Turibius (Thoribus, Turribus), Saint

TURIBIO (Thoribus, Turribus), saint. — Bishop of Astorga (Galicia) in the mid-fifth century.

Absent from his homeland for many years, apparently with the aim of ascertaining the unity of the Catholic Faith, upon his return he was struck by the resurgence of Priscillianism (v.). His action against this error is documented: 1) by the letter he wrote in 445 Idacio (v.) and Ceponio (PL 54, 693–95); 2) by the letter with which St. Leo the Great, on 21 July 447, replied to T.’s “epistolae sermo, et comminitori series, et libelli textus” (ibid., 677–92);

TURIBIO, saint — Incipit of the letter of St. Leo the Great to T. (21 July 447), contained in a collection of canons from the second half of the sixth century. Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, cod. lat. 12097, fol. 120v.

and 3) by his interest in the rule of faith, prepared by the bishop of Palencia, Pastore (Mansi, III, 1002–1004). The Roman Martyrology commemorates T. on 16 April, having him die at Palencia. The origin of this inconsistency is now clarified by the Istoria s. Thuribii, a legendary compilation dating from approximately the thirteenth century, which identifies our T. with the T. of Palencia (sixth century) and the T. of Liebana (of doubtful existence). According to this Istoria, T. was born in Turin.