See also: Saint Remi

(the habit in Rheims wants that one pronounces R' e' semi (even semi R'), the Latin name was indeed Remigius.)

Saint Remi (towards 437 - January 13rd 533), born in the Diocese of Laon in 437, bishop at 22 years then Archevêque of Rheims, apostle of the Francs, is regarded as the official converter by Baptême of the France to the Christianisme by baptizing Clovis I collectively {{er}}, the first Christian king mérovingien of France with Christmas 496 (approximate date) with 3000 warriors and noble Francs. It founded the episcopal sees of Thérouanne, Laon and Arras.

Catholic Saint Remi east one of the five owners of France, with holy Martin, holy Denis, holy Jeanne d' Arc and holy Therese de Lisieux.

Festival: October 1st.

Life

Remi was born, according to the tradition with Cerny-in-Laonnois, close to Laon, in the best Gallo-Roman company, it is said that he was the son of the count Emile de Laon (Emilius) (which differently is not attested nowhere) and of holy Céline, girl of the bishop of Soissons, city that Clovis Ier had conquered in 486. According to the Golden Legend , its birth had been predicted by a blind hermit, who recovered the sight after it thanks to milk of holy Céline. It made its theological studies in Rheims and soon become if noted for its knowledge and its holiness which were added to its famous origin, that it was elected bishop of Rheims at only twenty-two years and had not even entered the orders yet.

History of the return of the sacred vessels, which had been stolen church of Soissons testifies to the friendly relations which existed between him and Clovis Ier, king of the Francs. Remi converts this last with the Catholicisme with the assistance of Saint Vaast and the second woman of Clovis Ier, the princess Burgonde Clotilde (girl of the king Burgonde Chilpéric II, which worked has to convince her husband to convert). Even before he had embraced Christianity, Clovis Ier had filled benefits the Remi bishop and the Chrétiens of Rheims and after his victory over the Alaman S with the battle of Tolbiac in 496, he asked the bishop of Rheims Remi collectively to baptize it with Christmas 496 (approximate date) with part of his faithful, Francs and Alamans (according to the chronicle of Gregoire de Tours, 3000 Francs were baptized with him).

It is one of the events key of the European history Catholique and starting from Henri Ier in 1027, all the kings of France will be Sacré S in Rheims (except Louis VI and Henri IV) (cf Chronologie of the sacrings of the kings de France). Jacques de Voragine tells that when Remi wanted to baptize it, as there was no chrism, a dove brought from there in a bulb, and it would be this holy bulb which would have been used for oiling of kings de France thereafter. The catholic tradition to crown the kings from France to Rheims according to the same rite with which Clovis was baptized, was created at the 9th century by the Archevêque Hincmar of Rheims. Clovis Ier granted to Remi grounds, where this last made build and devoted a great number of church S. It set up in évêché S Tournai, Cambrai, Thérouanne (where it devoted itself the first bishop in 499), Arras where it names the Vaast bishop (future Saint Vaast), and Laon (which it gave to Génebaud husband of its niece). In 530 it devoted Saint Medard bishop of Noyon. The brother of Remi, Principius, was bishop of Soissons and also corresponded him with Sidoine Apollinaire (Book IX, 8), whose letters give an idea of the Gallo-Roman literary style, elegant and very cultivated that the three men had in common.

The chroniclers of Gallia Christiana point out that many offerings were made in Remi by noble Francs, and that it gave them to the Notre-Dame cathedral of Rheims.

Although Remi never assisted with any the ecclesiastical councils, in 517 it held a Synode in Rheims, where after an overheated discussion it converts a bishop who leant for the Arianisme. Although the influence of Remi on the people and the bishops was extraordinary, on an occasion the forgiveness of offenses which it granted to Claudius, a priest which it had devoted, was worth to him the reprimands of its fellow-members bishops, who judged that Claudius deserved to be degraded. The answer of Remi, who still exists, is considered and convincing.

It was buried in the cathedral of Rheims, from where the Hincmar bishop of Rheims made transfer his Relique S to Épernay during the invasions from the Viking S and, in 1099, at the request of the pope Leon IX, with the Abbaye Saint-Remi of Rheims. Its festival, the Saint-Remi is celebrated on October 1st.

Writings

It remains us little of authentic writings of Remi: its declamations were admired in an erudite way by Sidoine Apollinaire in an elegantly written letter with Remi (Book IX, 7) but they are lost. Four letters remain: a container its defense about Claudius, two written in Clovis Ier and a fourth with the bishop of Tongres. The will of Remi saint is apocryphal book. A Vita short and completely legendary was formerly allotted to Venance Fortunat (Venantius Fortunatus). Another, if one believes of it Jacques de Voragine (archbishop of Genoa author of the gilded Légende celebrates work telling the life of a great number of saints) were written by the bishop Ignace of Rheims. A letter congratulating the pope Hormisdas on his election in 523 is apocryphal book. The letter in which the Hormisdas pope appears to have appointed it vicar of the kingdom of Clovis Ier was shown to be a forgery. It is supposed that it is a question of a test of the Hincmar bishop of Rheims of founding its claims with the rise in Rheims to the primacy.

A comment of the Épîtres of Paul published by Villalpandus in 1699 is not him, but of another Remi, bishop of Auxerre ( Encyclopædia Britannica 1911 ').