Exuperius
Encyclopedia
Saint Exuperius (died c. 410) was Bishop of Toulouse at the beginning of the 5th century.
His place and date of birth are unknown. Upon succeeding Saint Sylvius as bishop of Toulouse, he completed the Basilica of St. Sernin, begun by his predecessor. Saint Jerome
praises him for his munificence to the monks of Palestine
, Egypt
, and Libya
, and for his charity to the people of his own diocese, who were then suffering from the attacks of the Vandals
, Alans
, and Suevi. For the sake of the poor in his diocese he even sold the altar vessels and so was compelled to carry the Sacred Offering
in an osier basket and the Precious Blood in a vessel of glass. In esteem for his virtues and in gratitude for his gifts, Saint Jerome dedicated to him his Commentary on Zacharias
.
Exuperius is best known in connection with the Canon of the Sacred Scriptures
. He had written to Innocent I for instructions concerning the canon and several points of ecclesiastical discipline. In reply, the pope honoured him with the letter Consulenti tibi, dated February 405, which contained a list of the canonical scriptures as they are today.
The opinion of Baronius, that the bishop Exuperius was identical with the rector of the same name, is quite generally rejected, as the rector was a teacher of Hannibalianus
and Dalmatius
, nephews of Constantine the Great, over a half a century before the period of the bishop. From Jerome's letter to Furia, in 394, and from the epistle of Saint Paulinus
to Amandus of Bordeaux, in 397, it seems probable that Exuperius was a priest at Rome
, and later at Bordeaux
, before he was raised to the episcopate, though it is possible that in both of these letters reference is made to a different person. Just when he became bishop is unknown. That he occupied the See of Toulouse in February 405, (as is evident from the letter of Innocent I mentioned above) and from a statement of Saint Jerome in a letter to Rusticus
it is certain that he was still living in 411. It is sometimes said that Jerome reproved him, in a letter to Riparius, a priest of Spain
, for tolerating the heretic Vigilantius
; but as Vigilantius did not belong to the diocese of Toulouse, Jerome was probably speaking of another bishop.
Exuperius was early venerated as a saint. Even in the time of Gregory of Tours
he was held in equal veneration with Saint Saturninus
. His feast occurs on 28 September. The first martyrologist to assign it to this date was Usuard, who wrote towards the end of the 9th century.
His place and date of birth are unknown. Upon succeeding Saint Sylvius as bishop of Toulouse, he completed the Basilica of St. Sernin, begun by his predecessor. Saint Jerome
Saint Jerome
Saint Jerome is a Christian church father, best known for translating the Bible into Latin.Saint Jerome may also refer to:*Jerome of Pavia , Bishop of Pavia...
praises him for his munificence to the monks of Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, and Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, and for his charity to the people of his own diocese, who were then suffering from the attacks of the Vandals
Vandals
The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire during the 5th century. The Vandals under king Genseric entered Africa in 429 and by 439 established a kingdom which included the Roman Africa province, besides the islands of Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearics....
, Alans
Alans
The Alans, or the Alani, occasionally termed Alauni or Halani, were a group of Sarmatian tribes, nomadic pastoralists of the 1st millennium AD who spoke an Eastern Iranian language which derived from Scytho-Sarmatian and which in turn evolved into modern Ossetian.-Name:The various forms of Alan —...
, and Suevi. For the sake of the poor in his diocese he even sold the altar vessels and so was compelled to carry the Sacred Offering
Sacramental bread
Sacramental bread, sometimes called the lamb, altar bread, host or simply Communion bread, is the bread which is used in the Christian ritual of the Eucharist.-Eastern Catholic and Orthodox:...
in an osier basket and the Precious Blood in a vessel of glass. In esteem for his virtues and in gratitude for his gifts, Saint Jerome dedicated to him his Commentary on Zacharias
Book of Zechariah
The Book of Zechariah is the penultimate book of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew and Christian Bible, attributed to the prophet Zechariah.-Historical context:...
.
Exuperius is best known in connection with the Canon of the Sacred Scriptures
Christian biblical canons
A Christian biblical canon is the set of books that a Christian denomination regards as divinely inspired and thus constituting the Christian Bible...
. He had written to Innocent I for instructions concerning the canon and several points of ecclesiastical discipline. In reply, the pope honoured him with the letter Consulenti tibi, dated February 405, which contained a list of the canonical scriptures as they are today.
The opinion of Baronius, that the bishop Exuperius was identical with the rector of the same name, is quite generally rejected, as the rector was a teacher of Hannibalianus
Hannibalianus
Flavius Hannibalianus was a member of the Constantinian dynasty, which ruled over the Roman Empire in the 4th century.Hannibalianus was the son of Flavius Dalmatius, and thus nephew of Constantine I...
and Dalmatius
Dalmatius
Flavius Dalmatius , also known as Dalmatius Caesar, was a Caesar of the Roman Empire, and member of the Constantinian dynasty.Dalmatius was son of another Flavius Dalmatius, censor, and nephew of Constantine I...
, nephews of Constantine the Great, over a half a century before the period of the bishop. From Jerome's letter to Furia, in 394, and from the epistle of Saint Paulinus
Paulinus of Nola
Saint Paulinus of Nola, also known as Pontificus Meropius Anicius Paulinus was a Roman senator who converted to a severe monasticism in 394...
to Amandus of Bordeaux, in 397, it seems probable that Exuperius was a priest at Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, and later at Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, before he was raised to the episcopate, though it is possible that in both of these letters reference is made to a different person. Just when he became bishop is unknown. That he occupied the See of Toulouse in February 405, (as is evident from the letter of Innocent I mentioned above) and from a statement of Saint Jerome in a letter to Rusticus
Rusticus of Narbonne
Saint Rusticus of Narbonne was a bishop of Narbonne and Catholic saint of Gaul, born either at Marseilles or at Narbonne....
it is certain that he was still living in 411. It is sometimes said that Jerome reproved him, in a letter to Riparius, a priest of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, for tolerating the heretic Vigilantius
Vigilantius
Vigilantius, , the presbyter, celebrated as the author of a work, no longer extant, against a number of Catholic practices, which called forth one of the most violent of St Jerome's polemical treatises.-Life and legacy:...
; but as Vigilantius did not belong to the diocese of Toulouse, Jerome was probably speaking of another bishop.
Exuperius was early venerated as a saint. Even in the time of Gregory of Tours
Gregory of Tours
Saint Gregory of Tours was a Gallo-Roman historian and Bishop of Tours, which made him a leading prelate of Gaul. He was born Georgius Florentius, later adding the name Gregorius in honour of his maternal great-grandfather...
he was held in equal veneration with Saint Saturninus
Saturnin
Saint Saturnin of Toulouse , with a feast day entered for November 29, was one of the "Apostles to the Gauls" sent out during the consulate of Decius and Gratus to Christianize Gaul after the persecutions under Emperor Decius had all but dissolved the small Christian communities...
. His feast occurs on 28 September. The first martyrologist to assign it to this date was Usuard, who wrote towards the end of the 9th century.