Saint Pacian (''Pacianus'') () ( 310–391 AD) was an early Spanish Christian prelate.

Biography

Pacian served as

Bishop of Barcelona The Archdiocese of Barcelona () is a Latin metropolitan archbishopric of the Catholic Church in northeastern Spain's Catalonia region. The cathedral archiepiscopal see is a Minor basilica: Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de la Santa Creu i S ...

from about 365 AD to 391 AD. He succeeded Praetextatus. Considered a Father of the Church, Pacian is eulogized in

Jerome Jerome (; ; ; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was an early Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, theologian, translator, and historian; he is commonly known as Saint Jerome. He is best known ...

's ''

De viris illustribus ''De Viris Illustribus'', meaning "concerning illustrious men", represents a genre of literature which evolved during the Italian Renaissance in imitation of the exemplary literature of Ancient Rome. It inspired the widespread commissioning of ...

'', in which Jerome praises his eloquence, learning, chastity, and holiness of life. His writings are extant only in part in three letters and a short treatise, ''Paraenesis ad Poenitentiam''.St. Pacian – Catholic Online
/ref> In his writings, he discussed ecclesiastical discipline,

baptism Baptism (from ) is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by aspersion, sprinkling or affusion, pouring water on the head, or by immersion baptism, immersing in water eit ...

, papal primacy, and teachings on

penance Penance is any act or a set of actions done out of contrition for sins committed, as well as an alternative name for the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession. The word ''penance'' derive ...

against

Novatianism Novatianism or Novationism was an early Christian sect devoted to the theologian Novatian () that held a strict view that refused readmission to communion of '' lapsi'' (those baptized Christians who had denied their faith or performed the formal ...

, which was then flourishing in Spain. He is also remembered from a phrase from one of his letters: ''Christianus mihi nomen est, catholicus vero cognomen'' ("My name is Christian, my surname is Catholic.").

Personal life

Pacian was married and had a son, Nummius Aemilianus Dexter, who served under

Theodosius I Theodosius I ( ; 11 January 347 – 17 January 395), also known as Theodosius the Great, was Roman emperor from 379 to 395. He won two civil wars and was instrumental in establishing the Nicene Creed as the orthodox doctrine for Nicene C ...

proconsul A proconsul was an official of ancient Rome who acted on behalf of a Roman consul, consul. A proconsul was typically a former consul. The term is also used in recent history for officials with delegated authority. In the Roman Republic, military ...

and

praetorian prefect The praetorian prefect (; ) was a high office in the Roman Empire. Originating as the commander of the Praetorian Guard, the office gradually acquired extensive legal and administrative functions, with its holders becoming the Emperor's chief ai ...

. Jerome did not know Pacian personally, but knew Pacian's son, to whom ''De Viris Illustribus'' is dedicated.

Legacy

In 2023, a study by Jesús Alturo i Perucho and Tània Alaix i Gimbert has seen the first hunches of Catalan in the writings of Pacian when he uses terms such as ''ceruulus'' 'cèrvol' or ''subinde'' 'sovint' or uses the expression ''si te placet'' for 'si us plau', among many others.

Notes

External links

The Extant Works of S. Pacian
* {{Authority control Catalan Roman Catholic saints Saints from Hispania Bishops of Barcelona 4th-century bishops in Hispania 4th-century writers in Latin 391 deaths Church Fathers Letter writers in Latin 4th-century Christian saints 310 births