Remigius of Lyons

REMIGIUS OF LYONS: Archbishop of that city; d. there Oct. 28, 875. Nothing is known of him prior to his elevation to the episcopate on Mar. 31, 852. He played a prominent part in French ecclesiastical history. He was Archicapellanus (q.v.) from 855 to 863, which was a position of great influence. He figures among the leading members of several synods, indeed presided over the Synod of Valence in 855. He participated in the predestination controversy which had been precipitated on the church by the unhappy monk Gottschalk (q.v.), whom, like some other leaders, he defended. This brought him up against the still more powerful Hincmar, who, in the Synod of Chiersy held in 853, got the endorsement of his four chapters on predestination. But these the synod of Valence refused to ratify and, on the contrary, passed six canons (Hefele, Conciliengeschichte, iv. 193 sqq.) against Hincmar's position, and they were reaffirmed by the Synod of Langres in 859, which was proof of Remigius' influence. In the national Synod of Savonières which immediately followed Remigius presented these canons to Charles the Bald.

Remigius was an able and faithful prelate. When he came into his rule he found that certain sources of revenue which he thought properly belonged to his diocese had been taken from it. He set about regaining this lost revenue and brilliantly succeeded. For these and other services his grateful people canonized him. Various writings have been attributed to him, but he does not seem to have been a writer and the attributions are probably false.

Bibliography: Bouquet, Receuil, viii. 388 sqq.; Ceillier, Auteurs sacrés, xii. 614 sqq.; ASB, Oct., xii. 878 sqq.; Hist. littéraire de la France, v. 449 sqq.