Feastday: March 9
Birth: 310
Death: 390
Bishop of Barcelona.A Spaniard by birth, he became bishop in 365. Little is known about his life beyond his extensive writings, which are themselves extant only in part in three letters and a short treatise, Paraenesis ad Poenitentiam. Among the topics he examined in his writings are ecclesiastical discipline, Baptism, papal supremacy, and orthodox teachings on penance against the heresy of Novatianism, which were then flourishing in Spain. He is also remembered for including in one of his letters the phrase Christian us mihi nomen est, catholicos vero cognomen. In De Viris Illustribus, St. Jerome praised Pacian for his eloquence and deep sanctity. Pacian's son, Flavius Dexter, became a praetorian prefect under the Western Roman Emperor Honorius.
Bishop of Barcelona
Saint Pacian (Pacianus) (Catalan: Sant Pacià) (c. 310–391 AD) was a bishop of Barcelona during the fourth century. He was bishop from about 365 AD to 391 AD, succeeding Praetextatus (Pretextat), who had attended a church council at Sardica in 347 AD and who is the first recorded bishop of Barcelona.
Considered a Father of the Church, Pacian is eulogized in Jerome's De viris illustribus, in which Jerome praises his eloquence, learning, chastity, and holiness of life.
His writings are extant only in part in three letters and a short treatise, Paraenesis ad Poenitentiam. In his writings, he discussed ecclesiastical discipline, baptism, papal primacy, and teachings on penance against Novatianism, which was then flourishing in Spain. He is also remembered from a phrase from one of his letters: Christianus mihi nomen est, catholicus vero cognomen ("My name is Christian, my surname is Catholic.").
Pacian was married and had a son, Flavius Dexter, who served as high chamberlain to Theodosius I and as praetorian prefect to Honorius. Jerome did not know Pacian personally, but knew Pacian's son, to whom De Viris Illustribus is dedicated.
Notes
- ^ Documento sin título
- ^ St. Pacian – Catholic Online
- ^ Patron Saints Index: Saint Pacian of Barcelona
- ^ Saint of the Day, March 9 at SaintPatrickDC.org. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
- ^ Irondequoit Catholic Communities – - Pacian Archived October 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
