AGOBARDO, saint. — Archbishop of Lyon, born in Spain in 769 or 779, died on 6 June 840. He was brought as a child to Narbonese Gaul and, in 792, to Lyon. There Bishop Leidrad, recognizing the young man’s good qualities, took him under his protection: he had him educated, ordained him priest (804), consecrated him bishop (813), appointing him his coadjutor; and, by then old and infirm, retiring to the monastery of S. Medardo at Soissons, he left him the government of the diocese. Thus in 816, at Leidrad’s death, A. became his successor, not without strong opposition.
In intelligence, will, and learning, he proved to be one of the most eminent figures in the empire under Ludovico il Pio, and took an active part in the principal ecclesiastical and political affairs of the time. During the crisis of the imperial fam-
ily, unfortunately, through various writings, especially the famous Liber apologeticus, he took a stand against the sovereign in favor of his sons, hoping that a change of persons might put an end to the abuses of misgovernment. But in 835, disappointed in his hopes and banished by Ludovico (who, having already been deposed, had regained the throne), he had to leave his diocese, whose provisional administration Metz (v.). He took refuge with Lotario in Italy and, from exile, began against Amalario the controversy that is of such importance for the history of the liturgy. After the Council of Kiersy in September 838 (MGH, Conc., II, p. 768), he was able to return to his see and spend the remainder of his days in peace. He died at Saintes, during a journey in which he was accompanying the Emperor (cf. Adone, Chronicon: PL 123, 155). The Church of Lyon honors him as a saint on 5 or 6 June (cf. Acta SS. Iunii, I, ed. Venice 1741, pp. 748–49; V. JALABERT, LOUIS, Les Bréviaires manuscrits des bibliothèques publiques de France, I, Paris 1934, p. 235).
WORKS: The works of A. are collected in PL 104, 9–352, following the text of the edition by Stefano Baluze (Paris 1566). Partial critical editions are found in MGH, Scriptores, XV, Hannover 1887, pp. 274–79 (Liber apologeticus); Capitularia, II, ibid. 1897, pp. 56–57 (Cartula); Epistolae, V, Berlin 1899, pp. 150–239 (letters and minor works).
The works of A., almost all occasional in nature, may be divided into six classes:
I. THEOLOGICAL WRITINGS
1) Liber adv. dogma Felicis Urgellensis, against Spanish Adoptionism; dedicated to the emperor Ludovico il Pio, and occasioned by a work found among the papers Urgel (v.), who died at Lyon in 818; 2) De imaginibus Sanctorum, or Liber contra eorum superstitionem qui picturis et imaginibus Sanctorum adorationis obsequium deferendum putant, in which A., rather than an iconoclast, reveals himself to be the victim of a misunderstanding then widespread in Gaul (v. CARIOCINESI, LIBRI): there are points of contact with Claudio di Torino (v.).Also pertaining to theology and biblical exegesis are the Epistola to Bartolomeo, bishop of Narbona, De quorundam iulusione signorum, concerning portentous events that occurred in the church of S. Firmino at Uzès; the Liber contra obicectiones Fredegisi (the abbot of S. Martino at Tours, disciple and successor of Alcuino), an apologia in which A. also addresses the nature of biblical inspiration, denying its mechanical verbal character («corporalia verba»: PL 104, 166); the Epistola to Ebone of Reims; De spe et timore, a work also of ascetic value, unfortunately mutilated.
