BL. JUDICAËL II, KING - 16 DECEMBER

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN DECEMBER

Saints celebrated on the 16th of December

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BLESSED JUDICAËL II, KING

B. Judicaël II, Rex

 According to Bucelin* - who refers to him simply as "Blessed" under the date of December 16 - this Judicaël was the son of the aforementioned ruler. Although he was the firstborn, he reportedly wished to renounce the throne for the love of Christ in favour of his brother Judocus; however, at the urgent request of his father and brother, he ultimately assumed the government. He soon handed over rule to a third brother, whereupon he entered the monastery of St Mainus and lived a deeply pious, ascetic life for many years until his blessed end. Bucelin* describes this - as is his custom - at great length, yet fails to provide any information regarding the timing of these events or other historical details, even though he cites the Benedictine Annals as his source.

The information found in Butler* (18, 345) and, notably, in Migne* (II. 171) regarding Saint Judicaël is essentially consistent with the above; however, the details seem to apply more to the father than to the son. According to this account, Saint Judicaël was born around the year 581 and succeeded his father early on in the rule of the principality of Domnonia (Domnonée). In 616, he reportedly renounced the throne in favour of his brother, Saint Judocus (St-Josse), and entered the monastery of Gaël, which was then presided over by Saint Mevennius (St-Méen). As Saint Judocus did not accept the crown, Judicael offered it to another of his brothers, who then reigned under the name Solomon II. Later, King Dagobert of France sent Saint Eligius to him to settle certain disputes. Judicael reportedly went to the king in person and was received with royal honours; however, he declined to dine with the king, preferring instead to dine with Saints Audoenus (St-Ouen) and Eligius. Upon his return to Brittany, he handed over the crown to his eldest son, who reigned as Alan II. He then retired once more to the monastery of Gaël in 638, where he lived for another twenty years before dying on the night of December 16-17, 658, at the age of seventy-four. Among the pious foundations attributed to him, the Abbey of Paimpont (Pons Panis) in the Diocese of Saint-Malo (Maclovium) is particularly notable; it subsequently passed to the Canons Regular of the Congregation of France. In the year 878, his relics were taken to the Benedictine abbey of Marne in Poitou - known in later times as Anfio or Saint Jouin, after a holy hermit of that name who flourished in the 4th or 5th century and is venerated on June 1. According to Butler*, Saint Judicaël was invoked in 7th-century English litanies. His name appears on December 16 in the Martyrology of France and in that of the Benedictines; however, we have been unable to find any mention of him in the Roman Martyrology* or in Lechner*. The Bollandists* list him in the Elenchus* under December 16, and when they eventually reach that date, they will undoubtedly present further details about him. See also: Saint Judicaël I.

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 3, Augsburg, 1869, p. 500)

*A hagiography source used by the authors 

Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Blessed Judicaël may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Sources of these articles (in the original German): books.google.co.uk, de-academic.com, zeno.org, openlibrary.org