Innocentius
Acta Sanctorum, May 7
Source text: Public Domain. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://actasanctorum.org/may/day-07/innocentius.html
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ON SAINT INNOCENTIUS

AFRICAN BISHOP AT GAETA IN ITALY.

4TH CENTURY.

[Preface]

Placidus or Placitus, Presbyter, at Autun in Gaul (S.)

D. P.

Gaeta, in lateral Latium and the Formian gulf,
a most ancient and Episcopal city
is: which at this time annexed to the kingdom of Naples,
reveres the Catholic King of the Spains
as its Prince: by whose help and most strongly fortified
citadel, it has been rendered impregnable. In the Cathedral
church there rest various bodies of Saints: [At Gaeta with other bodies of Saints is the body of S. Innocentius]
namely of Erasmus, the Patron of this city, whose feast is celebrated
on the second day of June; of Marcianus, Bishop and Martyr,
to be referred to the XIV day of the same June; of Castus and Secundinus,
whose birthday falls on the Kalends of July; of Probus Bishop
and Martyr, to be commemorated on VI of October; and to
this month of May to be recalled pertain, S. Innocentius
on this VII day, Euperia Virgin and Martyr on the day XVII, and Albina,
likewise Virgin and Martyr, on the day XXVI: of all of whom
the bodies rest there, [and solemn cultus.] and the feasts are performed with solemn rite,
testifies Ferdinandus Ughellus in volume 1 of Italia sacra in the Gaetan
Bishops. We, about to treat of each in his own time, from
by the procurement of P. Antonius Beatillus of the Society of Jesus, most loving
of our studies, to whom for promoting them he liberally communicated the treasure
collected by himself concerning the Saints of the kingdom of Naples.
Some compendium of it, but the fabulous things, as he says, being rejected,
Ferrarius published in his Catalogue of the Saints of Italy; and
subjoined this Annotation: This history of S. Innocentius
needs the accurate censure of some learned man, who all things
being diligently inspected, the time in which the man was among
men should bring forth, what Galilaea city, and what Justiniana is
(for three cities of this name are read) should explain.
Thus he. But, whence does he think the compendium of the Life published
by himself can obtain among learned men some specimen
of verisimilitude, when the very history, from which
that compendium is taken, he asserts to be fabulous?
Before therefore we pronounce anything concerning it itself, [how it is here set forth?] of what kind it seems to us,
it pleases us here to set forth its context,
under the title of an apocryphal Life; inasmuch as it contains many obscure things, some
even foreign to verisimilitude: then
indeed our conjectures for illustrating it, and for correcting it
censures we shall set forth, leaving the entire judgment of the whole matter
to the Reader. It itself stands thus.

APOCRYPHAL LIFE

From the MS. Legendary of the church of Gaeta.

Placidus or Placitus, Presbyter, at Autun in Gaul (S.)

BHL Number: 4279

FROM A MS.

[1] In those days there was a persecution of the Christians:
and when Blessed Innocentius had been born in
the city of Galilaea, [He is said at five years old to have been carried away by an Angel from his parents] being made five years old in the middle
of the night he was carried away by an Angel from the side of his mother,
and led to the Holy Forty, at the thirtieth milestone
from his parents. Then his mother being awakened,
did not find her son at her side:
and says to her husband Adrianus: Woe to us! how
has our son been carried away from our side? what
profit will it be for us to be in this city? Our first
fruit has been taken from us: let us go out of this
city, and let us change to another Province. Going out the gate
of the city of Galilaea, they came to the city of Justiniana
in the land of Africa, searching through all
places, seeking B. Innocentius their son,
and at the same time sending forth B. Memoratianus… seeking
B. Innocentius.

