Salonius (c. 400 – 28 September 475) known as Salonius of Geneva was a

confessor In a number of Christian traditions, including Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Lutheranism and Anglicanism, a confessor is a priest who hears the confessions of penitents and pronounces absolution. History During the Diocletianic Persecut ...

and

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

of the 5th century. He was a son of Eucherius of Lyon and Galla. He was educated at Lérins Abbey, first by

Hilary of Arles Hilary of Arles, also known by his Latin name Hilarius (c. 403–449), was a bishop of Arles in Southern France. He is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church, with 5 May being his feast day. Life In his e ...

, then by Salvianus and

Vincent of Lérins Vincent of Lérins (; died ) was a Gallic monk and author of early Christian writings. One example was the '' Commonitorium'', c.434, which offers guidance in the orthodox teaching of Christianity. Suspected of semi-Pelagianism, he opposed ...

. In 440, he was elected bishop of

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

and, as such, took part in the Synod of Orange (441), the Synod of Vaison (442), and the

Synod of Arles Arles (ancient Arelate) in the south of Roman Gaul (modern France) hosted several councils or synods referred to as ''Concilium Arelatense'' in the history of the early Christian church. Council of Arles in 314 The first council of Arles"Arles, S ...

in 451. He has also been listed as the bishop of

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

, but it is not clear if this was a later appointment or if the word ''Geneva'' was incorrectly written as ''Genova''. He was an accomplished Latin ecclesiastical writer. Most notably, he composed mystical and allegorical interpretations of the

Proverbs A proverb (from ) or an adage is a simple, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and are an example of formulaic language. A proverbial phrase or a proverbial ...

and

Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes ( ) is one of the Ketuvim ('Writings') of the Hebrew Bible and part of the Wisdom literature of the Christian Old Testament. The title commonly used in English is a Latin transliteration of the Greek translation of the Hebrew word ...

. His feast day is 28 September. His brother was Veranus of Vence.

References

Bibliography

* Holweck, F. G., ''A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints''. 1924.

External links

Opera Omnia by Migne Patrologia Latina with analytical indexes
{{Authority control French Roman Catholic saints 5th-century Christian saints Gallo-Roman saints 400 births 5th-century deaths 5th-century bishops in the Roman Empire 5th-century writers in Latin