[Footnote 1:  The Archbishop of Ravenna at the present day has seven suffragans, Bertinoro, Cervia, Cesena, Comacchio, Forli, Rimini, Sarsina.  It is hard to decide whether this man or Peter Chrysologus was the first archbishop of Ravenna.]

This passage of Agnellus is important, but does not seem, on examination, to have any real bearing upon the question of the dependence of the See of Ravenna upon Rome.  The Pallium was originally an imperial gift to the popes, probably in the fourth century.  And the fact that it is the emperor and not the pope who bestowes it upon the archbishop of Ravenna in the fifth century, if it be true, can have no meaning at all in the question of papal supremacy.

Agnellus, whom I have quoted, goes on to tell us of that miracle which gave S. John, archbishop of Ravenna, his surname of Angeloptes or Angel-seer.  “When the said John,” he tells us, “was singing Mass in the Basilica of S. Agata and had accomplished all things according to the pontifical rite, after the reading of the Gospel, after the Protestation (? the Credo), the catechumens to whom it was given to see saw marvellous things.  For when that most blessed man began the Canon, and made the sign of the Cross over the sacrifice, suddenly an angel from heaven came and stood on the other side of the altar in sight of the bishop.  And when after finishing the consecration he had received the Body of the Lord, the assisting deacon who wished to fulfil his ministry could not see the chalice which he had to hand to him.  Suddenly he was moved aside by the angel who offered the holy chalice to the bishop in his place.  Then all the priests and people began to shake and to tremble beholding the holy chalice self-moved, inclined to the bishop’s mouth, and again lifted into the air, and laid upon the holy altar.  A strange thrill passed through the waiting multitude.  Some said:  ‘The deacon is unworthy;’ others affirmed, ’Not so, but it is a heavenly visitation.’  And so long did the angel stand by the holy man until all the solemnities of the Mass were ended.”

Soon after this strange miracle S. John Angeloptes died and was buried in the basilica of S. Agata behind the altar in the place where he saw the angel standing.

Nothing seems to remain of his tomb or his grave; but the church is full of curious fragments, broken pillars, bits of mosaic, ancient marble panels, beautifully carved, and more than one old sarcophagus.  Somewhere there no doubt the dust of S. John Angeloptes awaits the resurrection.

From S. Agata we pass to S. Francesco.  This church was founded by S. Peter Chrysologus (429-c. 449) and was completed by S. Peter Chrysologus’ successor, the archbishop S. Neon (c. 459).  Its first title would seem to have been that of S. Peter Major; we hear, too, that it was called SS.  Peter and Paul, and Agnellus in his life of S. Neon calls the church Basilica Apostolorum.  The region of the city in which it stands would seem to have borne also the name Regio Aposto lorum, though whether it got the name from the church or the church from it is impossible to decide.[1]