# Matins Nocturn 2 reading for St. Silvester I, Pope, Confessor
# (Dec 31) — SanctiM/12-31.txt inherits the whole day (`@Sancti/12-31`)
# with no Nocturn 2 override, so this feast's own proper content is
# sourced from the Tridentine track exactly as for a pre-1955 saint
# (see memory vu-matins-pre1955-saints, vu-matins-sanctim-saints).
# web/www/horas/Latin/Sancti/12-31.txt, English/Sancti/12-31.txt.
#
# Nocturn 2: Lectio4-6 combined into one reading, one continuous vita.
# Nocturn 3 (Lectio7-9) is a bare `@Commune/C5` rubric with no proper
# Lectio content in either language, so no Nocturn 3 reading is
# authored here — correctly left unauthored, not a gap (same
# Common-only pattern as several other saints in this pass; see
# memory vu-matins-sanctim-saints findings).
id: st-silvester-i
readings:
  - nocturn: 2
    isGospel: false
    text:
      la: >-
        Silvéster Románus, patre Rufíno, a prima ætáte óperam dedit Cyríno presbýtero; cujus
        doctrínam et mores egrégie imitátus est. Hic, sæviénte persecutióne, in Sorácte monte
        latitáverat; et trigésimum annum agens, présbyter sanctæ Románæ Ecclésiæ a
        Marcellíno Pontífice creátur. Quo in múnere cum omni laude cléricis áliis
        antecélleret, in Melchíadis póstea locum succéssit, imperatóre Constantíno, qui
        ántea pacem Ecclésiæ Christi lege pública déderat. Vix Ecclésiæ gubernácula tractánda
        suscéperat, Constantínum, jam Crucis signo cǽlitus illustrátum, et de hoste Maxéntio
        victórem, ad tuéndam propagandámque christiánam religiónem impénse fovit. Quem étiam,
        uti vetus Ecclésiæ Románæ refert tradítio, Apostolórum imágines recognóscere fecit,
        sacro baptísmate tinxit, et ab infidelitátis lepra mundávit.


        Itaque, auctóre Silvéstro, pius imperátor quam christifidélibus públice templa
        exstruéndi tribúerat facultátem, eam exémplo suo confirmávit. Multas enim eréxit
        Basílicas, scílicet Lateranénsem Christo Servatóri, Vaticánam sancto Petro, Ostiénsem
        sancto Paulo, sancto Lauréntio in Agro Veráno, sanctæ Cruci in Atrio Sessoriáno,
        sancto Petro et Marcellíno ac sanctæ Agnéti in viis Lavicána et Nomentána, et álias;
        quas sacris imagínibus spléndide exornávit, et, munéribus prædiísque attribútis,
        magnificentíssime locupletávit. Hoc Pontífice hábitum est Concílium Nicǽnum primum,
        ubi præsidéntibus ejus legátis, præsénteque Constantíno et trecéntis decem et octo
        epíscopis, sancta et cathólica fides explicáta est, Arío ejúsdem sectatóribus
        condemnátis; quod étiam Concílium, peténtibus Pátribus, confirmávit in sýnodo Romæ
        hábita, ubi íterum Aríus condemnátus est. Multa item decréta fecit Ecclésiæ Dei
        utília, quæ sub ejus nómine recenséntur: id est, ut a solo epíscopo chrisma
        conficerétur; ut présbyter chrísmate baptizáti summum liníret vérticem; ut diáconi
        dalmáticis in ecclésia, et palla linóstima ad lævam uteréntur; ut in líneo tantum velo
        sacrifícium altáris conficerétur.


