Eufronius
Eufronius or Euphronius was the eighth
When upon the death of Bishop Gunthar, King Chlothar's nominee declined appointment to the See, it remained vacant for ten months until the people and clergy elected Eufronius. He was a priest at Tours, from a family of senatorial rank.[1] a grandson of Gregory of Langres, and a friend of Venantius Fortunatus. When Clothar learned of the election, he confirmed their choice.[2]
In 552, the
In 561 much of Tours burned down during the warfare that raged at that time. Eufronius rebuilt two of the churches at his own expense. According to Gregory, Eufronius predicted the death of Charibert.
Eufronius took part in the Council of Paris in 557, and presided over the Council of Tours in 567. The bishops of Brittany declined to attend, as Eufronius claimed authority over the Breton church.[5] The council dealt mostly with church discipline. The bishops noted that some Gallo-Roman customs of ancestor worship were still being observed. Canon XXII decreed that anyone known to be participating in these practices was barred from receiving communion and not allowed to enter a church.[6] The bishops of the Kingdom of Paris were particularly concerned about the Merovingian practice of seizing ecclesiastical properties in outlying areas in order to fund their internecine wars.[7]
Eufronius was Bishop of Tours for eighteen years, and died at the age of seventy. He was succeeded by St. Gregory of Tours. Eufronius was either a cousin of Gregory's mother's or her brother.[8] He is mentioned in the Roman Martyrology on August 4.[2]
References
- ISBN 9781400821143
- ^ a b Bennett, S.A., "Eufronius (2)", A Dictionary of Christian Biography, (William Smith, Henry Wace, eds.), J. Murray, 1880, p. 269 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Labande-Mailfert (dir.), Yvonne (1986–1987). "Histoire de l'abbaye Sainte-Croix de Poitiers : quatorze siècles de vie monastique" (in French). 4e sér. Mémoires de la Société des antiquaires de l'Ouest: 19.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ISBN 9781472502124
- ISBN 9781108030236
- ^ Bridgett, Thomas E., Britons, Picts, Scots, and Anglo-Saxons, C. Kegan Paul, 1881, p. 34 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ISBN 9781472419606
- ^ Heinzelmann, Martin. Gregory of Tours: History and Society in the Sixth Century, (Christopher Carroll, trans.), Cambridge University Press, 2001