[2] [grown up, returned to his fatherland,] But Blessed Innocentius, when he had remained
in the place to which he had been carried by the Angel,
for twenty-two years, and had been made already
twenty-seven years old; there was given to him grace from God
of wisdom and understanding, and remembering his parents,
he said within himself: Who are my parents,
or whose mother's milk did I drink, or how
into this place I was brought I know not. But remembering
the Psalm in the place where it says, "they that go down to the sea in
ships, in the many waters, to do their work":
he went up into a little ship, and returned to
the city of Galilaea, seeking his parents. [Ps. 100, 2.]
And confessing himself to be a Christian, he was led to
a certain Proconsul, by name Anolinus, who
in those very days was holding S. Crispina the Martyr in chains,
[before the Proconsul having professed the faith of Christ] and afflicting her. And when he had heard
B. Innocentius, and had recognized him to be a Christian,
he began to interrogate him with words saying:
Whence do you come? or whither do you go? or whom do you seek?
To whom B. Innocentius answered: The parents whom I have,
are not earthly: yet nevertheless my father and
mother, who carnally begot me, how
I was carried away from them, or where they are, I know not: wherefore
I go to seek them, and where I should seek, I know not; and if I
do not find them, it suffices to have Christ, whom I confess,
daily with me. At which word Anolinus the Proconsul
was angered, and wished to terrify him.

[3] [in the city Justiniana of Africa ordained Deacon then Bishop.] Which B. Innocentius recognizing, struck with fear,
that same night going up into the little ship
in which he had come, came into the Province of Africa into
the city which is called Justiniana: where he found his
parents. And he remained in the same city, where
there was given to him grace from God and the Lord Jesus Christ,
and he was made a Deacon, in which habit he was for seven years.
Afterward when he had been made a Bishop,
he was in the order of the Episcopate for another seven years.

[4] [to have come to the island Aenaria, then the Cave and about to sail to Terracina,] Then indeed he came into the Province of Italy, into
the island which is called Aenaria, set in the parts of Campania,
at the eighteenth milestone from the city of Naples,
in which place there were dwelling certain handmaids of God,
nuns; who received him with great
joy into their monastery, and there he remained
for seven days. And going out from that island,
coming into the place which is called the cave, where he found
B. Memoratianus his Deacon, who had already
gone before him with all his family, and they rejoiced
greatly; and entering the little ship they wished to go
to the city of Terracina, at about the thirteenth
milestone from the Cave. And when he had already drawn near
to Terracina, [driven by the wind to Capratia:] suddenly there was given a strong wind,
and it began to weary them; so that the oars in their hands
were broken, and the wind cast them into
a place which is called Capratia: in which place they remained
fifteen days.

[5] Hearing these things one Severianus by name, who held
the first place in the city of Terracina, [coming to seize them,] commanded his Notary,
that he should take seven pairs of oxen and go
to B. Innocentius, and under all custody with
all his family and possessions, should carry them off into the city
of Terracina. Whom when B. Innocentius had seen so
armed coming to him; he said to Blessed Memoratianus:
Those servants come to seize us, says
to him Blessed Memoratianus: And I already see, but
pray, [a prayer being poured forth to God] my Lord, in Christ's name, that against us
they do not do what they wish. But Blessed Innocentius bending his knees began to pray saying: Lord
God, Father almighty of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with You forever and ever,
whom You deigned through the Prophets to announce to us
as about to come, that He might free us by His passion from the region
of the shadow of death, and redeem us from the snares
of our enemies, hear me Your servant, in this hour:
that those men, who come to us for the harming
of Your servants, may not be permitted to work anything
against us, through our Lord. And when
he had finished the prayer, [to have driven them far away,] the Notary drew near
with the soldiers, and seven pairs of oxen.
But when they had laid hold of B. Innocentius, suddenly
there was given a bellowing of all those oxen, and they expired
all. But terrified, those who had come,
with great fear and put to flight, returned to the city
of Terracina, reporting to Severianus all things which
had befallen them, and how their oxen had expired.
But such a fear and trembling was given them;
that no longer did Severianus presume to send word to B. Innocentius,
except only by asking that he would pray
for him. But Blessed Innocentius in that hour, in which
he was surrounded by the soldiers, before the fear was shown in them,
lifted his eyes to heaven, saying: As
with grace I could not enter this city of Terracina,
but they received me as an enemy;
I ask, that whoever shall be born in it, that man may not there
prevail.