        Idem præscripsísse tráditur tempus ómnibus, qui ordínibus initiáti essent, exercéndi
        síngulos órdines in Ecclésia, ántequam quisque ad altiórem gradum ascénderet; ut
        láicus clérico non inférret crimen, ne cléricus apud profánum júdicem causam díceret.
        Sábbati et Domínici diéi nómine reténto, réliquos hebdómadæ dies feriárum nómine
        distínctos, ut jam ante in Ecclésia vocári cœperant, appellári vóluit, quo
        significarétur, quotídie cléricos, abjécta ceterárum rerum cura, uni Deo prorsus
        vacáre debére. Huic cælésti prudéntiæ, qua ecclésiam administrábat, insígnis vitæ
        sánctitas, et benígnitas in páuperes perpétuo respóndit. Quo in génere provídit, ut
        cléricis copiósis egéntes conjúngeret, et sacris virgínibus, quæ ad victum necessária
        essent, suppeditaréntur. Vixit in pontificátu annos vigínti unum, menses decem, diem
        unum. Sepúltus est in cœmeterio Priscíllæ, via Salária. Fecit ordinatiónes septem
        mense Decémbri, quibus creávit presbýteros quadragínta duos, diáconos vigínti quinque,
        epíscopos per divérsa loca sexagínta quinque.
      en: >-
        Sylvester was a Roman by birth, and his father's name was Rufinus. He was brought up
        from a very early age under a Priest named Cyrinus, of whose teaching and example he
        was a diligent learner. In his thirtieth year he was ordained Priest of the Holy Roman
        Church by Pope Marcellinus. In the discharge of his duties he became a model for all
        the clergy, and, after the death of Melchiades, he succeeded him on the Papal throne,
        during the reign of Constantine, who had already by public decree proclaimed peace to
        the Church of Christ. Hardly had he undertaken the government of the Church when he
        betook himself to stir up the Emperor to protect and propagate the religion of Christ.
        Constantine was fresh from his victory over his enemy Maxentius, on the Eve whereof the
        sign of the Cross had been revealed to him limned in light upon the sky; and there was
        an old story in the Church of Rome that it was Sylvester who caused him to recognise
        the images of the Apostles, administered to him holy Baptism, and cleansed him from the
        leprosy of misbelief.


        The godly Emperor had already granted to Christ's faithful people permission to build
        public churches, and by the advice of Sylvester he himself set them the example. He
        built many Basilicas, and magnificently adorned them with holy images, and gifted them
        with gifts and endowments. Among these there were, besides others, the Church of Christ
        the Saviour, hard by the Lateran Palace; that of St. Peter, upon the Vatican Mount;
        that of St. Paul, upon the road to Ostia; that of St. Lawrence, in Verus' field; that of
        the Holy Cross at the Sessorian hall; that of St. Peter and St. Marcellinus, upon the
        Lavican Way; and that of St. Agnes, upon the road to Mentana. Under this Pope was held
        the first Council of Nicea, presided over by the Papal Legates, and in the Presence of
        Constantine, and three hundred and eighteen Bishops, where the holy and Catholic Faith
        was declared, and Arius and his followers condemned; which Council was finally
        confirmed by the Pope, at the request of all the assembled Fathers, in a synod held at
        Rome, where Arius was again condemned. This Pope issued many useful ordinances for the
        Church of God. He reserved to Bishops the right of consecrating the Holy Chrism;
        ordered Priests to anoint with Chrism the heads of the newly baptised; settled the
        officiating dress of Deacons as a dalmatic and a linen maniple; and forbade the
        consecration of the Sacrament of the Altar on anything but a linen corporal.


        This Sylvester is likewise said to have ordained that all persons taking Holy Orders
        should remain awhile in each grade before being promoted to a higher; that laymen
        should not go to law against the clergy; and that the clergy themselves were not to
        plead before civil tribunals. He decreed that the first and seventh days of the week
        should be called respectively the Lord's Day and the Sabbath, and the others, Second
        Day, Third Day, and so on. In this he confirmed the use of the word Feria for the
        weekdays, the which use had already begun in the Church. This word signifieth an
        holiday, and pointeth to the duty of the clergy ever to lay aside all worldly labour,
        and leave themselves free to do continually the work of the Lord. The heavenly wisdom
        with which he ruled the Church of God, was joined in him to a singular holiness of
        life, and an inexhaustible tenderness towards the poor; in which matter he ordained
        that the wealthy clergy should each relieve a certain number of needy persons; and he
        also made arrangements for supplying the consecrated virgins with the necessaries of
        life. He lived as Pope twenty-one years, ten months and one day, and was buried in the
        cemetery of Priscilla on the Salarian Way. He held seven Advent ordinations, and made
        forty-two Priests, twenty-five Deacons, and sixty-five Bishops of various sees.
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }
