De sancto Annemundo archiepiscopo
The Noble Life and Unjust Exile
Annemund rises to the archbishopric of Lyon through holiness, only to be cast into exile by the envy of the nobility.
Saint Annemund of Lyon was beloved by God and by the people. An archbishop and illustrious martyr, he was born of a noble family and raised among the courtiers of Dagobert, King of the Franks; yet, avoiding their company, he ran the way of God’s commandments, and because of his holy life, he earned promotion to the archbishopric of the city of Lyon. Once he was adorned with the pontifical miter, he became very dear to everyone in the kingdom—both locals and travelers—a fact that some of the nobles resented. They accused him before the king of being a destroyer of the kingdom and guilty of treason, and for this reason, he was exiled from his episcopal see. O cursed envy! Through you, Abel the just is killed; through you, John the Baptist is beheaded; through you, Jesus Christ, the true Son of God, is crucified; and through you, the holy bishop Annemund is accused before the king.
The Imitation of Christ in Suffering
Annemund mirrors the passion of Christ through his patience, prayer, love for enemies, and eventual martyrdom.
But the man of God, bearing all things with an even temper, was always diligent with his clergy in almsgiving, fasting, vigils, prayers, and other works of piety. For the martyrdom of this glorious bishop, the blessed Annemund, and his passion were similar to the passion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in five ways. First, in the betrayal; for as the holy Gospel testifies, our Lord was handed over because of envy: 'Pilate knew,' it says, 'that they had handed him over because of envy.' Thus, the blessed Annemund was accused and died. Second, he was similar in his love for his enemies; our Savior, stretched out on the cross and unmindful of almost all his pain, prayed to the Father for his enemies, saying: 'Most loving Father, most kind Father, I pray from my heart, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.' The blessed Annemund prayed in this way for his persecutors and those who did him evil. Third, in holy prayer, Christ Jesus, knowing the hour of his passing, prayed to the Father that He would deign to guard those whom He had loved. The glorious martyr, knowing his death was near, fled to prayer; and when the city was surrounded by a cohort at the prince's command, he celebrated the divine mysteries and said to his people: "I ask you, my brothers, and everyone here, that if I have offended you in any way or taken anything by force, do not take it to heart, but forgive me peacefully, for I never wished to burden any of you." But they answered with one voice, "Good shepherd, have you ever been anything but kind to us?" For we believe that everyone, from the least to the greatest, has been helped and enriched by your kindnesses. Forgive our sins, and we ask you to pray for us to God's mercy. And giving his blessing to the faithful, he prayed that God would deign to protect His people; the fourth similarity is shown in his presentation before the judge, for just as our Lord was presented before the judge Pilate, the victorious bishop Annemundus approached those who were seeking him. After greeting them and saying, "Peace be with you," the tyrant, filled with rage, said to his crowd, "We want you to come to the king's presence immediately." Led away by his enemies, they traveled to Mâcon, and after visiting the bishop, they came to the territory of Chalon. A certain holy priest, in visiting him, encouraged him to endure his passion, just as an angel encouraged our Savior in the garden. The fifth similarity is in the final conclusion: as the day ended and night approached, the man of God, exhausted from his journey after long prayers and the singing of psalms, rested his weary body on a bed. With everyone else gone, two men filled with wickedness were sent to kill the holy man of God with a sword, and he was crowned with the palm of martyrdom.
A Holy Resting Place
The martyr's body is returned to Lyon and honored with miracles.
Once the martyrdom was finished, his holy body was carried by God's servants, returned by way of the Saône to his city of Lyon, and laid to rest in his church with the greatest honor. His burial, marked by great miracles, stands as proof of the faith.
Read the original Latin
Dilectus Deo et hominibus sanctus Annemundus Lugdunensis. archipraesul et inclytus martir ex illustri prosapia ducens originem inter aulicos Dagoberti Francorum regis nutritus fuit, sed eorundem evitaus consortia viam mandatorum Dei cucurrit, qui ob vitae sanctünoniam ad Lugdunensis urbis archiepiscopatum meruit promoveri. 1s itaque pontificali decoratus infula omnibns cum regni in colis tum peregrinis pergratus exstitit, quod nonnulli procerun aegre ferentes eum. quasi regni eversoreim laesae majestatis cruninis apud regem accusaverunt, Quain ob causam ab episcopali sede exulavit. O maledicta invidia, per te Abel justus occiditur, per te Johannes baptista decollatur, per te Jesus Christus filius Dei verus crucifigitur, per te divus praesul Anneinundus apud regem accusatur. Sed vir Dei omnia aequo ferens animo elemosinis, jejuniis, vigiliis et orationibus ceterisque pietatis operibus cum clero semper instabat, Fuit enim martirium hujus gloriosi praesulis beati Anneimundi et sua passio sünilis passioni salvatoris domini nostri Jesu Christi in quinque, Primo in traditione; fuit nempe, ut testatur sanctum evangelium, dominus noster traditus propter invidiam: sciebat, inquit Pylatus, quod propter invidiam tradidissent eum, Sic beatus Annemundus accusatus est et mortuus. Secundo fuit similis in inimicorum dilectione; salvator noster in cruce expansus Omnium ferme dolorun immemor oravit ad patrem pro suis inunicis ita dicens: pater amantissime, pater benignissune, ex corde exoro, ignosce iis, quia nesciunt, quod faciunt, Beatus Annemundus sic oravit pro suis persecutoribus et malis. Tertio in sancta oratione Christus Jesus sciens horam sui transilus oravit ad patrem, ul suos, quos dilexerat, custodire dignaretur.
Sic gloriosus martir sciens mortem suam vicinam esse, ad orationem fugit, et cum civilas esset circumdata cohorte ex mandato principis, divinis celebratis mysteriis ad sunm populum ait: quaeso vos, fratres mei, et omnes, ut si in aliquo vos offenderiin atque quicquain violenter abstulerim, non indigne feratis, sed remittatis pacifice, quoniam neminem vestrum gravare volui. At illi unanimiter responderunt : numquid, pastor bone, nobis ingratus exstitisti? a minimo enim usque ad maximum tuis beneficiis relevatos atque ditatos esse censemus. Tu nostra indulge facinora, et pro nobis Dei clementiam, petimus, exora. Et fidelibus dans benedictionem oravit, ut Deus dignaretur populum suum praeservare, Quarto judicis praesentatione ostenditnr sunilitudo, quia dominus ante judicem Pylatum praesentatus fuit, mam vicloriosus pontifex Anneimundus ad eos, qui eum quaerebant, accessit. Quibus salutatis dicens iis: pax vobis, furore repletus tyrannus cum sua turba dixit: volumus, ut ad praesentiam regis protinus venias, Et eductus ab inimicis pergunt Matisconem et visitato episcopo ad territorium Cabilonense veniunt, Quidam vero sanctus sacerdos eum visitando anünavit ad tolerantiam passionis; wt angelus in horto salvatorem nostrum animnavit, Quinto est similis in finali consummatione, nain expleto die nox vicina successit, in qua vir Dei post longas 60 orationes et psalmorum jubila fatigatus ex itinere expositum in stratu refecit corpusculun, Et cunctis humanis absentibus duo sunt submissi viri nequitia pleni, sanctum Dei virum gladio necaverunt et palma martirii beatus est coronatus. Consummato autem martirio sanctum corpusculum a Dei famulis defertur, Araris vehiculo ad suam Lugdunensem civitatem remeavit, in sua ecclesia cum maximo honore sepulturae traditus est et sepultura decentissima cum magnis miracnlis d fidei probationem ostenditur.
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