[6] [to have healed a one-eyed and maimed man,] But afterward, while still B. Innocentius was tarrying in
the aforesaid place Capratia, there was there a certain
poor man from his birth needy of food, whose name
was Secundus: who had one eye injured,
and one hand and one foot withered:
who in no wise found food, nor was there any other means
at hand, except one pair of unblemished young oxen.
To whom appeared an Angel of the Lord in sleep,
saying: Take the young oxen, and go to B.
Innocentius: and what shall be commanded you by him,
do. Rising in the morning that man walked to
B. Innocentius, and told him what he had seen in his sleep.
To whom B. Innocentius said: Do what you have been bidden,
and come to us. To whom that man says: Lord,
I wish to take the young oxen, but I am in no way able,
because they have neither received a band on the head, nor
a yoke on the neck. To whom B. Innocentius said:
Go in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, [to have tamed untamed oxen.] whose servant I
am: take these cows safely, and they will do no
trouble to you. That withered man went off, and
with such gentleness laid hold of them, as if days
and nights they had stood in the rope, which previously not even ten
men could bring to their home. Which
when he had laid hold of, putting the yoke upon them,
he leads them to the sea to B. Innocentius. Who when
he had seen him, said: God and our Lord Jesus
Christ recompense you for us, and may you be made
whole; that you who in your infancy had it ill, now
may receive it well. And the vehicle being joined he placed upon
them what things were necessary, and went off to the place
which he desired, that is from the bottom to the Palm,
about eight hundred paces more or less. That man
returning with prayer to his home, found
all the vessels full of wheat, oil, and wine, to whom from that very
day was restored health in eye, hand, and foot:
and so much did God minister to him through the prayer of Blessed Innocentius,
that until his death he had not anything
the less.

[7] [he dies May 7] But Blessed Innocentius rested in the same
place with his Deacon Memoratianus, on the seventh day
of the month of May, where the Lord showed wonders through them.
But after much time the body of
B. Innocentius was translated by the citizens of Gaeta into the city of Gaeta, [translated to Gaeta he shines with miracles.]
and with hymns and praises was laid up
in a hidden place of the church of holy Mary of Gaeta: where by his
merits and intercessions many wonders shine,
to the praise of our Lord Jesus Christ: who
with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns forever
and ever. Amen.

CONJECTURES AND CENSURES

On the preceding Life.

Placidus or Placitus, Presbyter, at Autun in Gaul (S.)

BY THE AUTHOR D. P.

[1] [Under Diocletian and Maximian Innocentius lived] That which in the whole history that is had of S. Innocentius
seemed most difficult to find to Ferrarius;
plainly has a ready solution, to one turning his eyes back to S.
Crispina, who when she was held in chains and afflicted
by the Proconsul of the Province, to the same was led S.
Innocentius said to be, and to have professed the faith. For neither is she
an ignoble or obscure Martyr: but in S. Augustine
on various occasions and in places at least five times she is praised;
to be expounded more fully and distinctly at the day V of December,
on which she is venerated. It will be enough here to hear Ado, weaving
from those this elogium for her: in Africa at the Colony
of Thebeste, the birthday of S. Crispina, who in the times
of Diocletian and Maximian, when she would not
sacrifice, by command of Anolinus the Proconsul was beheaded.
Behold the time, behold the place to which you may refer the rest.

[2] Namely Thebeste, as he himself in his Geographical Lexicon
teaches, Ferrarius, [Galilaea in Africa at a maritime place,] a Mediterranean city of Africa and once Episcopal
under the Archbishop of Carthage. To this
therefore very near, but at the sea, was Galilaea, the fatherland
of Innocentius: nor far thence also at the sea, but in another, suppose
the Byzacene province, the city Justiniana. Unknown, you will say,
to the African Councils and histories are the names, nay fetched from afar:
for Galilaea we read to be a region of Palestine alone,
but Justiniana (which nevertheless ought to be an Episcopal city)
elsewhere several, none in Africa. Concerning Galilaea I confess: but also
this I know, that very many towns, nay also cities, are and were in Africa of unknown
appellation or position. Carolus a S. Paulo in
his Geographia sacra sets forth in alphabetical order the notice
of Episcopal Sees more than a hundred and fifty in Africa,
which to what province they should be ascribed is unknown; but among
the noted and to a certain province ascribed cities, you will read
in the same Beneventum, Papia, Neapolis,
Parisium, Regium, Abidum, Sestum, Ida,
Abdera, Horta, and the like, nay Germania
and Aquitania, not regions, but cities; which
with no less wonder some less skilled person may hear
named in Africa, than Galilaea.

[3] [then at Hadrumetum afterward called Justiniana:] As to Justiniana, I observe, that all cities
called by this name received it from the restorer Justinian
in the VI century, after those Councils were celebrated, from which
now we have almost the nomenclature of the African Sees,
when they were before called by other names, just as Byzantium
was first called, what afterward by its enlarger was called
Constantinople. We have of these a wealthy and irrefragable witness
Procopius of Caesarea, throughout all the six books which
he wrote concerning the buildings of Justinian, of which the last treats
only those things, which he did in Africa, but in chapter 4 he narrates,
how in the Byzacene province the maritime city
Hadrumetum, despoiled of its walls by the Vandals, and thence
exposed to the incursions of the Moors, he found; but
the same girt with the greatest walls, and furnished with a just garrison,
vindicated the citizens from the fear of any enemies whatsoever into
the confidence of security. Wherefore, says Procopius,
this city also today they call Justiniana,
paying to the saving Prince such a reward, and by the imposition alone
of the name signifying a grateful mind:
inasmuch as nothing else, by which they might recompense the Emperor's beneficence,
either have they themselves or does he greatly desire.
We have therefore Justiniana, different from the three which Ferrarius
knew, situated in Macedonia, Moesia, Bithynia, and so
making nothing to the purpose here. But Hadrumetum was
an Episcopal city, and in it in the year CCCXCIV was celebrated
a Council.

[4] But as the writer of the life used the appellation of this city known in his
own time, for that which in the age of Diocletian was known;
so he seems also to have used the word of a more recent
institution, when he called the place, distant at the thirtieth
milestone from Galilaea, the fatherland of Innocentius, "at the Forty," meaning of course the
Martyrs of Sebaste, wont to be venerated on March IX, [brought up in a place which is afterward called "at the Holy 40."]
whose sacred ashes, in the times of Constantine and his posterity,
carried into various parts of the world, made the name in several
places also: which we can believe to have happened also in Africa.
But there presided over the Byzacene Province a Proconsul;
whom I altogether believe should in this Life have been called
Anolinus, if the author had had a more exact notice of the matter:
but indeed reading or hearing Innocentius to have suffered some trouble from Severianus,
holding the first place of Terracina,
he did not absurdly believe, to lead to the same in Africa
Innocentius, about to profess the faith, which now might better
be corrected.

[5] Moreover the Saint's pilgrimage into Italy for the cause of fleeing the persecution,
[then he migrated to the shores of Campania.] has no difficulty as to the places expressed by the author of the Life:
for the African Provinces were subject to the Praetorian
Prefect of Italy, nay also to the Emperors Augusti themselves,
who chiefly dwelt at Rome: hence there was continual
navigation from Africa into Italy, in which first is
the island Aenaria, everywhere by the ancients described, now Ischia
called. Most well-known also there is the city Terracina,
between which and Gaeta is Spelunca, by Tacitus, Suetonius
and Strabo mentioned, now called Sperlonga. Not far
thence Fundi, a most ancient city and even now Episcopal
is: whence concerning Capratia, that it is there in the territory of Terracina,
a conjecture can be made: what if this is now called the Tower of S.
Anastasius? We leave it to be inquired by learned men;
because we do not wish to flee to the island Capraria, between
Corsica and the Genoese dominion. And these things concerning
the places mentioned in this Life.

