to God conversation, there
obtained the end of life… But his wife by name
Tasia, and daughter Ratruda, with the aforesaid Abbot
conceding and helping, a monastery of girls, not
far from Cassino (here understand the river not the mountain) in
the place which is called Plumbariola, of their own expense
constructed; and enriched with many goods, there under
great caution and severity of regular life living,
they closed their last day. So there. To Cassino also, that
they might more perfectly learn monastic discipline, betook themselves
S. Willibald praised above, and S. Sturmius
first Abbot of Fulda directed by S. Boniface to Cassino. [SS. Willibald, Sturmius, Liudger and others.]
To whom add the somewhat later in time S. Liudger
afterwards Bishop of Mimigardivord or Münster,
who in the year DCCLXXXIV expelled from Frisia, to Rome
and thence to the Confession of S. Benedict went for two years,
as in the Commentary on his Life is explained on March XXVI.
Cardinal Baronius, having followed Sigebert at the year
DCCXVI, in num. VII having indicated the monastery of Cassino restored
by Petronax, in num. VIII adds these. Wonderful to say,
how great soon from the new planting of Petronax
were propagated in that place shoots of monks,
and were augmented their swarms like bees, which from swelling
hives going forth, into diverse places to the multiplication
of offspring flew: as by us on
many Saints of this institution through this whole work
of ours is to be said.

[6] At length concludes Leo chapter 8 of the said book first, that Petronax
presided over this monastery for thirty-two years,
[S. Petronax having departed life in the year 752] died on the II Nones of May, and was buried
in the porch beside the church of S. Martin. The said years
if taken as completed, from the year DCCXX to the year
DCCLII are to be counted. In which year still DCCLII Optatus,

Petronax's successor, by Pope Stephen II (who from
day XXIX April of this year had taken up the Pontificate) to
King Aistulph, after the seventh month from his ordination,
was destined, but this notwithstanding, the death of Petronax can
fall on this day VI of May of the year DCCLII. [Inscribed in the fasti on May 6,]
His birthday celebrates Arnoldus Wion with these words: At Cassino
of S. Petronax the Abbot, who restored magnificently the monastery
of Cassino after its first overthrow,
and propagated monastic observance. Following
Wion are Dorganius, Menardus, Bucelinus in the Benedictine
Fasti, Mabillon in the Acts of the Saints of the Order of S.
Benedict, Marcus Antonius Scipio in the Eulogies of the Abbots
of Cassino: Ferrarius in the general Catalogue, [and is said to be venerated with ecclesiastical Office.] all of whom
honor him with the title of Saint: as also does Bernardinus
Faynus in the Italian Life composed by him and sent to us,
in which he testifies that S. Petronax on this VI May in the monastery
of Cassino is venerated with ecclesiastical Office under the rite
of double.

[7] The same Faynus takes the beginning of his narration from
the ancient Petronian family at Brescia equally as at Rome,
which in the Brescian field, about eighteen miles
from the city, possessed and named from itself Petroniaca, [in the Brescian field having built the monastery of S. Andrew]
commonly Pedergana: where Petronax received some
monks from the dispersion of the Cassinese, bearing with them
part of the sacred skull of S. Andrew, in whose honor
he built them a monastery. All of which in the silence
of ancient writers we prefer to leave undiscussed;
since no conjectures are more uncertain, than
those which taken from the affinity of names, presume to ascribe
illustrious men to certain families, either once noble
or now famous, and families to places, or these to those
to assign.

[8] I would judge, if S. Petronax has the said monastery
of S. Andrew as founder, it was founded by him, not
before, but after the restored Cassino; and that I would judge even more
likely, if it were proved, [and to have brought to Brescia a bone of S. Benedict and to have received for it one of S. Faustinus.] what relates
the same Faynus, that Petronax in the year DCCXXXIX ran out
to Brescia, at the invitation of S. Apollinaris the Bishop, and for a bone
from the arm of S. Benedict, which he was bringing, and which enclosed
in a silver arm of Lombard and most ancient work
even now is preserved, and yearly on March XXI
is proposed to be honored, in a certain chapel
dedicated to the holy Cross of the Cathedral church; received,
on day XIII September, a similar bone from the right arm of S. Faustinus. From
this matter so distinct knowledge, which a most sincere man
ought to have found in the monuments of the said church,
even more would be confirmed, what the Cassinese pretend,
that the faith concerning the presence of the holy body in Cassino at that
time was not at all controversial among those who there at that time
dwelt.

[Annotated]

* others thirty
