June 20, 2019: POPE ST. SILVERIUS

June 20, 2019: COMMEMORATION OF ST. SILVERIUS, POPE AND MARTYR

“Thou hast crowned him with glory and honour, O Lord. And hast placed him over the works of thy hands.”

Prayer (Collect).

Have regard, O Almighty God, to our weakness, and as we sink under the weight of our own doings, let the glorious intercession of blessed Silverius, thy Martyr and Bishop, be a protection to us. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in unity of the Holy Ghost, God, World without end. Amen.

A.D. 538

Papal succession is one of the principal facts wherein is demonstrated the working of the Holy Ghost, from the very first day of His descent upon our earth. The legitimacy of the Popes, as successors of Peter, is indeed closely linked with the legitimacy of the Church herself, in her character of Bride of the Man-God; and therefore, His mission being to lead the Bride unto the Spouse,—the Holy Ghost cannot suffer her to wander in the footprints of intruders. The inevitable play of human passions, interfering in the election of the Vicar of Christ, may perchance for a while, render uncertain, the transmission of spiritual power; but when it is proved that the Church still holding, or once more put in possession of her liberty, acknowledges in the person of a certain Pope, until then doubtful, the true Sovereign Pontiff,—this her very recognition is a proof that, from that moment at least, the occupant of the Apostolic See is as such invested by God Himself. This doctrine the Holy Ghost confirms, by giving thereunto, in the Pontiff we are celebrating to-day, the consecration of martyrdom.

[Pope] Saint Agapitus I died at Constantinople, whither Theodorat, the Goth, had persuaded him to go, in order to appease the anger of Justinian excited against this king by reason of his treasons. Scarcely had the news of this death reached the Arian prince, than he, in terror of perhaps seeing some one unfavourable to his pretentions, raised to the pontificate,—imperatively designated as successor to the deceased Pope, the deacon Silverius. Two months later, the Justice of God struck the tyrant and the Church was set free. Doubtless, Rome would have but exercised her proper right, had she rejected the Head thus imposed upon her by main force: for not to earthly princes, has the Lord consigned the election of His Vicar upon earth. But Silverius, who had been an utter stranger to the violence used on his personal account, was in reality a man in every way fitted to the Supreme Pontificate: therefore, when the Roman clergy became free to act, they had no wish to withdraw from him their adhesion, until then certainly disputable. From that moment undoubtedly, Silverius could not but be Head of the Church, the true successor of Agapitus, the Lord's Elect. In the midst of a period thronged with snares, he proved how well he understood the exigences of duty in his exalted office, and preferred an exile which would eventually cost him his life, to the abandoning of a post wherein the Holy Ghost had truly placed him. Holy Church gratefully bears witness to this, in her short eulogy of him; and the army of Martyrs opened their ranks to receive him, when death had at length struck the Pontiff in his land of exile.

Silverius was a native of Campania, and succeeded Agapitus in the Papacy. His doctrine and holiness shone forth in his pursuing of heretics; and his strength of soul, in his firmness regarding the upholding of the sentence passed by Agapitus. Agapitus had deposed Anthimus, from the Patriarchate of Constantinople for defending the heresy of Eutyches; and Silverius would never allow of his restoration, although the Empress Theodora repeatedly asked him to do so.

The woman was enraged at him, on this account, and ordered Belisarius to send Silverius into exile. He was accordingly banished to the Island of Ponza, whence, it is said, he wrote these words to Bishop Amator: “I am fed upon the bread of tribulation, and the water of affliction, but nevertheless, I have not given up, and I will not give up, doing my duty.” Soon indeed, worn out by grief and suffering, he slept in the Lord, on the twelfth of the Kalends of July: His body being taken to Rome, was laid in the Vatican Basilica and was made illustrious by numerous miracles. He ruled the Church for more than three years, and ordained in the month of December, thirteen priests, five deacons, and nineteen bishops for divers sees.

Taken from: The Liturgical Year – Time After Pentecost, Vol. III, Dublin, Edition 1890; and
The Divine Office for the use of the Laity, Volume II, 1806.

June 20, 2019: Corpus Christi.

Pope St. Silverius, pray for us.