Information about the life of St. Januarius is contained in two medieval documents: the "Bologna Acts" of the 6th-7th centuries and the "Vatican Acts" of the 8th-9th centuries. According to them, the future Saint Januarius was born in the second half of the 3rd century in the noble family of Januarii. His family name spoke of the fact that the family considered the pagan god Janus as their patron. However, Januarius himself, when you grew up, made a different choice: he became a Christian, and over time - and the bishop of the city of Benevento.
Once, having learned that one of his brothers, Deacon Sozius, was arrested and kept in the town of Miseno, Januarius with Deacon Festus and the reader Desiderius went to visit him in prison. Sozius was imprisoned because he fought with the sibyls - soothsayers who enjoyed great popularity among the people. The inhabitants of the Roman Empire asked them for advice and received an answer in poetic form. Therefore, the harsh attitude towards the Sibyls of the deacon Sozias aroused indignation among their supporters. Januarius protested against the arrest of a like-minded person. And although no charges were brought against him himself, the very fact of visiting a friend in prison aroused the suspicions of the then governor of the province of Campania Timofei, who saw a conspiracy in this. Most likely, he wanted to distinguish himself before Diocletian, the ruler of Rome, who strongly persecuted Christians. As a result, Saint Januarius was sentenced to death without any particular reason.
However, the executioners did not succeed in killing the saint right away. At first, Diocletian ordered to throw him, along with like-minded people, into a burning hearth, which was kept aflame for three days, but Januarius and his friends came out unharmed. Then they threw him at the mercy of wild animals, and again nothing came of it: the animals, like domestic cats, began to lick the saint's feet. Diocletian, seeing his impotence, in a rage ordered to behead the saint and hide his head. But even here it was not without signs. The executioner, who was supposed to carry out the execution, suddenly went blind. Januarius healed him. And when the sight returned to the executioner, he nevertheless executed Januarius and his associates.
Blood of Saint Januarius
However, the seeds of Christ's faith were sown in the souls of those present at these events. Five hundred people who had gathered to watch the execution, having seen obvious miracles performed by the saints, converted to Christianity. Then, after the execution, one of the Christian Anoks named Eusebia collected the blood of Saint Januarius in two co-judgments. It happened on September 19, 305.
A few days after the execution, Saint Januarius appeared to one of the inhabitants of Naples and said where his head was. When this Christian found the head of Januarius, Eusebia approached him with vessels containing the blood of the saint. At this moment, the blood that had already dried up suddenly became liquid again. This is how a miracle happened, which amazes people to this day.
Saint Januarius became highly revered in Italy, his head and blood are in the Cathedral of Nea Pola, in the chapel dedicated to the miraculous deliverance of this city from the plague in 1526.
The relic, sacred to Italians, is kept in two glass containers placed in a silver and glass cylinder with a diameter of 20 centimeters. These small containers of the 4th century with the blood of the saint are in a metal cabinet. The larger vessel is two-thirds filled with blood. In the lesser, there is very little blood. Both were sealed with a very hard putty, similar to clay, in the same 4th century. It is not possible to print them without damaging them, and this makes the study of relics very difficult.
In 1389, on the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the bishop of the city for the first time demonstrated sacred relics to the assembled townspeople. And then the unexpected happened. The blood, which for more than a thousand years had almost hardened, brought to the head of Saint Januarius, became liquid again, as if it had recently flowed out of the body. And then it thickened again. So it was found that a blood clot can change its density and fill different volumes in a vessel - sometimes only slightly rising, and sometimes filling the entire container. The color of the blood also changes - from bright scarlet to dark. The process of transition of a substance from one state to another can take very different times - from a few seconds to several minutes or even hours.
On September 19 of each year, on the anniversary of the completion of the earthly life of Saint Januarius, many people gather near the Cathedral of Naples, wanting to touch this exciting mystery. You can see the miracle with your own eyes over the next eight days, while the blood is in a liquid state. Then bubbles appear on its surface, and it again becomes a clot. This phenomenon is also repeated on December 16, when the Neapolitans celebrate the anniversary of the miraculous release from the eruption of Vesuvius in 1631 thanks to the intercession of the saint, and on the Saturday preceding the first Sunday in May, on the day of the transfer of the holy relics of Januarius from the village of Agro Marciano to the Neapolitan catacombs. In 2005, a jubilee miracle happened - September 19 of that year marked the 1700th anniversary of the execution of Saint Januarius.
