dimanche 20 janvier 2013

Saint FABIEN, Pape et martyr


Saint Fabien

Pape (20e) de 236 à 250 et martyr (✝ 250)

Pape et martyr à Rome, sur la via Appia, durant la persécution de l'empereur Dèce.

Évêque de Rome durant quatorze ans, saint Cyprien de Carthage, son contemporain, l'appelait un homme incomparable et ajoutait que sa mort correspondait à la bonté et à la pureté de sa vie. (Lettre 9)

Mémoire de saint Fabien, pape et martyr, en 250. Laïc appelé au pontificat par une disposition divine, il montra un exemple glorieux de foi et de courage en subissant le martyre lors de la persécution de Dèce, en 250. Saint Cyprien se réjouit de ce que son administration irréprochable de l'Église ait eu un aussi digne couronnement. Son corps fut inhumé dans le cimetière de Calliste sur la voie Appienne.

Martyrologe romain


Cromolitografia in L. Tripepi, Ritratti e biografie dei romani pontefici: da S. Pietro a Leone 13, Roma, Vaglimigli Davide, 1879.


Saint Fabien

Pape et Martyr

(† 250)

Saint Fabien monta sur la chaire de saint Pierre en 236. Dieu manifesta le choix qu'Il avait fait de lui par une colombe descendue d'En-Haut, qui alla se poser sur sa tête. Une telle entrée dans le gouvernement de l'Église suppose de hautes vertus et promet des événements remarquables, mais l'histoire en a peu conservé le souvenir. Saint Cyprien résume l'éloge de saint Fabien en lui donnant le titre d'homme incomparable. Le martyre couronna sa vie l'an 250.

Abbé L. Jaud, Vie des Saints pour tous les jours de l'année, Tours, Mame, 1950

SOURCE : http://magnificat.ca/cal/fr/saints/saint_fabien.html


Saint Fabien, pape et martyr

Il fut pape durant quatorze ans, de 236 à 250. Saint Cyprien de Carthage, son contemporain, l'appelait un homme incomparable et ajoutait que sa mort correspondait à la bonté et à la pureté de sa vie. Il tomba, victime de la persécution de Dèce, en 250.

SOURCE : http://www.paroisse-saint-aygulf.fr/index.php/prieres-et-liturgie/saints-par-mois/icalrepeat.detail/2015/01/20/1615/-/saint-fabien-pape-et-martyr



Saint Fabien (236-250)

Fabien fut un excellent administrateur de l’Église.

Il se préoccupa de l’organisation des diocèses de Rome et divisa la ville éternelle en sept districts.

Il fut, lui aussi, martyrisé.

SOURCE : http://eglise.de.dieu.free.fr/liste_des_papes_02.htm

Giovanni di Paolo  (1403–1482). Saint Fabien et saint Sébastien, 84,5 X 54,5, National Gallery, London



 SAINT FABIEN *

Fabien, comme on dirait fabriquant la béatitude suprême, c'est-à-dire se l’acquérant à un triple droit, d'adoption, d'achat et de combat.

Fabien fut citoyen romain. Le pape étant mort, le peuple était rassemblé pour en élire un autre; Fabien vint, lui aussi, avec la foule, connaître le résultat de l’élection. Et voici qu'une colombe blanche descendit sur sa tête. Tout le monde en fut rempli d'admiration et on le choisit pour pape. Le pape Damase dit qu'il envoya dans toutes les régions sept diacres et il leur adjoignit sept sous-diacres pour recueillir les actes de tous les martyrs. Haymon rapporte ** que l’empereur Philippe, voulant assister aux vigiles de Pâques et participer aux mystères, il lui résista et ne lui permit d'y assister qu'après avoir confessé ses péchés et être resté parmi les pénitents. Enfin la treizième année de son pontificat, il fut décapité par l’ordre de Décius et obtint ainsi la couronne du martyre. Il souffrit vers l’an du Seigneur 253***.

* Bréviaire.

** Hist. sacrée, liv. VI, c. II.

*** Saint Fabien gouverna l’Église Romaine de longues années et souffrit du temps de Dèce. Lors de son élection, il y eut beaucoup de personnes qui virent le Saint-Esprit paraître sur lui sous la forme d'une colombe. Il fit recueillir et écrire les Actes du Martyre des Saints laissés sans précaution chez les notaires. Il fit élever un grand nombre de basiliques dans les cimetières des Saints et en fit la dédicace. C'est lui qui établit que le vieux chrême serait brûlé et que l’on en consacrerait tous les ans du nouveau le jour de la Cène du Seigneur.

