Senator (bishop of Milan)
Encyclopedia
Senator of Milan or Senator of Settala was Archbishop of Milan from 472 to 475. He is honoured as a saint
in the Catholic Church and his feast day is May 28.
, bishop of Pavia
in early 6th-century, who describes Senator as a man of great eloquence and wit, and attributes to him commentaries to the Prophets
.
Senator was born in Settala
, about 15 km east of Milan
. His ecclesiastical career was immediately linked to his spiritual guide, Saint Abundius
bishop of Como
. In summer 450 Senator, still a priest, was part of a deputation led by Abundius that took some letters of Pope Leo the Great to Constantinople
. These letters, dated 17 June 450, were addressed to the Emperor Theodosius II
, to the Empress Pulcheria
and to the Archbishop of Constantinople Anatolius
, and were issued to denounce their support to the doctrines of Eutyches
, deemed to be heretic.
The deputation returned to Rome
before June 451, and Abundius and Senator returned to Milan with papal letters to the Bishop of Milan Eusebius. In September 451 Abundius and Senator assisted to a local synod
in Milan, attended by 18 bishops from all over northern Italy, where they gave an account of their journey to the East. The next month, the doctrines of Eutyches were formally condemned by the Council of Chalcedon
.
Senator became bishop of Milan in 472. As bishop he was actively involved in spiritual and material care of the diocese. In 472 Senator founded the Basilica of Saint Euphemia
in Milan, which he dedicated to the martyr Euphemia, and that today is dedicate to both Saint Euphemia and him. In fact Euphemia was strictly connected to the condemnation of the Eutychian doctrine, because the Council of Chalcedon was held in a church dedicated to her and a miracle by her caused the condemnation.
Senator died on 29 May 475 and he was buried in the basilica
he founded. His feast day is celebrated in the Catholic Church on the 28 May, because the 29 May was already occupied with another memory of saints.
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 May 28.
Life
The main primary source for the life of Senator are the writings of EnnodiusMagnus Felix Ennodius
Magnus Felix Ennodius was Bishop of Pavia in 514, and a Latin rhetorician and poet.He was one of four fifth to sixth-century Gallo-Roman aristocrats whose letters survive in quantity: the others are Sidonius Apollinaris, prefect of Rome in 468 and bishop of Clermont , Ruricius bishop of Limoges ...
, bishop of Pavia
Pavia
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...
in early 6th-century, who describes Senator as a man of great eloquence and wit, and attributes to him commentaries to the Prophets
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
.
Senator was born in Settala
Settala
Settala is a comune in the Province of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 15 km east of Milan. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 6,460 and an area of 17.5 km²....
, about 15 km east 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 ,...
. His ecclesiastical career was immediately linked to his spiritual guide, Saint Abundius
Abundius
Saint Abundius was a Bishop of Como, Northern Italy.He was born at Thessalonica. Around 448 Abundius became the fourth Bishop of Como, succeeding Amantius...
bishop of Como
Como
Como is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy.It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como....
. In summer 450 Senator, still a priest, was part of a deputation led by Abundius that took some letters of Pope Leo the Great to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. These letters, dated 17 June 450, were addressed to the Emperor Theodosius II
Theodosius II
Theodosius II , commonly surnamed Theodosius the Younger, or Theodosius the Calligrapher, was Byzantine Emperor from 408 to 450. He is mostly known for promulgating the Theodosian law code, and for the construction of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople...
, to the Empress Pulcheria
Pulcheria
Aelia Pulcheria was the daughter of Eastern Roman Emperor Arcadius and Empress Aelia Eudoxia. She was the second child born to Arcadius and Eudoxia. Her oldest sister was Flaccilla born in 397, but is assumed she had died young. Her younger siblings were Theodosius II, the future emperor and...
and to the Archbishop of Constantinople Anatolius
Patriarch Anatolius of Constantinople
Saint Anatolius was Patriarch of Constantinople . He became Patriarch through the influence of Pope Dioscorus I of Alexandria with Emperor Theodosius II, after the deposition of Flavian by the Second Council of Ephesus, having previously been the apocrisiarius or representative of Dioscorus with...
, and were issued to denounce their support to the doctrines of Eutyches
Eutyches
Eutyches was a presbyter and archimandrite at Constantinople. He first came to notice in 431 at the First Council of Ephesus, for his vehement opposition to the teachings of Nestorius; his condemnation of Nestorianism as heresy precipitated his being denounced as a heretic...
, deemed to be heretic.
The deputation returned to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
before June 451, and Abundius and Senator returned to Milan with papal letters to the Bishop of Milan Eusebius. In September 451 Abundius and Senator assisted to a local synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
in Milan, attended by 18 bishops from all over northern Italy, where they gave an account of their journey to the East. The next month, the doctrines of Eutyches were formally condemned by the Council of Chalcedon
Council of Chalcedon
The Council of Chalcedon was a church council held from 8 October to 1 November, 451 AD, at Chalcedon , on the Asian side of the Bosporus. The council marked a significant turning point in the Christological debates that led to the separation of the church of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 5th...
.
Senator became bishop of Milan in 472. As bishop he was actively involved in spiritual and material care of the diocese. In 472 Senator founded the Basilica of Saint Euphemia
Basilica di Sant'Eufemia (Milan)
Basilica di Sant'Eufemia is a church in Milan, Italy. It was established in 472....
in Milan, which he dedicated to the martyr Euphemia, and that today is dedicate to both Saint Euphemia and him. In fact Euphemia was strictly connected to the condemnation of the Eutychian doctrine, because the Council of Chalcedon was held in a church dedicated to her and a miracle by her caused the condemnation.
Senator died on 29 May 475 and he was buried in the basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
he founded. His feast day is celebrated in the Catholic Church on the 28 May, because the 29 May was already occupied with another memory of saints.