De sancto Leodegario
The Bishop's Holy Foresight
Leodegarius navigates the treacherous political landscape of the royal court with holiness, charity, and discernment.
Because Leodegarius excelled in every virtue, he earned his promotion to bishop of the church of Autun. When King Clotaire died and the kingdom's administration was under heavy strain, Leodegarius—by the will of God and the counsel of the princes—appointed Childeric, Clotaire's brother and a very capable young man, as king. But Ebroin tried to install Theoderic, Childeric's own brother, not for the good of the kingdom, but because he had been removed from power and was hated by everyone, and he feared the wrath of the king and the princes. Fearing this, Ebroin asked the king for permission and entered a monastery. With the king's permission, and with the bishop holding Theoderic in custody to prevent him from plotting against the kingdom, everyone rejoiced in the wonderful peace brought about by the bishop's holiness and foresight. But after some time, the king, corrupted by the advice of wicked men, was incited to such hatred for the man of God that he began to search intently for an opportunity and a way to kill him. Yet the bishop, bearing this gently and embracing all his enemies as friends, arranged with the king to celebrate Easter in the city where he presided. And behold, on that very day it was announced to him that the king had decided to carry out that night whatever he had plotted regarding his death; but he, trembling at nothing, shared a meal with the king that day and thus escaped his persecutor. In the monastery of Luxeuil, serving the Lord, he served with diligent charity even Ebroin, who was hiding there in monastic habit.
The Path of Suffering
Returning to his see, Leodegarius endures brutal persecution and physical torture at the hands of Ebroin while maintaining his witness to Christ.
Shortly after, the king died, and Theoderic took the throne. Because of this, Leodegar was moved by the tears and prayers of his people and compelled by the abbot's command to return to his see, while Ebroin immediately apostatized and was appointed the king's steward. Although he had been wicked before, he was even worse afterward and tried with all his might to kill Leodegar. He sent soldiers to capture him, but when Leodegar found out, he yielded to their fury; as he was leaving the city in his pontifical vestments, he was captured by the soldiers, who immediately gouged out his eyes. Two years later, Saint Leodegar was brought to the king's palace along with his brother Garinus, whom Ebroin had sent into exile. When he answered Ebroin's mockery wisely and peacefully, that wicked man ordered Garinus to be stoned to death and the holy bishop to be led all day barefoot through a river over the sharpest stones; and hearing that he was praising God during these torments, he had his tongue cut out and later handed him over to a guard to keep him for further tortures. He did not lose the ability to speak, but spent his time preaching and exhorting as best he could, and he predicted when and how he and Ebroin would depart from this life. An immense light surrounded his head like a crown; when many saw this, they asked the bishop what it was. But he prostrated himself in prayer, gave thanks to God, and urged all those standing by to change their lives for the better.
The Triumph of the Martyr
Following his execution, the saint's holiness is vindicated through divine judgment upon his persecutors and the glorification of his relics.
When Ebroin heard this, he was filled with envy and sent four executioners with orders to behead him. As they were leading him away, he said to them, 'Brothers, there is no need for you to tire yourselves out any longer; just fulfill the desire of the one who sent you right here.' At this, three of them were so struck with compunction that they fell at his feet and begged for forgiveness, but the fourth, once he had beheaded him, was immediately seized by a demon, thrown into the fire, and met a miserable end. Two years later, when Ebroin heard that the saint's body was being glorified by many miracles, he was tormented by such envy that he sent a soldier there to find out if it were true. When the proud and arrogant soldier arrived, he kicked the saint's tomb and shouted, 'Let the man who believes a dead person can perform miracles die!' Soon after, he was seized by a demon and died suddenly, and by his own death, he only further commended the saint. Hearing this, Ebroin was tormented even more by envy and plotted to destroy the saint's reputation, but just as the saint had predicted, the wicked man was himself killed by the sword. He suffered martyrdom around the year of our Lord 680, during the reign of Constantine IV.
