Hormizd, the Persian Martyr is a Catholic saint of the fifth century (c. 420). Theodoret, in his Historia Ecclesiastica presents the history of the life and the martyrdom of Hormizd, the Persian (c. 420).[1][2] The 1583 version of the Roman Martyrology included the name of St. Hormizd, the martyr, fixing his feast on the 8th of August.[3] Since then he has been revered as a saint in the Catholic Church. An English version of the Roman Martyrology was published in 1907, entering the name of the saint as "In Persia, St. Hormisdas, a martyr," under 8 August.[4][5] Whether, the Christians of St. Thomas accepted it or not, the Synod of Diamper strategically substituted the Rabban Hormizd with the name of Hormizd, the martyr in 1599 in order to assure that the Christians "are saved" from every Nestorian influence.[6] However, as a turn of history, Rabban Hormizd himself is presently a saint of the Chaldean Catholic Church.[7]
^Roman Martyrology, Saint Homizd Persian and Martyr, Aug 08, 1583.
^The Roman Martyrology published by Order of Gregory XIII Revised by the authority of Urban VIII, and Clement X, Afterwards, in the year 1749, Augmented and Corrected by Benedict XIV (Baltimore: John Murphy Company,) Revised Edition 1916, p. 237.
^"Whereas the church of Angamale, called the Archbishop's, was built by Mar Abraham, and dedicated to Hormisda the Abbot [Rabban], commonly called St. Hormusio, who was a Nestorian heretic, and a great ring leader of that sect, and for that reason was abhorred by all catholics, who are called Romans, as is reported in his life writ in the Syrian tongue, and which was ordained to be burnt by the most illustrious Metropolitan, upon the account of the manifold heresies and blasphemies contained therein, and the many false miracles said to be wrought by him, in conformation of the Nestorian sect: therefore the Synod does in virtue of obedience, and upon pain of excommunication, to be ipso facto incurred, prohibit the observation of the two festivities that have been dedicated to his memory, the one upon the first of September, the other ...commanding the above-named church to be dedicated to St. Hormisda the martyr who was also a Persian, and whose festivity is celebrated upon the 8th of August upon which day the feast of the said church shall be observed; and on the Retablo they are to make the picture, wherein the martyrdom of the said saint shall be drawn to the best advantage, that so the people may learn to what saint the said church is dedicated, and all the prayers and devotion that used to be performed upon the festivities of the heretic Hormusio, may be directed to this glorious saint Hormisda. Synod of DiamperSession III, decree X, Zacharia, Scaria. Randu Prajīna Gadhyakrithikal=Two Ancient Prose Works. Changanacherry: The Sandesanilayam Press, 1976, 183