Maximus of Turin

Maximus of Turin, medieval book illumination

Maximus of Turin (* in the 4th century; † around 420) is the first bishop mentioned in the Turin lists of bishops . Little about his life can be deduced from combinations of sources. The corpus of writings handed down under his name - predominantly transcripts of sermons - is one of the most important sources of theological history of the early church . Maximus has been venerated as a saint since ancient times .

Life and thought

The little known about Maximus' life comes from some incidental remarks in his sermons and from the note about him in De Viris Illustribus by Gennadius of Marseille (before 469).

Maximus was not from Turin . The fact that he nevertheless - probably - became the first owner of the young Turin cathedra could indicate a missionary situation. Gennadius characterizes him as being well versed in the scriptures and able to teach the people spontaneously. As the time of his death, he states the joint reign of Emperors Honorius and Theodosius II - that is, the years 408 to 423. Contemporary events to which Maximus refers allow his term of office to be limited to around the first two decades of the 5th century. Apart from a few trips and participation in a synod, nothing else is known about his life. A Turin bishop of the same name, who appears as a signatory of synodal documents in 451 and 465, can, contrary to various assumptions, not be identified with the Maximus mentioned by Gennadius, but is likely to be a successor. This is why he is sometimes called Maximus I of Turin .

In his sermons Maximus appears as a bishop of the Roman imperial church who is concerned about the welfare of the entire civitas . He sees this well-being endangered from the outside by raids by the Germanic peoples, from the inside by unchristian behavior of the believers - religious and social - and by the constant presence of pagan belief. He exhorts the martyrs to be worshiped as companions and patrons , especially at their graves and reliquaries ; his sermons contain some valuable testimonies about martyrdom and martyr cults.

Inscription on the portal gable of the church of San Massimo in Turin (1853): In honorem Sancti Maximi Ordo Populusque Taurinensis - "In honor of St. Maximus the clergy and the people of Turin"

St. Maximus shows the people the icon of the Consolata ; History painting, 19th century

Adoration

An old to St. The church dedicated to Maximus is in Collegno near Turin. Since there are no other old places of worship and no grave of the saint, his burial place was assumed there. However, no archaeological proof could be produced. It was not until 1845–1853 that the first bishop of Turin was consecrated a representative church in his episcopal city. At about the same time an application was made to the Holy See to give him the title of Doctor of the Church , which has not yet been done. The new bishop's seat in Turin Cathedral (2004) bears his image.

Tradition connects the name of the first bishop of Turin with the icon of Mary, La Consolata . This was brought by Eusebius von Vercelli from the east and given to his pupil Maximus. He brought them to Turin and exhibited them for veneration in a chapel of the St. Andrew's Church that he had built. In 1016 Pope Benedict VIII granted the place a privilege to indulge . If the church was destroyed, the icon was lost and was miraculously found again in 1104. The church became the sanctuary of the Consolata , and in this image Mary was called upon by the people in private and public needs. After the siege of Turin in 1706, she was officially declared the city's patron saint .

literature

• Work edition: CCSL vol. 23, ed. by Almut Mutzenbecher. Turnhout 1962.
• Andreas Merkt : Maximus I of Turin: the proclamation of a bishop of the early imperial church in a contemporary historical, social and liturgical context . Leiden 1997 ( limited preview in Google Book Search).

Web links

Commons : Maximus von Turin  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Fabio Arduino: San Massimo di Torino Vescovo (santiebeati.it, Italian)
• Benedict XVI. : Address on St. Maximus von Turin (general audience on October 31, 2007, English version)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Note, p. 1
2. ↑ Note, p. 2
3. ↑ Note, p. 67f.
4. ↑ ^{a b} Arduino
5. ↑ Laici Missionari della Consolata ( Memento of the original from March 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.