Lupus, St

Lupus, St.

The Roman Catholic Church commemorates three saints by this name. The most important of them was born at Toul about the beginning of the 5th century. He was of a good family, and received a good education. He was afterwards married to Pimeniola, sister of Hilarius, bishop of Aries. Seven years after he abandoned his wife and children, and joined the disciples of St. Honoratus, who were there laying the foundations of the afterwards renowned convent of Lerins. In 426 he returned to Macon, and was elected to the see of Troyes, and greatly distinguished himself by his learning, both classical and theological. In 429 a council of the bishops of Gaul sent him, together with Germain of Auxerre, to Brittany, to oppose the Pelagian heresy, which was making great progress in that country. In 451, when Attila conquered Troyes, we find the barbarian king in intimate association with the bishop, and in his retreat Attila was accompanied by Lupus as far as the shores of the Rhine. Lupus died, according to tradition, July 29, 479.

His most distinguished contemporaries called him "episcopus episcoporun," the Jacob of his age, and praised him particularly for his experience and his knowledge in all ecclesiastical matters. We possess only two works of his. One of them is an answer to some canonical questions propounded by Talassius, bishop of Angers, and to be found among the Instrumenta of the Gallia Christiana (volume 4, col. 39). It contains some interesting information concerning marriage among the clergy. There is, it says, no general rule on this point: in the churches of Autun and Troyes married deacons are ordained without difficulty; but those who were single when ordained are not permitted to marry, and a married priest, on losing his wife. cannot marry again. (Comp. Lea, History of Sacerdotal Celibacy, page 84.) His other work is a letter to Apollinarius, published in Achery, Spicilegiune, 5:579. See Hist. Litt. de la France, 1:486; Gallia Christ. 12, col. 485; Herzog, Real-Encyklopädie, 8:564; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, 32:16. (J.N.P.)