Title: Doctor of Homilies; “Golden-Worded”
Patronage: Preachers, Homilists
Died: c. 450 A.D.
“He who wants to laugh with the devil cannot rejoice with Christ.”
— St. Peter Chrysologus
Early Life and Formation
St. Peter Chrysologus was born around the year 380 A.D. in Imola, a city in northern Italy. From his youth, he showed signs of deep piety and extraordinary intellect. He was instructed in the faith by Cornelius, Bishop of Imola, who baptized him and later ordained him a deacon and then a priest. Peter’s humility and eloquence were already apparent in his early ministry.
Appointed Archbishop of Ravenna
According to tradition, when the archiepiscopal see of Ravenna became vacant around 433 A.D., a delegation went to Rome to request a new bishop. While there, Pope St. Sixtus III, reportedly through divine inspiration or a vision of St. Peter the Apostle and St. Apollinaris (the first Bishop of Ravenna), chose Peter of Imola for the office. Upon his appointment, Peter took up his episcopal duties in Ravenna with great zeal.
Pastoral Zeal and Eloquence
The city of Ravenna, then the capital of the Western Roman Empire, was plagued with moral laxity, remnants of paganism, and theological confusion. St. Peter addressed these challenges with unwavering courage and clarity. His homilies, short yet powerful, were marked by doctrinal precision, pastoral warmth, and a profound devotional tone. He is said to have rarely exceeded five minutes in his sermons—choosing to deliver rich content with golden brevity, hence earning him the title Chrysologus, meaning “Golden-Worded.”
He preached passionately on:
- The Incarnation and the Virgin Birth of Christ
- The authority of the Roman See
- The importance of repentance and almsgiving
- The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist
- The profound dignity of the human soul
Many of his surviving sermons (Sermones) are preserved—about 176 of them—and are considered masterpieces of early Christian homiletics. His sermons often began with a scriptural quotation and concluded with practical moral exhortation.
Doctrinal Defender
St. Peter Chrysologus stood firm against heresies of his time, notably Monophysitism, which denied the full humanity of Christ. He supported the orthodox Christological doctrine later defined at the Council of Chalcedon (451 A.D.), though he died shortly before the council convened. He also corresponded with figures such as Eutyches, to whom he wrote with pastoral charity and theological clarity, exhorting him to remain in union with the See of Rome, “the head of the apostolate.”
Death and Legacy
St. Peter Chrysologus reposed in the Lord around 450 A.D., likely in his native Imola, where he had returned toward the end of his life. His memory was venerated immediately after his death, especially in Ravenna and surrounding regions.
In 1729, Pope Benedict XIII formally declared him a Doctor of the Church, honoring the theological depth and spiritual richness of his sermons.
Spiritual Legacy
St. Peter Chrysologus remains a model for preachers and a teacher for the faithful, whose golden words still ring with eternal truth. His life bore witness to the harmony of orthodoxy and charity, eloquence and humility, truth and love.
Collect (Traditional Roman Missal, July 30)
Deus, qui beatum Petrum Chrysologum, Confessorem tuum atque Pontificem, ad populum tuum verbo salutis instruendum mirabiliter excitasti: præsta, quaesumus; ut, cujus doctrinis alimur, ejus intercessione apud te muniamur.
O God, who didst wonderfully raise up the blessed Peter Chrysologus, Thy Confessor and Bishop, to minister to Thy people by his preaching: grant, we beseech Thee, that by his intercession we may be made strong in the same doctrine which he taught with heavenly power.