Brictius of Tours

Representation of St. Brictius at the church dedicated to this saint in Stotzheim (Hürth)

The holy Brice of Tours (* 370, † 444 in Tours ), also Britius , Brixius , Briktius , Briccius or Bricio , was the fourth bishop of Tours and successor of St. Martin in this office.

Church historical circumstances

Brictius was a contemporary of Augustine of Hippo and lived at the time of the Council of Ephesus . Gaul was part of the Roman Empire, where Christianity had been the official state religion since the end of the 4th century, and was in the process of advanced Christianization. The Western Roman Empire, however, was already very close to collapse, and various Germanic empires were formed in the course of the migration of the peoples in the fifth century; so politically the time was rather uncertain.

Life

According to the legend, an orphan rescued by Martin of Tours , Brictius was raised in Martin's monastery. He turned out to be a talented and ambitious student, but was more worldly, spirited, sharp-tongued and a lot more critical of the universally revered Martin than those around him believed to be right.

An anecdote reports that he was asked about Martin by a poor man and replied: "Go to church and if you see someone who is constantly looking up at heaven like a madman or a rapturous man, it is." In another case I did he told Martin himself that a barbarian from the wilderness of Hungary could not explain to him, who was born on the banks of the Loire, how to behave. He, who had been brought up decently, should let an uneducated old legionnaire dictate to him? Martin did not let himself be provoked by this and remained patient and Brictius asked his forgiveness in each case - until the next outburst of temper.

However, when Martin then prophesied that Brictius would succeed him as bishop, but would have many difficulties doing so, the clergy of Tours urged him, who were not enthusiastic about such a bishop, to send the troublemaker away; but Martin replied: "If Jesus could come to terms with Judas, then I can certainly come to terms with Brictius."

When Martin died in 397, Brictius actually succeeded him as bishop - elected by the people. For thirty years he taught, baptized, and practiced, and performed all the duties of a bishop. He was charged several times during this period with lukewarmness , being too secular and various other minor errors, but official church investigations acquitted him each time.

In the thirtieth year of his episcopate, a nun who was a laundress in his household had a child - and rumors in the city said Brictius was the father. He faced a divine judgment by carrying glowing coals in his cloak to the grave of St. Martin. His coat was undamaged, but his people didn't believe him and he had to leave Tours because otherwise he would have been stoned by them.

He used the time for a trip ad limina to Rome, which took him seven years, and was completely acquitted by the Pope. Various other bishops had been installed in Tours in his absence; when he returned, however, the last of these was carried out of town just dead and Brictius resumed his office. Seven years later, he “happily fell asleep,” as one of his biographers noted.

Brictius is portrayed as a controversial figure in various biographies. Church historians see the various related legends as an expression of the tensions between monk priests and world priests in Tours at that time.

Adoration

His bones were brought to Clermont by Gregory of Tours and are now in the church of San Michele in Pavia .

His feast day is November 13th . According to him, were St. Brictius churches named.

iconography

Brictius is portrayed as a bishop , with glowing coals in his robe or with a baby in his arms.

swell

• Sulpicius Severus : Dialogi III, 15 ( online )
• Gregory of Tours : Historia Francorum II, 1 . In: Bruno Krusch , Wilhelm Levison (eds.): Scriptores rerum Merovingicarum 1,1: Gregorii Turonensis Opera. Part 1: Libri historiarum X. Hannover 1937, p. 37 ( Monumenta Germaniae Historica , digitized version )
• Gregory of Tours, History of the Franks Book II Chap.1 (English)

literature

• Ekkart Sauser :  Brictius (Criccius, Brictio). In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 14, Bautz, Herzberg 1998, ISBN 3-88309-073-5 , Sp. 831-833.

About St. In 1888 Briktius published a book by Abbé Gobert, pastor of the parish of St. Brice in Abscon / France. The book is completely out of print. Not even the French National Library in Paris owns it. The text is complete with a German translation and a brief description of all Briktius parishes in words and pictures in:

• Hans G. Schoenen (Ed.): 'The man with the glowing coals. Life and adoration of St. Briktius / “L'homme aux Charbons Ardents. Vie et culte de Saint Brice ”. Edition bilingue (German and French). Din A4, 172 pages, bound, Edition St. Briktius, Roncalliplatz 2, D-41569 Rommerskirchen-Oekoven 1981, ISBN 3-922727-09-3 .
• Hans G.Schönen, St. Briktius-Illustrierte, Din A4, stapled, 48 pages with over 150 illustrations. ISBN 3-926765-96-8 . Edition St. Briktius, Roncalliplatz 2, D-41569 Rommerskirchen-Ökoven.

Web links

Commons : Brictius von Tours  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

predecessor	Office	successor
Martin	Bishop of Tours 397–443	Eustochius