Honobert

Honobert (Ardobert, Artbertus) was bishop, then archbishop of Sens in the middle of the 8th century and is a popular saint, venerated in the Western Church. His origin is not known precisely.

He may come from the first comital family of Tonnerre, like his predecessors Géric and Ebbon, and is regarded as the son of Harnulf (Honulf), himself a bishop of Sens. Louis Duchesne wrote in 1899 that the episcopal lists place two bishops, Honobert and Honulf, unknown to the oldest tradition; the insertion rested on two tombstones in the church of Saint-⁠Didier at Sens, where these two saints were liturgically commemorated on 5 January. The historian concludes that they may have been auxiliary bishops (chorbishops), not qualified to appear on the official list. The diocese's present list does include Honobert.

He is placed in the list of bishops at the 32nd rank, after Ebbon, in 743. He was named to the see of Sens by Saint Boniface of Mainz, in 743. At the council of Soissons he was ordained archbishop, like Abel of Reims; a letter of the pope confirmed his ordination. Jean Heuclin thinks Pepin the Short attempted a show of force by instituting two archbishops, Abel and Artbert, metropolitans of Reims and Sens. He was sent to Rome to ask for the pallium, carrying letters from the mayors of the palace Charles Martel, Carloman and Pepin the Short. The pope confirmed only his ordination. A regional dictionary says he may never have resided at Sens, leaving the management of his diocese to an auxiliary bishop.