La Légende dorée de Jacques de Voragine nouvellement traduite en français avec introduction, notices, notes et recherches sur les sources par l'abbé J.-B. M. Roze, chanoine honoraire de la Cathédrale d'Amiens, Édouard Rouveyre, éditeur, 76, rue de Seine, 76, Paris mdccccii


Paris Bordone  (1500–1570). Thronende Maria mit dem Kind und den Heiligen Fabianus, Rochus, Sebastian und Katharina von Alexandrien, Retabel, circa 1548, Berlin State Museums  



SAINT FABIAN, POPE, MARTYR

Pope Fabian reigned as Pope from 235 through 236. It was said that a dove landed on his head during the Papal Conclave. Pope Fabian fought against the many heresies against the Church and especially those originating in Africa. He encouraged the use of catacombs in Rome for Christians to protect themselves. He died in 250.

INTERCESSORY PRAYER: Let us ask Saints Sebastian and Fabian to help us to be constant in our faith, especially when we our faced with great opposition.


Pope St. FABIAN

(FABIANUS)

Pope (236-250), the extraordinary circumstances of whose election is related by Eusebius (Church HistoryVI.29). After the death of Anterus he had come to Rome, with some others, from his farm and was in the city when the new election began. While the names of several illustrious and noble persons were being considered, adove suddenly descended upon the head of Fabian, of whom no one had even thought. To the assembled brethren the sight recalled the Gospel scene of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Saviour of mankind, and so, divinely inspired, as it were, they chose Fabian with joyous unanimity and placed him in the Chair of Peter. During his reign of fourteen years there was a lull in the storm of persecution. Little is known of his pontificate. The "Liber Pontificalis" says that he divided Rome into seven districts, each supervised by a deacon, and appointed seven subdeacons, to collect, in conjunction with other notaries, the "acta" of the martyrs, i.e. the reports of the court-proceedings on the occasion of their trials (cf. Eus., VI, 43). There is a tradition that he instituted the four minor orders. Under him considerable work was done in the catacombs. He caused the body ofPope St. Pontianus to be exhumed, in Sardinia, and transferred to the catacomb of St. Callistus at Rome. Later accounts, more or less trustworthy, attribute to him the consecration (245) of seven bishops as missionaries toGaul, among them St. Denys of Paris (Greg. of Tours, Hist. Francor., I, 28, 31). St. Cyprian mentions (Ep., 59) the condemnation by Fabian for heresy of a certain Privatus (Bishop of Lambaesa) in Africa. The famous Origendid not hesitate to defend, before Fabian, the orthodoxy of his teaching (Eusebius, Church History VI.34). Fabian died a martyr (20 Jan., 250) at the beginning of the Decian persecution, and was buried in the Crypt of the Popesin the catacomb of St. Callistus, where in recent times (1850) De Rossi discovered his Greek epitaph (Roma Sotterranea II, 59): "Fabian, bishop and martyr." The decretals ascribed to him in Pseudo-Isidore are apocryphal.
Meier, Gabriel. "Pope St. Fabian." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 19 Jan. 2016 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05742d.htm>.
Transcription. This article was transcribed for New Advent by Gerald M. Knight.
Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. May 1, 1909. Remy Lafort, Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Copyright © 2021 by Kevin Knight. Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.


San Fabiano con angeli in Cappella Albani in San Sebastiano fuori le mura (Rome)


Pope St. Fabian

Eusebius, born just a few years after Fabian’s death, tells us how Fabian came to Rome after Pope Anteros died in 236. A layperson, and not a very important one, he may have come for the same reason many still come to Rome today during a papal election: concern for the future of the faith, curiosity about the new pope, a desire to grieve for the pope who had passed. Seeing all the important people gathered to make this momentous decision must have been overwhelming. Which one would be the new pope? Someone known for power? Someone known for eloquence? Someone known for courage?

Suddenly during the discussion, a dove descended from the ceiling. But it didn’t settle on “someone known” for anything at all. The dove, according to Eusebius, “settled on [Fabian's] head as clear imitation of the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove upon the Savior.” There must have been something of the Holy Spirit working because everyone suddenly proclaimed Fabian as “worthy” to be pope and this stranger was elected.

