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Mererius

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a French prelate, flourished in the latter half of the 6th century as bishop of Angouleme. He was originally count of Angouleme. At that period of history the civil government differed so little from the ecclesiastical that, without any change of habits or alteration of moral life, the appellation of count was not unfrequently exchanged for that of bishop, in order to transmit to a son, or perhaps a nephew, the title thus relinquished. In this way the prerogatives of both titles were retained in the same family. But it was considered an abuse of authority to have any one person inveeted with the combined privileges and distinctions of a count and of a bishop. The count Mererius was canonically settled in the see of Angouleme by St. Germain, bishop of Paris, and St. Euphrone, archbishop of Tours, with the consent of king Charibert. Nantin, the nephew of Mererius, inherited the immunities and possessions attached to the title of count. This occurred. about 570. After seven years of episcopacy Mererius was poisoned by Frontonius, who seized the bishop's mitre, and was apparently recognised without opposition as the bishop of Angouleme. It is worthy of notice that in those troublesome times it was not uncommon through such crimes to reach the highest offices. The authors of L'Histoire Litteraire and the Gallia Christiana have fancied the identity of Mererius, bishop of Angonlnme, with one Maracharius, who, according to Fortunatus, attended the dedication of the church at Nantes in 568 but father Lecointe would rather believe that this Maracharius Romacharius was the bishop of Coutances, Yet neither the bishop of Coutances nor the bishop of Angouleme was a fellow provincial of the bishop of Nantes. It is much more likely that the Maracharius mentioned by Fortunatus is the same with Maclianus, bishop of Vannes, who died probably in 577. It is said that some writings by Mererius were deposited in the library of Cluni, but they seem to have been lost.