ST. HONORIUS, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, C.

THIS apostolic man was a Roman by birth, and a monk by profession. St. Gregory the Great, from the experience which he had of his great virtue, and skill in sacred literature, made choice of him for one of the holy missionaries which he sent to convert the English nation to the faith. Upon the death of St. Justus about the year 630, St. Honorius was chosen archbishop of Canterbury. He was consecrated at Lincoln by St. Paulinus, archbishop of York, and received the pall sent from Rome by pope Honorius I., together with a letter, in which his holiness ordained, that whenever either the see of Canterbury or York should become vacant, the other archbishop should ordain the person that should be duly elected.* Our holy archbishop saw with joy the faith of Christ extended daily in many different parts of this island, and the spirit of the gospel to take deep root in the hearts of many chosen servants of God. His care in filling all places with pastors truly dead to the world and all worldly interests or views, and his own zealous labors and shining example contributed exceedingly, with the divine blessing, to so wonderful an increase. He died on the 30th of September, in 653, and was succeeded by Deusdedit. His name occurs in the Roman Martyrology. See Bede, Hist.1. 2, c. 18, 20;1. 3, c. 20. Wharton, Anglia Sacra, t. 1, and the life of this saint by Goscelin abridged in Capgrave, and entire in a fair old MS. in the Cotton library.