To us the dove signifies peace, and this dove was prophetic. Starting close to Fabian’s election, the suffering and persecuted Church began a time of peace. The emperor, Philip, was friendly to Christians and not only was the persecution stopped but Christians experienced acceptance.

In this era of peace, Fabian was able to build up the structure of the Church of Rome, appointing seven deacons and helping to collect the acts of the martyrs.

But, in a timeless story, the people who had always been in power were not happy to see the newcomers growing and thriving. There were many incidents of pagans attacking Christians and when Philip died so died the time of peace. The new emperor, Decius, ordered all Christians to deny Christ by offering incense to idols or through some other pagan ritual.

In the few years of peace, the Church had grown soft. Many didn’t have the courage to stand up to martyrdom. But Fabian, singled out by symbol of peace, stood as a courageous example for everyone in his flock. He died a martyr in 250 and is buried in the Cemetery of Calixtus that he helped rebuild and beautify. A stone slab with his name can still be found there. Broken into four pieces, the stone bears the Greek words, “Fabian, bishop, martyr.”

SOURCE : http://www.ucatholic.com/saints/pope-saint-fabian/

Unknown Spanish Painter, St.Sebastian and St.Fabian, Late XV century, Aragonese School, From the Shuvalov collection, Hermitage


Pope Saint Fabian


Memorial

Profile

Layman farmer. He came into Rome, Italy on a day when a new pope was to be elected. A dove flew into the crowd and settled on Fabian’s head; the gathered clergy and laity took this as a sign that Fabian had been anointed by the Holy Spirit, and he was chosen the 20th Pope by acclamation.

He sent Saint Dionysius of Paris and other missionaries to Gaul. Condemned the heresies of Privatus. Martyred in the persecutions of Decius.

Papal Ascension

Died

Canonized

Representation

Additional Information

Readings

It is said that Fabian, after the death of Anteros, came from the country along with others and stayed at Rome, where he came to the office in a most miraculous manner, thanks to the divine and heavenly grace. For when the brethren were all assembled for the purpose of appointing him who should succeed to the episcopate, and very many notable and distinguished persons were in the thoughts of many, Fabian, who was there, came into nobody’s mind. But all of a sudden, they relate, a dove flew down from above and settled on his head as clear imitation of the descent of the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove upon the Savior; whereupon the whole people, as if moved by one divine inspiration, with all eagerness and with one soul cried out “worthy,” and without more ado took him and placed him on the episcopal throne. – Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, VI:xxix

MLA Citation

  • “Pope Saint Fabian“. CatholicSaints.Info. 15 May 2020. Web. 21 January 2021. <https://catholicsaints.info/pope-saint-fabian/>

SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/pope-saint-fabian/

Socha svatého Fabiána, Mostecká ulice, Zákupy



St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr

See Tillemont, T. 3. p. 362

A.D. 250

HE succeeded St. Anterus in the pontificate, in the year 236. Eusebius relates, 1 that in an assembly of the people and clergy, held for the election of a pastor in his room, a dove, unexpectedly appearing, settled, to the great surprise of all present, on the head of St. Fabian; and that this miraculous sign united the votes of the clergy and people in promoting him, though not thought of before, as being a layman and a stranger. He governed the church sixteen years, sent St. Dionysius and other preachers into Gaul, and condemned Privatus, a broacher of a new heresy in Africa, as appears from St. Cyprian. 2 St. Fabian died a glorious martyr in the persecution of Decius, in 250, as St. Cyprian and St. Jerom witness. The former, writing to his successor, St. Cornelius, calls him an incomparable man; and says, that the glory of his death had answered the purity and holiness of his life. 3

The saints made God, and the accomplishment of his holy will, the great object of all their petitions in their prayers, and their only aim in all their actions. “God,” says Saint Austin, 4 “in his promises to hear our prayers is desirous to bestow himself upon us; if you find any thing better than him, ask it, but if you ask any thing beneath him, you put an affront upon him, and hurt yourself by preferring to him a creature which he framed; pray in the spirit and sentiment of love, in which the royal prophet said to him: ‘Thou, O Lord, art my portion.’ 5 Let others choose to themselves portions among creatures, for my part, Thou art my portion, Thee alone I have chosen for my whole inheritance.”

