Aurelian of Arles

Saint Aurelian of Arles was bishop of Arles in Gaul from the year 546 and a founder of monasteries. He was the son of Sacerdos, archbishop of Lyon, and his cousin Nicetius succeeded Sacerdos in the see of Lyon. He died on 16 June 551 at Lyon and was buried in the church of Saint-⁠Nizier; his epitaph is preserved. Other sources place his death around 550.

Elected to the see of Arles in 546, like his predecessor Auxanius he asked the pope for the pallium, the sign of the dignity and powers of a papal legate for Gaul, and Pope Vigilius granted it. He founded two monasteries at Arles: one for monks, dedicated to Saint Peter, with King Childebert I and his wife Ultrogotha, and one for nuns, dedicated to Saint Mary. For the first he wrote a Rule for Monks, based chiefly on the rule of Saint Caesarius of Arles, the only early medieval monastic rule for monks that requires total enclosure. For the second he drew up a Rule for Nuns, somewhat shorter, with very few changes from the first, which shows that he saw no fundamental differences between monks and nuns. Both rules are preserved in the Codex Regularum of Benedict of Aniane. In 549 he took part in the Fifth Council of Orléans, presided over by his father. He is commemorated on 16 June as a saint of the West before the Great Schism (a saint of the undivided Church), by the New Calendar.