Saint Arcontius

Arcontius (died Viviers, 8th century) was Bishop of Viviers in the second half of the 8th century and is venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church. Information about this Bishop of Viviers is scarce. The oldest catalogue of the bishops of Viviers, contained in a mid-10th-century document attributed to Bishop Thomas II and known as the Charta vetus, does not mention Arcontius. His name appears in the traditional diocesan catalogues between the bishops Ardulphus and Eribaldus, in a period corresponding to the second half of the 8th century. He is mentioned as a martyr in a 15th-century Martyrologium Vivariensis ecclesiae. This text recounts that Arcontius died by decapitation following a popular uprising, after the bishop had strenuously fought to defend the rights and freedom of his Church. According to some authors, this event took place between 740 and 745, while according to Duchesne, it is likely later than the 9th century. His relics were kept in the Cathedral of Viviers until the 16th century, when they were dispersed by the Calvinists. In the new Roman Martyrology, reformed according to the decrees of the Second Vatican Council, the name of Saint Arcontius of Viviers was included, commemorated on January 10. The text omits any reference to his alleged martyrdom.