Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 7.djvu/396

 HILARinS

348

HILARUS

sqq.; ZSckler, Hilarion von Gaza, eine Rettung in Neue Jahr- biicher fiir deulache Theologie (1894). 147 sqq.; GrCtzmacher, HieTonymus, II (Berlin, 1906), 87-91 ; Van den Ven, S. Jirdme et la vie du moine Malrhus (Louvain, 1901), appendixes; Win- ter, Der lilerarische Charakter der Vita S. Hilarionis (Zittau, 1904); Servieres, Histoire de S. Hilarion (Rodez, 1884); Heimbucher, Die Orden und Kongregationen der kaihoL Kirche, I (2nd ed., Paderbom, 1907), 115 sq.

J. P. KiRSCH.

Hilarius of Sexten (in the world, Christian Gat- terer), moral theologian; b. 18.39, in the valley of Sexten in the Tyrol; d. 20 October, 1900. After a course of studies at Brixen, he entered the Capuchin Franciscan Order in 1858 and was ordained priest in 1862. Having laboured in parochial duties for some years, he was appointed to teach moral theology at Meran in 1872. His fame as a moral theologian soon spread beyond his own convent, and both secular and regular clergy consulted him in difficult cases, for he had a special gift in applying theoretical principles to actual facts. In 1SS2 he was appointed examiner of confessors for the Diocese of Trent. Even while ful- filling the office of lector, he was ever ready to work in the ministry, preaching and hearing confessions. He used to urge his students to bend all their efforts to win men to religion, since, he said, devout women can always find confessors. At the special command of the general of the order, he published his "Compen- dium Theologis Moralis" (Meran, 1889). Later, at the repeated request of the clergy, he published a "Tractatus de Sacramentis", and a "Tractatus de Censuris". His somewhat original treatment of his subjects did not gain universal approval, but his works had a wide sale, especially in Germany and Austria. He also contributed many articles to the " Linzer Quartalschrift". He fulfilled many offices in his order, being at different times lector, guardian, definitor, and minister-provincial. In this last office, which he filled 1889-1892, he accepted for his province of the Tyrol a missionary district in India.

Analecl'a Ord. F. M. Capucc, XVI (Rome, 1900).

Father Cuthbert.

Hilarus, Saint, Pope, elected 461; the date of his death is given as 28 Feb., 468. After the death of Leo I, an archdeacon named Hilarus, a native of Sar- dinia, according to the "Liber Pontificalis", was chosen to succeed him, and in all probability re- ceived consecration on 19 November, 461. Together with Julius, Bishop of Puteoli, Hilarus acted as legate of Leo I at the "Robber Synod " of Ephesus in 449. There he fought vigorously for the rights of the Roman See and opposed the condemnation of Flavian of Constantinople (see Flavian, Saint). He was therefore exposed to the violence of Dios- curus of Alexandria (q. v.), and saved himself by flight. In one of his letters to the Empress Pulcheria, found in a collection of the letters of Leo I ("Leonis I Epistote", num. xlvi.,in P. L., LIV, 837 sq.), Hilarus apologizes for not delivering to her the pope's letter after the synod; but owing to Dioscurus, who tried to hinder his going either to Rome or to Constantinople, he had great difficulty in making his escape in order to bring to the pontiff the news of the result of the council. His pontificate was marked by the same vigorous policy as that of his great predecessor. Church affairs in Gaul and Spain claimed his .special attention. Owing to political disorganization in both countries, it was important to .safeguard the hierarchy by strengthening the church government. Hermes, a former archdeacon of Narbonne, had il- legally acquired the bishopric of that town. Two Galilean prelates were dispatched to Rome to lay before the pope this and other matters concerning the Church in Gaul. .\ Roman synod held on 19 November, 462, pas,sed judgment vipon these matters, and Hi- larus made known the following decisions in an En- cyclical sent to the provincial bishops of Vienne,

Lyons, Narbonne, and the Alps: Hermes was to re- main Titular Bishop of Narbonne, but his episcopal faculties were withheld. A synod was to be convened yearly by the Bishop of Aries, for those of t he provincial bishops who were able to attend: but all important matters were to be submitted to the Apostolic See. No bishop could leave his diocese without a written permission from the metropolitan; in case such per- mission be withheld he could appeal to the Bishop of Aries. Respecting the parishes (parucice) claimed by Leontius of .\rles as belonging to his jurisdiction, the Galilean l)ishops could decide, after an investiga- tion. Church property could not be alienated until a synod had examined into the cause of .-iale.

Shortly after this the pope found him.self involved in another diocesan quarrel. In 463 Mamortus of Vienne had consecrated a Bishop of Die, although this Church, by a decree of Leo I, belonged to the metropolitan Diocese of Aries. When Hilarus heard of it he deputed Leontius of Aries to summon a great synod of the bishops of several provinces to investi- gate the matter. The synod took place and, on the strength of the report given him by Bishop Antonius, he issued an edict dated 25 Fcbruar.v, 464, in which Bishop Veranus was commissioned to warn Mamertus that, if in the future he did not refrain from irregular ordinations, his faculties would be withdrawn. Con- .sequently the consecration of the Bishop of Die must be sanctioned by Leontius of Aries. Thus the pri- matial privileges of the See of Aries were upheld as Leo I had defined them. At the same time the bishops were admonished not to overstep their l>oun- daries, and to assemble in a yearly synod presided over liy the Bi.shop of Aries. The metropolitan rights of the See of Embrun also over the dioceses of the Maritime Alps were protected against the encroach- ments of a certain Bishop Auxanius, particularly in connexion with the two Churches of Nice and Cimiez.

In Spain, Silvanus, Bishop of Calahorra, had, by his epi-scopal ordinations, violated the church laws. Both the Metropolitan Ascanius and the bishops of the Province of Tarragona made complaint of this to the pope and asked for his decision. Before an answer came to their petition, the same bishops had recourse to the Holy See for an entirely different matter. Before his death Nundinarius, Bishop of Barcelona, expressed a wish that Irena'Us might be chosen his successor, although he had himself made Ircna^us bishop of another see. The request was granted, a Synod of Tarragona confirming the nomi- nation of Irenai'us, after which thelii.shops sought the pope's approval. The Roman synod of 19 Nov._, 465, took the matters up and settled them. This is the oldest Roman synod whose original records have been handed down t"o us. It was held in the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. After an address of the pope, and the reading of the Spanish letters, the synod decided that the church laws must not be tampered with. In addition to this Hilarus sent a letter to the bishops of Tarragona, declaring that no consecration w.-is valid without the sanction of the Metropolitan Ascanius; and no bishop was permitted to be trans- ferred from one diocese to another, so that some one else must be chosen for Barcelona in place of Irena^us. The liishops consecrated by Silvanus would be recog- nized if they had been appointed to vacant sees, and otherwise met the requirements of the Church. The "Liber Pontificalis" mentions an Encyclic;d that Hi- larus sent to the East, to confirm the Q'.cumenical Coimcils of Nica>a, Ephesus, and Chalcedon, and the dogmatic letter of Leo I to Flavian, Init the sources at our disposal furni.sh us no further information. In Rome Hilarus worked zealously for the integrity of the Faith. The Emperor Anthemius had a favourite named Philotheus, who was a believer in the Macedonian her- esy and attended meetings in Rome for the promul- gation of this doctrine, 176. On one of the emperor's