Saint Pacian (''Pacianus'') ( ca, Sant Pacià) (c. 310–391 AD) was a

bishop of Barcelona The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Barcelona is a Latin rite Catholic metropolitan archbishopric in northeastern Spain's Catalonia region. The cathedral archiepiscopal see is a Minor basilica: Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de la Santa Creu i ...

during the fourth century. He was bishop from about 365 AD to 391 AD, succeeding Praetextatus (''Pretextat''), who had attended a church council at

Sardica Serdika or Serdica ( Bulgarian: ) is the historical Roman name of Sofia, now the capital of Bulgaria. Currently, Serdika is the name of a district located in the city. It includes four neighbourhoods: "Fondovi zhilishta"; "Banishora", "Orlandov ...

in 347 AD and who is the first recorded bishop of Barcelona. Considered a

Father of the Church The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical pe ...

, Pacian is eulogized in Jerome's '' De viris illustribus'', in which Jerome praises his eloquence, learning, chastity, and holiness of life. His writings are extant only in part in three letters and a short treatise, ''Paraenesis ad Poenitentiam''.St. Pacian – Catholic Online
/ref> In his writings, he discussed ecclesiastical discipline,

baptism Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...

, papal primacy, and teachings on penance against

Novatianism Novatianism or Novationism was an early Christian sect devoted to the theologian Novatian ( 200–258) that held a strict view that refused readmission to communion of '' lapsi'' (those baptized Christians who had denied their faith or performed ...

, which was then flourishing in Spain. He is also remembered from a phrase from one of his letters: ''Christianus mihi nomen est, catholicus vero cognomen'' ("My name is Christian, my surname is Catholic."). Pacian was married and had a son,

Flavius Lucius Dexter Flavius Lucius Dexter (b. 368 AD - d. 444 AD) was a figure of the late fourth century, reported as a historian, and a friend of St Jerome. He was the son of St Pacian, an imperial office-holder, and dedicatee of a work of Jerome, the ''De Viris Ill ...

, who served as high

chamberlain Chamberlain may refer to: Profession *Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure People *Chamberlain (surname) **Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...

Theodosius I Theodosius I ( grc-gre, Θεοδόσιος ; 11 January 347 – 17 January 395), also called Theodosius the Great, was Roman emperor from 379 to 395. During his reign, he succeeded in a crucial war against the Goths, as well as in two ...

and as praetorian prefect to Honorius. Jerome did not know Pacian personally, but knew Pacian's son, to whom ''De Viris Illustribus'' is dedicated.Irondequoit Catholic Communities – - Pacian

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* {{Authority control Catalan Roman Catholic saints Saints from Hispania Bishops of Barcelona 4th-century bishops in Hispania 4th-century Latin writers 391 deaths Church Fathers Latin letter writers 4th-century Christian saints 310 births