Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/681

 WIGAND

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WIGBOD

tiones theologia" dogmatica> in usum academicum" (2 vols., Ingolstadt, 1791) is a compendium, of which two posthumous editions appeared at Landshut (1817; 1825). The most important of his other works are: "Introductio in historiam htterariam theologia; revelatse potissinium catholics;" (IngoLstadt, 1794); "Institutiones Patrologia; in usum academicum" (Ingolstadt, 1795); and four dissertations in the uni- versity year-book: "De Wolfgango Mario Abbate Alderspacensi Ord. Cist." (I-IV, Ingolstadt, 1788-92).

Werner, Gesch. der kalholischt-n Theotogie (Munich, 18G6). 243-J8: Lauchert, Briefe von Slephan Wiesl, 0. Cisl., on Gerhoh SteigenhergpT in Studien u. Miufieilungen aus dem Benedictitier- und-Cialercienser-Orden, XXI (1900), 127-35, 285-306. 535-53.

Friedrich Lauchert.

Wigand (Venantius), Saints. — Three saints of this name are mentioned in the Roman IMartjTology:

(1) .Saint Wigand, bishop and martjT, 1 April. His body with many others was brought from Dal- matia in 640 by Pope John IV. He was the successor of St. Domnio in the See of Salona, if not imme- diately, at least before 312. Zeiller (Bessarione, Serm. II, IV, 1903, 335) makes him the founder of the episcopal see and places his death in 270 (Anal, boll., XXIII, 1904, 6). His name is not found in the early martjTologies, but for the first time in a Hun- garian calendar of the twelfth century. His relics are in the baptistery of the Lateran Basihca, which contains his picture in mosaic. He is venerated at Toledo also.

(2) Saint Wigand, martjT, 18 May, a youth of fifteen, well trained in religious life by PorphyTius, who, with ten unnamed companions, suffered martjT- dom A. D. 254 under Decius at Camerino, Umbria. He is honoured as principal patron of Camerino and of Fabriano, where they also celebrate the trans- lation of his reUcs on 28 ^Iarch. He is represented as a Roman knight with banner and sword. The Roman Breviary gives proper hj'mns for his feast. The apocrj-pharPassio (Acta SS., May, IV, 436) is a simple imitation of the Acts of St. Agapitus of Prae- neste (Giinter, "Legendenstudien", Cologne, 1906, 24). It relates many wonderful occurrences: the king, Antiochus, makes use of all possible means to induce Venantius to deny his faith, but in vain; angels protect the martyr from death by fire, smoke, etc.; his constancy converts the trumpeter Ana.stasius; and when he is beheaded, earthquakes and lightning accompany his death.

(3) Saint Wigand, abbot, 13 Oct., lived in the latter half of the fifth century. He was a native of Berri. He joined the community of the monks of St. Martin of Tours, and was soon elected abbot. His life (.\cta SS., Oct., VI, 211) was written by St. Gregory of Tours. Trithemius and Wion make him a Benedictine.

Acta SS., April, I. 6; Duchesne. Liber pontificalia, I (Paris, 1886). 330: Armei.uni, Le chie.w di Roma (Homo, 1887), 6.58: Anal. boU.. XVIII (1899), 369-411; ibid.. XVI (1897), 490; &TADLER, Heiliffenlexicon.

Francis Mershman.

Wigbert, Saint, companion of St. Boniface, b. in England about 675; d. at Hersfeld about 746. Positive biographical accounts of him are scanty; he had several contemporaries of the same name, and it is difficult to decide in all instances to which Wigbert the different details belong. In 836 Seri'atus Lupus WTOte a life of Wigbert, but this contains very few clear historical data, while it relates in detail the puritv of Wigbert's morals, his zeal for .souls, charity, familiarity with the Bible, knowledge of theology, skill in teaching, enthusiasm for mona.stic life, and the faithfulness with which he fulfilled his duties. Boni- face called him from England. Wigbert was cer- tainly older than Boniface. A letter from a priest named Wigbert to the "fathers and brethren in Gles- tingaburg" (Glastonburj-) in Somersetshire is pre- served. It has been supposed that the writer was

