Reinerius (or Rainerius) Saccho (1200s – c. 1263) was a learned and zealous Italian Dominican.

Biography

He was born at

Piacenza Piacenza (; egl, label= Piacentino, Piaṡëinsa ; ) is a city and in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, and the capital of the eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with over ...

about the beginning of the thirteenth century; died about 1263. It is generally said that he died in 1258 or 1259, but this in an error, as we learn from the Brief of

Urban IV Pope Urban IV ( la, Urbanus IV; c. 1195 – 2 October 1264), born Jacques Pantaléon, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1261 to his death. He was not a cardinal; only a few popes since his time hav ...

, by which he was called to Rome, 21 July 1262. Little is known as to his youth and early manhood. At an early age, he was converted by the

Cathars Catharism (; from the grc, καθαροί, katharoi, "the pure ones") was a Christian dualist or Gnostic movement between the 12th and 14th centuries which thrived in Southern Europe, particularly in northern Italy and southern France. Fol ...

(a dualistic sect), became one of their bishops, and remained amongst them for seventeen years, as we learn from his own humble avowal ("Summa contra Waldenses", vi). He was led back to the Catholic faith, most probably by the preaching of

St. Peter Martyr Peter of Verona (1205 – April 6, 1252), also known as Saint Peter Martyr and Saint Peter of Verona, was a 13th-century Italian Catholic priest. He was a Dominican friar and a celebrated preacher. He served as Inquisitor in Lombardy, was kill ...

, joined the

Order of Preachers The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...

, then recently established, and laboured zealously for many years among the heretics of Upper Italy. After the martyrdom of St. Peter he was made

inquisitor An inquisitor was an official (usually with judicial or investigative functions) in an inquisition – an organization or program intended to eliminate heresy and other things contrary to the doctrine or teachings of the Catholic faith. Literal ...

for

Lombardy Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...

and the Marches of Ancona. Being enraged against him, and yet unable to put him to death, the heretics finally succeeded in having him sent into exile. Thereafter we have no further mention of him except in the

Papal Brief A papal brief or breve is a formal document emanating from the Pope, in a somewhat simpler and more modern form than a papal bull. History The introduction of briefs, which occurred at the beginning of the pontificate of Pope Eugene IV (3 Marc ...

of Urban IV.

Writings

Coussord claimed to have discovered an old manuscript of Reinerius, though the text (Paris, 1548) in fact seems to have been a work of Yvonetus; his ''Tractatus de haeresi pauperum de Lugduno''. Flacius also claimed to have, in the ''Catalogus testium veritatis'' ("De Waldensibus", Basel, 1556). The "Summa de catharis et leonistis, seu pauperibus de Lugduno" ( Martène i
Thes. Nov. Anecd. V
Paris, 1717) is according to Gieseler the only authentic work ascribed to Reinerius. The work is a description of Cathar sects and doctrines, and was regarded as a great authority during the Middle Ages. The edition of

Gretser Jacob Gretser (March 27, 1562 – January 29, 1625) was a celebrated German Jesuit writer. Life Gretser was born at Markdorf in the Diocese of Constance. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1578, and nine years later he defended publicly thes ...

(Ingolstadt, 1613) is much interpolated, so as (except interceding pages of chapter six) to be more a miscellany on late 13-century heretical factions, collected from various sources by an anonymous German inquisitor in Austria after Reinerius' death.

External links

Catholic Encyclopedia article
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saccho, Reinerius 13th-century Italian Roman Catholic theologians Italian Dominicans 1263 deaths Year of birth unknown People from Piacenza