Mirocles (bishop of Milan)
Encyclopedia
Mirocles was Bishop of Milan from before 313 to c. 316. He is honoured as a Saint
in the Catholic Church and his feast day is on December 3.
, to which will born also Epiphanius
.
Mirocles was the bishop of Milan
when in 313 the Emperors Constantine I
and Licinius
issued the Edict of Milan
which proclaimed the religious toleration
in the Roman Empire
. After the Edict of Milan, Mirocles started the erection of the basilica vetus
, which was the first cathedral of the town and that was placed on the area nowadays occupied by the present Cathedral of Milan.
Sources record the presence of Mirocles to the Lateran council
held in October 313 in Rome, under Pope Miltiades
, which took a stand in the Donatism issue, condemning Donatus Magnus
charged to re-baptizing clergy who had lapsed and which sided with Caecilianus
bishop of Carthage
. Mirocles participated also in the following council of all the Western bishops held in Arles
on 1 August 314, which confirmed the condemnation of Donatus and ruled about canon law
.
Mirocles possibly founded also the church of San Vittore al Corpo in Milan (rebuilt many times during the next centuries) in honor of saint Victor Maurus
, who was martyr
ed during the reign of Emperor Diocletian
in 303.
Mirocles died on the 30 November of about 316, and his feast day was set on 3 December. His body was buried in Milan
in the church of San Vittore al Corpo.
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
in the Catholic Church and his feast day is on December 3.
Life
Almost nothing is known about the life of Mirocles. He was elected as bishop of Milan in some year before 313 and he reigned till about 316. He perhaps was born to a family of PaviaPavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
, to which will born also Epiphanius
Epiphanius of Pavia
Epiphanius of Pavia , later venerated as Saint Epiphanius of Pavia, was Bishop of Pavia from 466 until his death in 496. Epiphanius additionally held the offices of lector, subdeacon and deacon....
.
Mirocles was the bishop of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
when in 313 the Emperors Constantine I
Constantine I
Constantine the Great , also known as Constantine I or Saint Constantine, was Roman Emperor from 306 to 337. Well known for being the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, Constantine and co-Emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed religious tolerance of all...
and Licinius
Licinius
Licinius I , was Roman Emperor from 308 to 324. Co-author of the Edict of Milan that granted official toleration to Christians in the Roman Empire, for the majority of his reign he was the rival of Constantine I...
issued the Edict of Milan
Edict of Milan
The Edict of Milan was a letter signed by emperors Constantine I and Licinius that proclaimed religious toleration in the Roman Empire...
which proclaimed the religious toleration
Religious toleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
in the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. After the Edict of Milan, Mirocles started the erection of the basilica vetus
Basilica vetus
Basilica vetus is a church in Milan, Italy. It was first established in 313....
, which was the first cathedral of the town and that was placed on the area nowadays occupied by the present Cathedral of Milan.
Sources record the presence of Mirocles to the Lateran council
Lateran council
The Lateran councils were ecclesiastical councils or synods of the Catholic Church held at Rome in the Lateran Palace next to the Lateran Basilica. Ranking as a papal cathedral, this became a much-favored place of assembly for ecclesiastical councils both in antiquity and more especially during...
held in October 313 in Rome, under Pope Miltiades
Pope Miltiades
Pope Saint Miltiades, also called Melchiades , was pope from 2 July 311 to 10 January 314.- Origins :He appears to have been a Berber African by birth, but of his personal history nothing is known.- Pontificate :...
, which took a stand in the Donatism issue, condemning Donatus Magnus
Donatus Magnus
Donatus Magnus, also known as Donatus of Casae Nigra, became leader of a schismatic Christian sect in North Africa. He is believed to have died in exile around 355.-Life:...
charged to re-baptizing clergy who had lapsed and which sided with Caecilianus
Caecilianus
Caecilianus, or Caecilian, was archdeacon and then bishop of Carthage in 311 AD. When archdeacon, he resolutely supported his bishop Mensurius in opposing the fanatical craving for martyrdom...
bishop of Carthage
Carthage
Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
. Mirocles participated also in the following council of all the Western bishops held in Arles
Synod of Arles
Arles in the south of Roman Gaul hosted several councils or synods referred to as Concilium Arelatense in the history of the early Christian church.-Council of Arles in 314:...
on 1 August 314, which confirmed the condemnation of Donatus and ruled about canon law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
.
Mirocles possibly founded also the church of San Vittore al Corpo in Milan (rebuilt many times during the next centuries) in honor of saint Victor Maurus
Victor Maurus
Victor the Moor was a Christian martyr and is venerated as a saint. Victor, born into a Christian family, was a soldier in the Roman Praetorian Guard...
, who was martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
ed during the reign of Emperor Diocletian
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
in 303.
Mirocles died on the 30 November of about 316, and his feast day was set on 3 December. His body was buried in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
in the church of San Vittore al Corpo.