Remigius of Reims

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Baptism of Clovis in Reims Cathedral (statue in front of the cathedral)
Baptism of Clovis, fantasy from the 15th century
Representation of Remigius in Königswinter

Remigius von Reims (* probably 436 in Laon ; † January 13 or 15, 533 in Reims ) was a bishop from the Gallo-Roman nobility in the east of what is now France . He became known through the baptism of the Merovingian king Clovis I and is venerated as one of the great saints of the Frankish people .

Live and act

Remigius came from a wealthy family. At the age of 22 he was called to be a bishop. After the conquest of his home region by Franks invading from the east , he successfully endeavored to integrate the new rulers into the late Roman tradition, both socially and religiously. In particular, he made it his task to Christianize the Franks for the Roman Church and to move them to turn away from Arianism, to which they partly adhered. He is therefore also called the "Apostle of the Franks". He is also considered the founder of several dioceses in France.

Together with Queen Chlothilde , the wife of Clovis, Remigius is seen as a pioneer of Christianity in Europe. At a Christmas party shortly before the year 500 - there are sources that mention 497, 498 or 499 - he is said to have baptized Clovis and 3,000 more francs. While doing this, the bishop said to the king:

“Now, proud Sicamber , bow your head and submit it to the gentle yoke of Christ! Worship what you have burned so far and burn what you have worshiped so far! "

The legend reports: Even before his baptism, the king, who was a staunch guardian of the old Germanic faith, knew Christian doctrine very well through his Christian wife and through conversations with the bishop, but despised it as a religion of weakness. However, when he was in danger of losing to the Alamanni at the Battle of Zülpich in 496 , he vowed to profess the faith of his wife if he won the battle. He won and is said to have asked Bishop Remigius for baptism later.

In the meantime, historians tend to be of the opinion that Clovis was only baptized before the battle against the Arian Visigoths in 507. Corresponding references to such a baptism for political reasons can be found in the Vita of Bishop Solemnis of Chartres .

Adoration and name day

According to tradition, Remigius died at the age of 96 and was later canonized by the Catholic Church . In the period that followed, especially between the 6th and 11th centuries, a large number of churches were placed under his patronage , most of which still bear the name of St. Remigius today . Even monasteries of the Order of the Benedictines were dedicated to him, especially the Abbey of Saint-Remi in Reims and its German branch, the provost of St. Remigius on the Remigiusberg in Rhineland-Palatinate .

The feast day (name day) of St. Remigius does not fall on a single date in the Christian churches. For example, October 1st, the day of the transfer of his relics (Anglican, Orthodox, in the Diocese of Trier also Roman Catholic), and January 13th, which is assumed to be the day of his death (Roman Catholic, Orthodoxy in Germany) ; the evangelical memorial day is brought forward to January 12th.

In old documents, St. Remigius' Day, which falls on October 1st, is often mentioned as the reference date for annual taxes and services such as rent or pensions . This farmer's rule should also refer to this day :

"Rain on Saint Remigius brings annoyance for the whole month."

literature

Web links

Commons : Remigius von Reims  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Bernhard Schnell: Medicine in pictures and text. For the medical composite manuscript Ms. 413 of the Bibliothèque Municipale Laon. In: Würzburger medical historical reports 6, 1988, pp. 67–88; here: p. 68.
  2. ↑ Helmut Dick / Erwin Schöpper: Remigius' curriculum vitae . ( Memento from January 26, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ↑ The West Germanic Sugambrer or Sicamber had inflicted some serious defeats on the Romans at the turn of the times . The rulers of the Franks claimed the traditional fame for their ancestors.
predecessor Office successor
Bennage Bishop of Reims
459-533 		Romanus
personal data
SURNAME Remigius of Reims
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Apostle of the Franks
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Gallic-Frankish bishop
DATE OF BIRTH unsure: 436
DATE OF DEATH January 13, 533 or January 15, 533
Place of death Reims