Note 1. Hist. l. 6. c. 29. [back]

Note 2. Cypr. Ep. 30. Ed. Pam. [back]

Note 3. Ep. 44. ad Corn. [back]

Note 4. S. Aug. Conc. 1. in Ps. 34. [back]

Note 5. Ps. lxxii. 26. [back]

Rev. Alban Butler (1711–73).  Volume I: January. The Lives of the Saints.  1866

SOURCE : http://www.bartleby.com/210/1/201.html


Statua di San Fabiano in processione a Valsinni (MT)


San Fabiano Papa e martire


 - Memoria Facoltativa

sec. III

Fabiano, pontefice a Roma per quattordici anni (dal 10 gennaio del 236 al 20 gennaio del 250), promosse il consolidamento e lo sviluppo della Chiesa. Divise Roma in sette diaconie per l’assistenza dei poveri. Con lui la figura del vescovo di Roma assunse tale prestigio da destare preoccupazione nell’imperatore Decio, sotto il quale subì il martirio. Fu sepolto nel cimitero di Callisto. (Mess. Rom.)
Patronato: Idraulici

Etimologia: Fabiano = dalla romana gens Fabia

Emblema: Palma

Martirologio Romano: San Fabiano, papa e martire, che da laico fu chiamato per grazia divina al pontificato e, offrendo un glorioso esempio di fede e di virtù, subì il martirio durante la persecuzione dell’imperatore Decio; san Cipriano si felicita del suo combattimento, perché diede una testimonianza irreprensibile e insigne nel governo della Chiesa; il suo corpo in questo giorno fu deposto a Roma sulla via Appia nel cimitero di Callisto. 

L’hanno fatto Pontefice sebbene al momento fosse un semplice laico, di origine probabilmente non romana, anche se residente nell’Urbe. Succede a papa Antero, che ha governato la Chiesa per meno di due mesi; e ha la fortuna di vivere tempi tranquilli sotto gli imperatori Gordiano III (morto sui vent’anni) e Filippo, detto l’Arabo per le sue origini. Una parentesi pacifica, che vede anche feste solennissime per i mille anni della città di Roma, nel 248. 

Papa Fabiano tiene rapporti con i cristiani dell’Africa e dell’Oriente, e si dedica all’organizzazione ecclesiale nell’Urbe, dividendone il territorio in sette ripartizioni territoriali. Provvede inoltre a sistemare i cimiteri cristiani, e dà sepoltura a papa Ponziano, deportato in Sardegna ad metalla, cioè nelle miniere, e morto nel 235. Tutte opere da tempi di pace. 

Nel 249, però, Filippo l’Arabo viene ucciso presso Verona dalle truppe del suo rivale Decio, che prende il potere con un programma di rafforzamento interno dell’Impero, contro i pericoli d’invasione ad opera dei barbari, che lo minacciano da tante parti. Per lui, rafforzamento vuol dire anche ritorno all’antica religione romana, per pure ragioni politiche. Si decreta perciò che tutti i sudditi dell’Impero romano dovranno proclamare solennemente e pubblicamente la loro adesione al paganesimo tradizionale, compiendo pubblicamente un atto di culto, che consiste essenzialmente nell’immolazione di qualche animale. Fatto questo, ognuno riceverà il libello, una sorta di certificato attestante la sua qualità di buon seguace degli antichi culti. 

Chi non sacrifica in questa forma pubblica, diventa un fuorilegge, un nemico dello Stato. In Roma, tre commissioni chiamano via via tutti i cittadini alla scelta, che per i pagani costituisce un gesto semplice e naturale, mentre per i cristiani immolare un animale agli dèi di Roma significa rinnegare l’unico Dio di Gesù Cristo, respingere la sua legge. Come sempre, c’è una varietà di comportamenti: alcuni cedono in pieno, per paura o per interesse, compiendo l’atto di culto. Altri cercano scappatoie di ogni genere per avere il libello senza prestare il culto richiesto. E ci sono i cristiani convinti, che dicono un risoluto no, respingendo a viso aperto l’imposizione e affrontando la morte. 

Tra i primi a rifiutarsi di sacrificare agli dèi c’è papa Fabiano, che si spegne nel carcere Tullianum, ma non per morte violenta. Si ritiene, infatti, che l’abbiano lasciato morire di fame e di sfinimento in quella prigione. I cristiani lo hanno poi sepolto nel cimitero di San Callisto, lungo la Via Appia, onorandolo come martire, e l’iscrizione posta allora sul suo sepolcro è giunta fino a noi.

Nella diocesi di Milano la sua memoria si celebra il 18 gennaio.

Autore: Domenico Agasso

SOURCE : http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/25750

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