St. Valentine ( lat. Valentinus ) is the name of several early Christian holy martyrs . Practically nothing is known about their life, it is impossible even to reliably establish whether they were really different people, or whether it is about different lives of the same saint.
| Valentine | |
|---|---|
| Birth | Terni , Italy |
| Death | February 14, 270 [1] Rome |
| Revered | Catholicism , Orthodoxy , some Protestants |
| Canonized | VII century |
| In the face | |
| Day of Remembrance | February 14 (Catholicism); July 30 (Orthodoxy) |
| Patron | lovers, newlyweds, seriously ill, epileptics, the city of Terni |
| Attributes | birds; roses; a bishop carrying a sword; the bishop holding the sun |
| Asceticism | miraculous healing confession of faith in Christ |
Martyrologists mention Valentine, a Roman priest who was beheaded about 269 ; as well as Valentine - the Bishop of Intermny (modern Terni ), known for miraculous healings and executed the son of the governor for conversion to Christianity. In connection with the feast on February 14, a martyr with the same name is mentioned, who suffered in the Roman province of Africa .
The Golden Legend of the XIII century about Saint Valentine is given very little information, in particular, it is said that he refused to deny Christ to the emperor Claudius and was beheaded for it.
In the late Middle Ages in France and England the life of St.. Valentine gradually began to acquire legends associated with the secret wedding of couples in love. According to them, the emperor Claudius II forbade the soldiers to marry so that they would not be distracted from the service. Valentine secretly crowning those who wish, and for this he was sentenced to death. Various legends provide details about the farewell letter that Valentine wrote before the execution of the blind girl (according to other options, the jailer’s daughter) and which healed her. The celebration of the day of lovers correlated with popular belief, reflected in Chaucer and in the 34th and 35th ballads of Eng. poet J. Gower : "On this day, the birds begin to look for a mate."
According to one of the versions, Valentine married the Christian Serapia and the Roman legionary Sabino, who was also a pagan. Legionnaire was very ill, and therefore the marriage was held in a hurry . This marriage led to the execution of St. Valentine .
In the 17th century in France, the historian Tillemont , and later in the 18th century in England, Alban Butler and Francis Douse suggested for the first time that Valentine's Day was introduced to replace the pagan rite of Lupercalius, celebrated on February 15 ) : the opinion that today’s hagiographers seem to be the most likely [2] .
Content
Power
To possess the relics of St. Valentine claims many temples and monasteries. In spite of the fact that the skull of the saint, decorated with a wreath, has long been located in the Roman Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin , the Vatican recognized the relics removed in 1836 from Hippolyte's catacombs on the Tiburtinsky road as relics. Pope Gregory XVI handed over this relic to the Carmelite church on Whitoufrair Street in Dublin [3] .
Also on the possession of the relics claim the Cathedral of Rockmore in France, the Cathedral of St.. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, the Basilica in Balzan in Malta, the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in the Czech Vysehrad, Greek Catholic Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin in Sambir [4] and the temple in the Polish Chelmno . About the desecration of the relics of St. Valentina in the Trinity Church of the city of Berestechko is narrated by I. Babel in the story “At St. Valents” from the collection “ Konarmia ”.
Honor
In the West, the memory of Valentin the Roman and Valentin - the Bishop of Intermny from the 7th century was celebrated on the same day - February 14 (see St. Valentine’s Day ).
In the catholic church in 1969, when revising the general liturgical calendar of sv. Valentine was excluded from the list of saints whose memory is obligatory for liturgical veneration. Currently, the memory of the saint is celebrated locally in a number of dioceses . In Russia, on February 14, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius , the enlighteners of the Slavs.
In Orthodoxy, the memory of both martyrs is celebrated on different days: July 6 ( 19 AD ) - the memory of Valentine the Roman martyr , presbyter, and July 30 ( August 12 AD) - the memory of Valentine Interramnsky, the martyr, bishop.
In the Belarusian city of Smolevichi there is a Catholic church dedicated to St. Valentine. Also near it is a monument to the saint.
Forensic Reconstruction
In February 2017, 3D-designer Cicero Morais reconstructed the face of St. Valentine on the basis of the skull attributed to him, stored in the Basilica of St. Mary in Cosmedin in Rome. [five]
Notes
- ↑ February 14 - Valentine's Day?
- ↑ VALENTIN . www.pravenc.ru. The appeal date is February 17, 2016.
- Ir Welcome to the Irish Province of Carmelites
- ↑ The relics of St. Valentine rest in the temple of the city of Sambir, Lviv region. (inaccessible link) . The appeal date is February 14, 2009. Archived on August 5, 2009.
- ↑ The face of love: scientists have recreated the face of St. Valentine (Rus.) , Lady . The appeal date is August 18, 2018.
Links
- Catholic Encyclopedia (English)
- Catholic Encyclopedia. Ed. Franciscans, M., 2002.
- Orthodox calendar
- St. Valentine (rus.) - Saints and Blessed Catholic Church
- Frankie show about St. Valentine (biographical radio play)