HONORATUS OF ARLES, ST.

Bishop, first abbot of Lérins; d. Arles, Jan. 14 or 15, probably 430. The anniversary Sermon preached at Arles by his successor, Hilary, notes that he was of a consular family but gives neither place nor date of birth. It records his baptism as an adolescent and subsequent embracing of monasticism with a brother Venantius and their friend (St.) Caprasius (d. 430), first at home, then at Marseilles (?), Greece (where Venantius died at Methoni), Italy, and eventually Lérins (modern Saint Honorat in the Bay of Cannes) on which island Honoratus established his renowned abbey (c. 410). Upon visiting his home (Toul?, Trier?), Honoratus induced Hilary, his kinsman and episcopal successor, to join him at Lérins. That Honoratus was a priest is certified by the anniversary Sermon (16) and by the writings of paulinus of nola (Epist. 51).

From Lérins Honoratus was chosen bishop of Arles (Serm. 25, 28). Duchesne dates this 426 or 427, after the assassination of Bp. Patroclus. Chadwick more justly interposes Euladius between Patroclus and Honoratus, so that Honoratus's episcopate probably commenced in late 427 or early 428. He is the Arles prelate to whom Pope celestine i refers (Epist. 4); his reputation is reflected in cassian (Coll. 18). He died with Hilary at his side (Serm. 29), and was interred at Aliscamps in the now secularized church of his name on January 16.

Feast: Jan. 16.

Bibliography: s. cavallin, Vitae Sanctorum Honorati et Hilarii (Lund 1952). hilary of arles, Sermon, tr. r. j. deferrari, The Fathers of the Church: A New Translation, ed. r. j. deferrari et al.15 (New York 1952) 355–394. f. bonnard, S. Honorat de Lérins (Tours 1914). É. griffe, La Gaule chrétienne à l'époque romaine (Paris 1947) 2:191–197. j. r. palanque, "Les Évêchés provençaux à l'époque romaine," Provence historique 1 (1951) 131–132. o. chadwick, "Euladius of Arles," Journal of Theological Studies 46 (London 1945) 200–205. r. feraut, La vida de Sant Honorat: Iégende en vers provençaux (Geneva 1974).

[h. g. j. beck]