Faustinus of Lyon

Faustin (Latin: Faustinus) was the fifth bishop of Lyon. He is recognized as a Saint by the Roman Catholic Church ^[1] and the Orthodox Church.^[2][3][4]

Faustin succeeds Helios in the middle of the 3rd century as bishop of Lyon. He is quoted in a letter written in 254AD by Cyprian (200-258), bishop of Carthage and Father of the Church to Pope Stephen I. Cyprian writes Faustin have received two letters on the state of the Church in Gaul and asks the pope, who had also written Faustin, to intervene. Faustin denounces the excesses of Marcian, first bishop of Arles, which followed the heresy of Novatian, refusing to forgive Christians who repented after rejecting the Church during the persecution of Diocletian.

The letter of Cyprian begins: Cyprien brother Stephen, Our colleague Faustin, Lyons, a brother who is very dear, wrote me twice, saying that that is Marcianus in Arles, door against Christians repenting the very serious charge of heresy, so that God's servants who repent, suffer and implore the church in tears, groans and pain, are being denied the consolation and help of divine piety and gentleness of the Father; when they are injured, they do not have the right to come relieve their wounds, but without hope of appeasement and communion, they are left to the wolves and thrown prey to diable.^[5][6]

At that time, Faustin is not the only Gallic bishop, other dioceses have been created at least in Vienna and Arles, and maybe in other cities of Gaul. However, in the case of Marcian, Faustin is the spokesman of the bishops of Gaul.

In the early 5th century, Castor, bishop of Apt built in his honor a monastery in Nîmes.

References

1. Archdiocese of Lyon, France at Catholic Saints.info.
2. Bernard Berthod, Jacqueline Boucher, Bruno Galland, Régis Ladous et André Pelletier, Archevêques de Lyon, Lyon, éditions Lyonnaises d'Art et d'Histoire, 2012, p191.
3. Jacques Gadille (dir.), René Fédou, Henri Hours et Bernard de Vregille, Le diocèse de Lyon, Paris, Beauchesne, coll. (Histoire des diocèses de France (no 16), 1983), p350.
4. David M. Cheney, Archdiocese of Lyon at Catholic heirachy.org.
5. Lettre de Saint-Cyprien (Epistula LXVIII) adressée au pape Etienne.
6. Gallia Christiana Novissima, Tome III, page 12, n°12.