[6] Now as to what pertains to the rest of its series: it thus seems
able to be arranged, that having been born about the year CCLXXVI, [how the time of the Life can be arranged,]
at five years old he was snatched from his paternal home. This because it turned to his
salvation, the author believed to have been done by an Angel. To masters then into whose
power he came, delighted with the noble disposition of the boy,
he was handed over to be instructed in sacred and profane letters,
in that place which afterward from the Forty Martyrs
received its name; and there for years not only two, but
(as by conjecture I have corrected) twenty-two, advancing to all
wisdom, when he was now in the year of his age, not the seventh,
but the twenty-seventh, having undertaken to seek his parents hitherto
unknown to himself, he went off to Galilaea, the persecution of Diocletian
against the Christians being now hot: where soon recognized as such,
and led to Thebeste to Anolinus, he escaped his hands
and came to Hadrumetum: whither already long before
his parents had migrated. But finding these there by a certain divine disposition
he chose to remain there, and the persecution ceasing through
the voluntary abdication of the Emperors he was co-opted
into the Clergy, with his former tutor Memoratianus.
Made then a Deacon of that church, after seven years
spent in that office and grade, the Bishop of the city
being dead, he succeeded into the Pontificate: in which being established the aforesaid

Memoratianus he took as his Deacon:
for so I correct what in our copy is now written "given,"
now "called his," wrongly.

[7] What cause then there was, being now a Bishop, that he should determine,
his Church being dismissed, to migrate into Italy, [The cause of deserting the Episcopate, can have been the violence of the Arians] with his Episcopal
family, who can divine? If it please one to suspect that to
the times of Constantius and the vexation of the orthodox Bishops in the whole
empire Innocentius came; to conjecture
would be not inconsequent, that to the violence of the Arians occupying the churches
he himself yielded at the same time, in which S. Athanasius was forced to lie
hidden: and Memoratianus being sent before in a ship with the family,
he put in first at the island Aenaria, then at Spelunca,
whence he wished to sail to Terracina:
but compelled by a stronger wind he disembarked at Capratia, perhaps in the middle
space between Terracina and Spelunca, and there
he stayed fifteen days.

[8] But meanwhile being warned of the arrival of the Catholic
Bishop from Africa, Severianus, Prefect of that city by the Emperor
Constantius, an Arian man (for that he was not a Gentile, but
not Catholic either, sufficiently appears from what he did) commanded him to be
brought bound, a Notary being sent with a seven-yoke wagon, [for which cause also he was excluded from Terracina under the Emperor Constantius.]
in which he and his companions might be conveyed to Terracina. But the oxen
at the prayer of the holy man being dead, the Notary being terrified,
and terrifying Severianus, so that he even commended himself to his
prayers; he was there at Capratia left to dwell in quiet:
until both he himself and B. Memoratianus and the rest
died, famous for miracles, especially the Bishop Innocentius,
whose cultus there persevered on May VII; until
the place being desolated by the Saracens, like many others, the Gaetan
citizens were stirred up, to translate the venerable body into their own church.
When out of those things which at Capratia were handed down
by word, or at least painted or written, this Life also was compiled;
to which after so great an interval of time
you may easily pardon some sprinkling of less verisimilar circumstances,
since that is almost the fortune of all Lives which
were written after the lapse of very many centuries. Ferrarius in his General
Catalogue called S. Innocentius a Bishop and Martyr:
but he himself correcting himself in the Catalogue of the Saints of Italy,
more rightly asserts, that he fell asleep a Confessor in the Lord.
