Donatus (d. after 658) was a

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

Besançon Besançon (, , , ; archaic german: Bisanz; la, Vesontio) is the prefecture of the department of Doubs in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The city is located in Eastern France, close to the Jura Mountains and the border with Switzer ...

, founder of the monastery Palatium (later Saint-Paul) in Besançon and author of a rule for nuns. He is venerated as a saint since the 11th century; his feast day is August 7.

Background

Donatus was a Frankish aristocrat, son of Duke

Waldelenus Waldalenus, or Wandalenus (late 6th – early 7th century), '' dux'' in the region between the Alps and the Jura, in the Frankish Kingdom of Burgundy, was a Frankish magnate who served as mayor of the Austrasian palace at Metz from 581, during th ...

and his wife Flavia. His family belonged to the earliest supporters of the Irish monk Columbanus. He was baptized by Columbanus and entered the monastery of

Luxeuil Luxeuil-les-Bains () is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. History Luxeuil (sometimes rendered Luxeu in older texts) was the Roman Luxovium and contained many fine buildings ...

. Before 627 he became bishop of Besançon. He founded a monastery in Besançon dedicated to Saint Paul which received them name ''Palatium'' because it was built on the ruins of a palace. The monastery followed the Rule of Columbanus and later become a house of

Augustinian Canons Canons regular are priests who live in community under a rule ( and canon in greek) and are generally organised into religious orders, differing from both secular canons and other forms of religious life, such as clerics regular, designated by ...

. Most biographical information about Donatus is based on

Jonas of Bobbio Jonas of Bobbio (also known as Jonas of Susa) (Sigusia, now Susa, Italy, 600 – after 659 AD) was a Columbanian monk and a major Latin monastic author of hagiography. His ''Life of Saint Columbanus'' is "one of the most influential works of ...

's ''Life of Columbanus''. References to Donatus in other sources (acts of councils and charters) are listed in Duchesne's ''Fastes épiscopaux de l'ancienne Gaule'', vol. 3.

Rule of Donatus of Besançon

Donatus' mother Flavia founded after the death of her husband a convent in Besançon, probably the monastery Jussa Moutier (''Iussanum monasterium''). Donatus wrote a monastic rule for this foundation in which he combined elements from the

Rule of Benedict The ''Rule of Saint Benedict'' ( la, Regula Sancti Benedicti) is a book of precepts written in Latin in 516 by St Benedict of Nursia ( AD 480–550) for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. The spirit of Saint Benedict's R ...

, the Rule of

Caesarius of Arles Caesarius of Arles ( la, Caesarius Arelatensis; 468/470 27 August 542 AD), sometimes called "of Chalon" (''Cabillonensis'' or ''Cabellinensis'') from his birthplace Chalon-sur-Saône, was the foremost ecclesiastic of his generation in Merovingia ...

and Columbanus' Rule. The Rule of Donatus is the oldest witness for a textual reception of the Rule of Benedict. The text is preserved in

Benedict of Aniane Benedict of Aniane ( la, Benedictus Anianensis; german: Benedikt von Aniane; 747 – 12 February 821 AD), born Witiza and called the Second Benedict, was a Benedictine monk and monastic reformer, who left a large imprint on the religious prac ...

's ''Codex Regularum''.

References

Literature

* Albrecht Diem, 'New ideas expressed in old words: the Regula Donati on female monastic life and monastic spirituality', in: ''Viator'' 43:1 (2012), pp. 1–38.
L. Duchesne, ''Fastes épiscopaux de l'ancienne Gaule'', vol. 3, Paris: Fontemoing 1915, pp. 213-214.
* Jo Ann McNamara and John E. Halborg, 'The Rule of St. Donatus of Besançon', in: ''Vox Benedictina'' 2 (1985), pp. 85–107 and pp. 181–203 (English translation).
Jo Ann McNamara and John E. Halborg, ''The ordeal of community'', Toronto: Peregrina Pub. 1993 (English translation).

Gérard Moyse, ‘Les origines du monachisme dans le diocèse de Besançon (Ve-Xe siècles)’, in: ''Bibliothèque de l’École des Chartes'' 131 (1973), pp. 21-104 and pp. 369-485, at pp. 372-410.

Gisela Muschiol, ''Famula Dei. Zur Liturgie in merowingischen Frauenklöstern'', Münster: Aschendorff Verlag 1994 (Beiträge zur Geschichte des alten Mönchtums und des Benediktinertums, vol. 41).
* Adalbert de Vogüé, ‘La règle de Donat pour l’abbesse Gauthstrude’, in: ''Benedictina'' 25 (1978), pp. 219–313 (edition of the ''Regula Donati''). * Michaela Zelzer, ‘Die Regula Donati, der älteste Textzeuge der Regula Benedicti’, in: ''Regulae Benedicti Studia'' 16 (1987), pp. 23–36.
Victoria Zimmerl-Panagl, ''Donati Regula, Pseudo-Columbani Regula monialium'', ''CSEL'' 98, ''Monastica'' 1, Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter 2015 (critical edition).

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Donatus of Besancon 7th-century Frankish saints Canonizations by Pope Leo XIII Clergy from Besançon Roman Catholic monks 7th-century Latin writers 7th-century Frankish writers Colombanian saints