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Patroclus, Bishop of Arles

Wace's Dictionary of Early Christian Biography

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Patroclus (3), bp. of Arles, between SS. Heros and Honoratus (a.d. 412–426). In 412 the people of Arles drove out Heros and elected Patroclus, a creature of Constantius (Prosper Aquit. Chronicon, Migne, Patr. Lat. li. 590). As bishop he is said to have sold ecclesiastical offices (Prosper Tyro, Chronicon , in Bouquet i. 638) and hoarded up stores of ill-gotten wealth (cf. the funeral sermon of Hilary of Arles upon St. Honoratus, c. vi. Patr. Lat. l. 1265). He seems, however, to have commended himself to pope Zosimus, who conferred upon him unprecedented privileges of jurisdiction, and his history illustrates the relations of the French dioceses. On the ground that Arles was the fountain-head of Gallic Christianity, the pope confirmed to the see all parishes it had ever held, whether within the province or not, and gave Patroclus exclusive rights of ordination over the independent provinces of Vienne, Narbonensis Prima, and Narbonensis Secunda, and deposed Proculus, bp. of Marseilles, for infringing these privileges by ordaining in his own diocese. On the ground of Patroclus's personal merits, the pope, in a letter addressed to all the Gallic bishops, forbade any cleric of whatever rank to visit Rome without first obtaining literae formatae , or letters of identification and recommendation, from the bp. of Arles. See the pope's correspondence from Mar 22, 417, to Feb. 5, 418, which is chiefly occupied with Arles, Epp. i. v. vi. vii. x. xi. Migne, Patr. Lat. xx. 643, 665, 666, 668, 673, 674. These privileges were productive of great dissatisfaction in the neighbouring provinces and, in the matter of the jurisdiction, Zosimus's orders were virtually rescinded by his successor, Bonifacius I., who, in a letter written Feb. 9, 422, asserted the right of Hilary, bp. of Narbonne, to consecrate the bp. of Lodève in his province, as against Patroclus, who had usurped it ( Ep. iii. Patr. Lat. xx. 772–774). In 425 Patroclus was ordered by Theodosius to assemble for discussion the Gallic bishops who professed the Pelagian and Celestian heresies, the emperor decreeing exile for such as should not recant within 20 days. Patroclus was murdered in 426 by a barbarian officer ( Chronicon , Patr. Lat. li. 593–594).

[S.A.B.]