CANDIDO di FULDA (BRUUN). - Theologian, philosopher, hagiographer, poet and artist, b. in the 2nd half of the 8th century, d. in 845.

He Latinized the Germanic name Bruun as Candidus, and some have confused him with his Anglo-Saxon contemporary Wizzo (Wizo), who in the Palatine Academy received from Alcuin the nickname Candidus.

He lived at Fulda and in 822 succeeded Rabanus Maurus (822-42) as head of that famous school. A skilled artist, he painted the apse of the Basilica where, in 819, the relics of St. Boniface were translated (Vita metr. s. Eigilis, XVII, 131-37).

His literary output is important: 1) S. Eigilis vita, in prose (PL 105, 381-402, critical ed. by G. Waitz in MGH, Script., XV, 221-33) and in verse (PL 105, 401-422; critical ed. by E. Dümmler in MGH, Poet., II, 94-117); 2) Opusculum de Passione Domini, in 20 chapters (ed. B. Pez: PL 106, 57-104); 3) Epistola Candidi « Num Christus corporeis oculis Deum videre potuerit » (ed. B. Pez: PL 106, 103-108; critical ed. by E. Dümmler, in MGH, Epist., IV, 557-61); 4) Vita Baugulfi, second abbot of Fulda, which has not come down to us.

He holds a special place in the nascent scholasticism for the 12 philosophical-theological fragments known under the title Dicta Candidi, published for the first time by B. Hauréau (Hist. de la philos. scholastique, I, Paris 1872, pp. 131-38).

The most recent criticism (cf. Bull. de théol. anc. et méd., I, no. 127) distinguishes them into three parts: 1) the Dictum I, originally in the form of a letter to Louis the Pious and to Einhard, is certainly authentic (it was published by Frobenius Forster among the apocrypha of Alcuin: PL 101, 1359 ff.); 2) the Dicta II-VIII, referring to the "categories," are of doubtful attribution, perhaps by his disciples; 3) the Dicta IX-XII have more affinity with the Dictum I, and therefore may be considered authentic. An in-depth study of the manuscript tradition is still lacking.

The most interesting are the first, which deals with the human soul, imagine Dei, and the last, which represents, for the Middle Ages, the first essay in a dialectical demonstration of the existence of God (Quo argumento collegendum sit Deum esse). The argument is based on the greatness and hierarchy of beings, which demand a being greater than man, omnipotent, God. C.'s thought is inspired by Claudianus Mamertus and above all by St. Augustine.

Bibliography9 works

BIBL.: PP. Maurini, Hist. littér. de la France, V, Paris 1740, pp. 10-17; I. A. Endres, Predigium und Candidus, in Philosophisches Jahrbuch, 19 (1906), pp. 439-50; id., Zum dritten Band der « Epistolae Karolini aevi », in Neues Archiv, 31 (1906), pp. 711-714; G. Grunwald, Geschichte der Gottesbeweise im Mittelalter, in Beiträge zur Gesch. der Philosophie des Mittelalters, 6 (Münster 1907, III), pp. 18-24; Manitius, I, pp. 660-63; Überweg, II, pp. 159, 162 ff., and 692; F. Zimmermann, Candidus. Ein Beitrag zur Gesch. der Fröhscholastik, in Divus Thomas, 7 (1929), pp. 30-60 (life, writings and doctrine: cf. criticism in Bull. de théol. anc. et méd., I, no. 127); A. Kleinclausz, Eginard, Paris 1942, pp. 51, 64, 165-68; E. Gilson, La philosophie au moyen âge, 3rd ed., ibid. 1947, p. 198.

Igino Cecchetti

@incollection{ec3_candido_di_fulda_bruun, author = {Cecchetti, Igino}, title = {Candido di Fulda (Bruun)}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {III}, pages = {523--524}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1949}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/candido-di-fulda-bruun} }

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