Read the original Latin
Leodegarius dum omni virtute polleret, Eduensi ecclesiae meruit in pontificem promoveri. Qni dum Clotario rege decedente cura regni gravius premeretur, voluntate Dei et principum consilio Childericum fratrem Clotarii adolescentem valde idoneum praefecit in regem. Sed Ebroinus Theodericum ipsius Childerlci germanum praeficere nitebatur, non propter regni commodum, sed quia de potestate ejectus et omnibus odiosus iram regis el principum verebatar. Timens igitur Ebroinus licentiam a rege petiit ct monasterium introivit. Quo concedente et fratrem suum Theodoricum, ne contra regnum aliquid moliretur, in custodia detinente sanctitate et providentia episcopi pace mirabili omnes gaudebant. Sed post aliquod tempus rex malignorum consilio depravatus in tantum in viri Dei odium incitatur, quod opportunitatem et modum mortis ejus attentins inquirebat. Sed episcopus blande ferens et omnes inimicos suos ut amicos amplectens egit cum rege, ut diem paschae in urbe, cui praeerat, celebraret. Et ecce illa die nuntiatum est ti, quod rex in illa nocte, quidquid de morte ejus tractaverat, perficere decrevisset, At ille nihil trepidans, sed illa die cum rege in mensa communicans persecutorem sic fugit, quod in Luxuniensi monasterio domino serviens etiam Ebroino, qui in monastico habitu latitabat, sedula caritate servivit.
Post modicum rex moritur et Theodericus in regnum sublimatur. Quapropter Leodegarius populi sui lacrymis et precibus motus et abbatis imperio compulsus ad sedem suam rediit ac Ebroinus- protinus apostatavit et regis senescallus ordinatus est. Qni licet prius malus fuerit, tamen postea fuit pejor totoque studio Leodegarium occidere nitebatur. Missis igitur militibus, qui eum caperent, cum hoc Leodegarius comperisset, eorum furori cedens dum in habitu pontificali de urbe egrederetur, a militibus capitur, qui el statim oculos eruerunt, Post biennium sanctus Leodegarius cum fratre suo Garino, quem Ebroinus exulaverat, in palatium regis est adductus. Cum ad irrisionem Ebroini sapienter et pacifice responderet, nequam ille jussit: Garinum lapidibus obrui sanctumque episcopum tota die nudis pedibus per quendam fluvium super acutissimos lapides decurrentem deduci, et andiens, quod in his tormentis Deum laudaret, linguam ejus praescidi fecit et postmodum eum cuidam custodi tradidit, ut ipsum novis suppliciis reservaret. Ille antem usum loquendi non perdidit, sed praedicationi et exhortationi, prout poterat, vacabat praedixitque, quando et qualiter ipse et Ebroinus ex hac vita migrarent, Lux autem !) immensa ad modum coronae caput ejus circumdedit: quam cum multi vidissent, quid hoc esset, ab episcopo quaesierunt. At ille se in oratione prosternens gratias Deo retulit et omnes adstantes, ut in melius vitam mutarent, admonnit.
Quod Ebroinms audiens et invidens missis quatuor spienlatoribus ipsum decollari praecepit. Cum ergo ipsum ducerent, ait lis: non est, inquit, opus, fratres, vos diutius fatigari, sed hic implete desiderium ejus, qui vos misit, Ad hoc tres illorum adeo sunt compuncti, quod ad pedes ejus procidentes veniam pre: cabantur, quartus vero, cum eum decollasset, protinus a daemone arreptus et ín ignem projectus vitam miserabiliter terminavit. Biennio expleto audiens Ebroinus corpus sancti viri multis miraculis illastrari, miserabiliter cruciatus invidia militem illuc misit, ut, an sie se haberet veritas, intimaret. Miles autem superbus et arrogans cum illuc venisset, calce tumbam sancti percutiens exelamavit: moriatur, qui mortuum miracula facere posse credit, Mox ille arreptus a daemonio et subito moriens morte sua sanctum amplius commendavit. His auditis Ebroinus amplius invidia torquebatur et famam sancti exstinguere moliebatur, sed juxta praedicationem sancti gladio nequiter nequam occiditur ipse. Passus est antem circa annum domini DCLXXX tempore Constantini quarti.
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