Pelagius of Constance
Saint Pelagius is the patron city of Konstanz and was patron of the diocese former diocese of Constance. Probably the fictional Katakombenheilige was worshiped from the 5th or 6th century in Istria and from the 9th century in the Bodensee area as a martyr.
Life
The life of Pelagius is described in stereotypical legends of the saints, from which no reliable information about its actual existence or possible living conditions can be determined. Important source Ekkehard's Casus Sancti Galli IV.
Pelagius had the legend wealthy parents and suffered even at a young age martyrdom as a persecuted Christian. This event should have taken place under the Roman emperor Numerian why later historians would define his year of death on his short reign 283-284. The event is not historically occupied, especially under Numerian, as far as known, ever took place no persecution of Christians, which increases the doubts about the historicity of Pelagius. The place of his death Aemona ( Emona ) in Carniola / Pannonia is specified, previously equated with Novigrad in Istria, but today with today's Ljubljana ( Slovenia) is identified. Later legends from the Lake Constance region made Pelagius then a real local saint, by the place of martyrdom to Constance - sometimes precisely to the Dominican island - laid.
Worship
The earliest worship was a saint named Pelagius in the dioceses of Novigrad (now Poreč - Pula), Poreč and Trieste in Istria. Today's research dates the beginning of Pelagiusverehrung in Istria ( ultimately speculative) on the 5th or 6th century; particularly in the military was Pelagius, who now often considered even as a soldier, apparently quite popular. This Pelagiuskult was according to tradition, in the year 904, but actually probably already imported several decades earlier in the Lake Constance area and there brought to unfold.
For the monastery of St. Gall, there is evidence for the Pelagiusverehrung in the last quarter of the 9th century. In the monastery of Reichenau Pelagius was perhaps already revered by 850. Emerged vitae, the oldest dated to the 9th century in both monasteries; as the worship is, among other things is in a revision of the martyrology of Wandalbert of Prüm, which was written down 864-899 on the island of Reichenau. In it we find the verse:
According to tradition, Ekkehard IV was a relic of the first degree of Pelagius in 904 by the Bishop of Constance Solomon III. ( Term 890-919 ) was transferred as part of a pilgrimage from Rome to Constance ( Translatio ).
However, the recent research assumes the basis of the above evidence for the St. Gallen and Reichenau worship that the relic was imported by the middle or the second half of the 9th century under Bishop Solomon I. ( term 838? -879 ). I. Solomon could have also justified the Canons Bischofszell in the same train and equipped with relics; the establishment of Pelagius consecrated pen was usually Solomon III. attributed. In the (now no longer extant ) relic, it was in line with established research opinion probably the remains of an anonymous catacomb of Rome. Background of the transfer was the decision of the Second Council of Nicaea of 787, that under every altar relics were to be deposited. For the bishop's seat has its own saint was also a matter of prestige. With Pelagius the bishopric of Constance thus received his first " Holy House ", the relic was soon also of pilgrimage.
In the 10th century Pelagiusverehrung grew because Pelagius great miracles activity was attributed. In the scriptorium of the monastery of St. Gall and the monastery of Reichenau in this period, numerous texts emerged on the life of Pelagius. In litanies and breviaries found the Holy mention. In the 12th century the cult surpassed by the local bishop Konrad of Constance ( canonization 1123) gradually Pelagiusverehrung. Officially, however, the two patrons were equal and were always side by side. Even in the 17th century led students of the Jesuit Gymnasium in Konstanz still Christian Spectacles on about his life. With the exception of the Reformation (1522-1548) Pelagius was greatly venerated until the late 18th century in the diocese of Constance, after which he fell into oblivion, especially after the abolition of the diocese in the 19th century. Constance in the high office he is today but still mentioned as a saint in prayers.
The Constance relic was in the crypt of the cathedral of Constance in a grave chamber, which was connected by a vertical shaft with the main altar. But the church had a precious reliquary in the Middle Ages. It was regularly carried in processions; on Pelagiustag, August 28, we moved the relics to the monastery Peterhausen. Two other places of worship in the Cathedral are occupied. Relic shrine and went around 1530 in iconoclasm during the Reformation lost; probably they were thrown into the Rhine and melted down the shrines. It could probably be saved nothing, because even 1618 by order of the Council of the city of Rottweil part of Pelagiusreliquien from the Basilica of St. Pelagius in Rottweil -Altstadt were handed over to Bishop Jacob Mirgel. The now on display in the crypt reliquary is a simple stone coffin of unknown origin.
Attributes
In liturgical and imaging and printing works of the diocese of Pelagius is usually next to the other two cartridges Mary and St. Konrad. Pelagius is usually depicted as a knight or wealthy citizens. His iconographic attributes are a palm branch for martyrdom, a sword and sometimes a book.
Remembrance
Pelagius ' feast day is August 28 in the regional calendar for the Archdiocese of Freiburg. In Konstanz, the patronal feast is celebrated on September 1, in Novigrad on August 28.
Patrozinien
Pelagius was patron of the 1821 resolution the diocese of Constance, Constance and the city of Constance Cathedral. Especially in the area of the former diocese, so in southwest Germany and northern Switzerland, are still evident churches that are under his patronage. In most monasteries and in many parishes in the Diocese of Pelagius was worshiped, often by the consecration of an altar.
List of Patrozinien: see Pelagius