Leger of Autun

See also: Saint-Leger, Leger

Leger bishop of Autun or Leodegarius , resulted originating in Poitiers, from a noble franque family of the city, born towards 616, bishop of Autun in 663, adviser of the Bathilde queen during the minority of Clotaire III, king of Neustrie of 656 with 670. With its death, it called on the throne of Neustrie, Childéric II, king of Austrasie in 660. It made lock up its rival Ebroïn, mayor of the Palate of Neustrie, in 657, with the monastery of Luxeuil, but itself joined it in exile. After the Assassination of Childéric II in 675, they were released and the fight began again. Ebroïn besieged Autun and Leger delivered himself to save the city. He had the burst eyes and the language cut, on order of Ebroïn, then was interned in the nuns of Fécamp, and finishes decapitated in Artois, in Sarcinium (today Its), not far from Arras in 678 or 679.

He is celebrated on October 2nd.

Biography

Leger is of high birth. He is high with the palate of Clotaire II. He leaves to study with Poitiers where his/her uncle Didon is bishop. Didon makes it deacon in order to help it to manage the diocese.

Once ordered, it is named abbot of the abbey of Saint-Maixent between 651 and 653.

In 657, after the death of Clovis II, Leger is allocated to the court as a tutor of the royal children, and to advise the regent Bathilde during the minority of Clotaire III; he is then archdeacon.

It is Bathilde which makes it name bishop of Autun in 663. It is involved in the fights which oppose the kings mérovingiens to their ambitious mayors of the palate.

With died of Clotaire III into 675, Leger takes the party of Childéric II for the royal succession against his brother Thierry III, which is supported by the mayor of the Ébroïn palate.

In April - May 675, Leger is locked up with the monastery of Luxeuil, where is already its enemy Ébroïn (since 673), after having been informed that Childéric II wanted its loss following fights of influence within the royal council.

After the assassination of Childéric II by Bodilon in September 675, Ébroïn takes again the control of the town hall of the palate of Neustrie and Burgundy by inventing an applicant, Clovis, be-saying wire of Clotaire.

The popularity of Leger makes of him the symbol of freedoms burgondes, and it supports Thierry III. Ébroïn persuades various lords, of which Waimer, duke of Champagne, and bishops deposited of Châlons and Valence, Didier and Bovo, to attack the town of Autun into 675. Leger goes to besieging to save the city, and the soldiers who take it tear off him the eyes.

After two years of exile to Fécamp, Ébroïn imagines to charge to Leger a share of responsibility in the assassination for Childéric II, and the fact of bringing to the palate of king Thierry with his Guerin brother.

Ébroïn orders whereas Guerin is crushed with stone blows, and that the bishop is carried out a whole day, flip-flop, in a river with the made sharp-edged stone bed. But learning that Leger rented God throughout his torment, it makes him cut the lips, gash the cheeks and cut the language. Nevertheless, the bishop does not lose the use of the word, and continues to preach and to exhort as much as it can it; he predicts even the moment and the way in which Ébroïn and would die to him.

Ébroïn then sends torturers to decapitate it. Leger is carried out in forest of Lucheux, close to the current village of Its. The legend of Leger saint brings back many miraculous facts during its torments, as well as miracles operated by its body decapitated in the two years after its death.

Ébroïn vainly tries to be opposed to the growing fame of Leger; he perishes assassinated into 680 by Ermenfroy, a revoked officer.

Worship

After the assassination of Ébroïn in 680, Leger is rehabilitated and recognized like martyr.

Its worship spreads in all the France, where 55 communes bear its name.

Local festival on October 2nd

See too

Hyencourt-the-Large has a vault devoted to Saint-Leger.
Another Leger saint, less known: Leger de Perthe (6th century), priest died in peace, celebrates the April 24th.

External bonds

Leger, of Autun
Life of Leger Saint, poem of 240 worms, writing in Autun towards 980: this poem is one of the first literary texts in language Romance E.
'' Bigrafisch-Bibliografisches Kirchenlexikon '', vol. II (1992): Leodegar (in English)
'' Catholic Encyclopedia '': Leodegar saint (in English)

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