II. WRITINGS AGAINST CERTAIN SUPERSTITIONS OF HIS TIME
1) De grandine et tonitruis, against the foolish popular belief that storms were the work of sorcerers and that the plague among animals was caused by certain powders scattered throughout the realm by witches sent by Duke Grimoald of Benevento; 2) Adversus legem Gundobaldi, against judicial combat, sanctioned by the ancient Burgundian laws; 3) De divinis sententiis, against ordeals.III. ANTI-JEWISH WRITINGS
In Lyons, where the Jews (whom the Emperor had undertaken to protect) were particularly powerful, Jewish proselytism constituted a danger to Christians. Since, moreover, the pagan slaves of the Jews, upon converting to Christianity, were entitled to freedom, it was decided, in order to prevent abuses, that baptism could not be administered to them without their master’s consent. A. protested against these provisions in the writing Consultatio et supplicatio de baptismo iudaicorum mancipiorum, addressed to the high court officials. And since an imperial decree reaffirmed the harmful prescription, A. renewed his protest in the memorandum Contra praec toplum impium de baptismo iudaicorum mancipiorum. When such a state of affairs did not change, A. addressed a third writing, De insolentia iudaicorum, to the Emperor himself and, shortly afterward, a learned collective letter, written by him and other bishops, De iudaicis superstitionibus. He then sent to Nebridius, bishop of Narbonne, the exhortatory letter De cavendo convictu et societate iudaica.IV. PASTORAL WRITINGS
Intended to instruct the people and defend the rights of the clergy: 1) De privilegio et iura sacerdotii, addressed to Bernardo, bishop of Vienne, an interesting biblical-based treatise; 2) De dispensatione ecclesiasticarum rerum, a letter in which he asserts the Church’s right to possess property; 3) De modo regiminis ecclesiastici, addressed to the clergy and monks of Lyon: it contains excellent advice; 4) De Fidei veritate et totius boni institutione, a sermon to the people, of a moral character; 5) the “lamenting” letter De iniuritiis, addressed to the court councillor Matfredo, against the abuses committed by the lords against ecclesiastical property.V. SCRITTI POLITICI
After the Liber apologeticus, mention should be made of the “febilis epistola” De divisione imperii and the notable Cartula de poenitentia Ludovici, concerning the public penance to which the deposed Emperor, after the Council of Compiègne, was obliged to submit at Soissons (October 833). When, in that same year, Pope Gregorio IV had gone to France in the hope of preventing the fall of the empire of Carlomagno, A. wrote to Ludovico the letter De comparatione regiminis ecclesiastici et politici, to demonstrate the superiority of ecclesiastical power over civil power.VI. SCRITTI LITURGICI
Di quelli pubblicati tra le opere di A., con certezza sembra sua la sola circolare De correctione Antiphonarii al clero di Lione, edita verso l'839 come prefazione al nuovo Antiphonario, il quale doveva eliminare quello romano-metense, introdottovi da Amalario: A., rigido conservatore, non ammetteva nella liturgia se non testi liturgici. Il violento opuscolo polemico De FORO (v.) al quale il Wilmart pensa di attribuire anche l'altro, Contra libros IV Amalarii, in verità più sereno: cf. Rev. Bénéd., 9 (1892), p. 346 sg.; 16 (1924), p. 327 sgg.Infine ad A. si attribuiscono due composizioni poetiche (PL 104, 349 sgg.): l'epitaffio di Carlomagno e l'inno per traslazione di reliquie Rectre magnificus. Questo è certo di Floro (cf. MGH, Poetas, II, Hannover 1884, p. 544); per l'Epitaffio e per il carme acrostico in suo onore (Agobardo pax), interessante per la metrica, cf. ibid., p. 118.
Le opere di A. hanno i pregi e i difetti degli scritti polemici; ma molti suoi opuscoli, specie quelli contro la superstizione e contro gli Ebri, sono fonti preziose per la storia della civiltà. Il suo stile, vivo e vigoroso, richiama quello di Tertulliano, al quale egli si è ispirato, come fa credere il miglior codice delle opere dell'Africano (meno l'Apologetico) da lui posseduto, il Codex Agobardinus (oggi alla Bibl. Naz. di Parigi, lat. 1622). Se come uomo d'azione ha spesso ecceduto, fu però grande figura di pastore e ha il merito d'aver difeso la purezza della fede contro l'adozione e la genuina pietà contro le deviazioni superstiziose. Il Codice delle Confraternitates di Reichenau ci mostra che egli aveva stretto tra la sua diocesi e quell'abbazia una intima unione di preghiere (MGH, Libri Confraternitatum, Hannover 1884, p. 257).