St. Wigbert and therefore a monk of Glastonbury, but this is not probable. He went to (Jermany about 734, and Boniface made him abbot of the monastery of Hersfeld in Hesse; among his pupils there was St. Sturmi, the first Abbot of Fulda. About 737 Boniface transferred him to Thuringia as Abbot of Ohrdruf, where he worked with the same success as in Hersfeld. Later Wigbert obtained Boniface's permission *,o return to Hersfeld to spend his remaining dajs in quiet and to prepare for death; notwithstanding old age and Ulncss he continued his austere mode of life until his end. He was first buried at Fritzlar in an inconspicuous grave, but during an incursion of the Saxons (774) his remains were taken for safety to Buraburg, and from there, in 780 by Archbishop Lullus transferred to Hersfeld, wherein 850 a beautiful church was built to him; this was burned in 1037. A great fire in 1 76 1 destroyed thenew church (dedicat ed, 1144) and consumed the saint's bones, or else they crumbled in the ruins. The veneration of A\'igbert flourished especially in Hesse and Thuringia. At the present day he is venerated only in the dioceses of Mainz, Fulda, and Paderborn. He is recorded in the "Martyrologium Romanum" under 13 August.

Ada SS., Ill August, 133-37; P. L., CXIX, 679-94; Mon. Germ. Hist.: Scriplores, IV, 224-28; XV, 37-43; Schauerte, Der heilige Wigbert (Paderborn, 1895).

Klemens Loffler.

Wigbod (WicBODUs, Wigbold, Wigbald), theo- logical writer of the eighth century. Of his works there is extant a Latin commentary on the Octateuch called "Qua;stiones in Octateuchum" that is, on the Five Books of Moses, Josue, Judges, and Ruth. He wrote the work, as the title states, at the command of Charlemagne. As Charlemagne is only called King of the Franks and Lombards, not Emperor, the work must have been WTitten before the year 800. The form of the book is that of a dialogue between pupil and teacher. The pupU propounds the difficulties and the teacher gives the solution. Wigbod, however, did not compose these answers himself, but gives, verbatim, statements by the following eight Fathers: Augustine, Gregory, Jerome, Ambrose, Hilary, Isi- dore, Eucherius, and JuniUus. For the greater part of Genesis only Jerome and Isidore are drawn on, and later Isidore almost entirely. The two members of the Congregation of Saint-Maur, Mart^ne and Durand, who found the manuscript in the monavStery of St. Maximin at Trier, have, therefore, only given the portion to the first three chapters of Genesis in their "Collectio amplissima", IX (Piiris, 1733), 29.5- 366. This portion has been reprinted in P.L., XCVI, 1101-68. The work is chiefly valuable for its pre- servation of the texts of the Fathers quoted. The commentary is preceded by three Latin poems in hex- ameter. In the finst Wigbod felicitates his book, cause it is to be taken into the palace of the king; in the second he praises the king, particularly because Charlemagne has brought together books from many places, and because he knows the Bible well; in the third he treats the seven days of creation. The first two are largely taken from the introductory i)oems WTitten by Eugene of Toledo to the work of Dracon- tius, the third is the closing poem to Dracontius (Mon. Germ. Hist.: Poet. Lat., I, 95-97). The manuscript used by Marfene and Durand is now un- known. Two manuscripts without the poems are at Admond and Vienna. Nothing positive is known as to the author. Martt'ne and Durand mention Wig- bald, who was vice-chancellor under the chancellors Itherius and Rado, and Widbod, who was Count of P<^rigueux about 778. The last mentioned hardly seems possible.

Hitl. Uterairede la France, IV (Paris, 1738). 177-9; Ceillieb, Hitt. des auleurs eacrfa, XII (2nd ed., Paris. 1862), 149; HcRTER, h'omenclalor theol. cath., I (3d ed., Inn.sbruck, 1903), 675.

Klemens Loffler.