What is the reason for this mysterious phenomenon that occurs on certain days of the year, when dried blood changes color, volume and density, suddenly becoming liquid? Why does a dried lump turn into blood regardless of the season - in spring, autumn and winter, no matter what temperature is in the cathedral? And finally, why does this miracle not always happen?
In May 1979, the blood of Saint Januarius remained thick, despite the fact that the capsule was displayed in the cathedral for a whole week. For local residents, this was a bad omen: after a similar incident in 1527, an epidemic of plague occurred, which killed forty thousand people. After vain expectations of a miracle, in 1979 there was a strong earthquake in southern Italy, then three thousand people died. However, in the subsequent "unfortunate" years (1981, 1988, annually from 1991 to 1995, 1999, 2004 and 2006), when the thousands of parishioners gathered in the church of Santa Chiara did not wait for a repetition of the usual transformation of blood, there were no disasters followed.
Miracle of Saint Januarius
This story with the transformation of dried blood into a liquid is contrary to the laws of physics and physiology. Scientists are unable to provide an explanation for this phenomenon, which has been happening for seventeen hundred years, despite numerous laboratory studies. However, theories sound different. The research was started back in 1902 by Professor Sperindeo, who conducted some experiments without opening the vessels. The scientist found that the transformation of a thick substance into a liquid does not depend on temperature. In addition, he carried out a spectral analysis of the substance and came to the conclusion that it may contain oxygenated hemoglobin, that is, the substance contained in ancient vessels really corresponds in its composition to blood.
At the end of the 20th century, Italian chemists Luigi Garlaschelli, Franco Ramaccini and Sergio della Sala put forward a more prosaic theory: they assumed that the blood of St. time when the priest takes out a vessel with blood from the box where it is kept. This property is called thixotropy. Scientists came to this opinion, proceeding from the fact that sometimes a miracle happened when no one was waiting for it, not on solemn days. Based on the version of these researchers, neither the prayers of the believers, nor the approach of a vessel with blood to the head of Januarius are at all necessary for a miracle to be accomplished.
As an experiment, chemists resorted to modeling a similar substance. They synthesized a reddish-brown gel that thickened at rest and became liquid again when shaken. Its components turned out to be quite simple and accessible to the people of the Middle Ages: water, chalk, table salt and ferric chloride. At first, scientists were puzzled by the presence of iron, but along the way, the source of its origin was established: iron chloride is contained in the lava of the Vesuvius volcano, which is located not far from Naples.
Dr. Margarita Jak and Luigi Marcollo, scientists from the Italian Association for the Study of Paranormal Phenomena, came to a similar conclusion: since the Middle Ages, the bowl apparently contains a colloidal solution of iron hydroxide FeO (OH). Outwardly, it resembles blood, and when shaken, this dark brown, almost solid gel becomes liquid.
However, such explanations do not stand up to serious criticism. Trying to give a primitive explanation of the behavior of the blood of Saint Januarius, the researchers did not answer the question: why does the substance synthesized by scientists turn into liquid every time it is shaken, and the blood of Januarius does not always become liquid? The shelf life of the product made by scientists is also questionable: what will it turn into after a few hundred years, can it be compared in durability with the blood of Saint Januarius?
The Italian scientist Gaston Lambertini, who has conducted many years of research on the artifact, claims that the phenomenon cannot be given any scientific explanation, and speaks of it like this: “The law of conservation of energy, the foundations of the behavior of colloids (gelation and dissolution), the theory of aging organic colloids, biological experiments concerning plasma densification - against such a background, the substance for many centuries has challenged any law of nature that cannot explain what is supernatural. The blood of Saint Januarius is a clot that lives and breathes, it is not just a relic, but a sign of eternal life and resurrection. "
Nevertheless, the miracle of St. Januarius, which makes the hearts of pilgrims tremble, has been observed for more than six hundred years. The Bishop of Naples in the cathedral of the city, like many centuries ago, lifts the vessels, announcing to those present: "A miracle has happened!" - and shows the blood that has become liquid.
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In Naples, for many centuries, a wondrous phenomenon, the so-called "miracle of the blood" of St. Januarius, has taken place every year. This martyr suffered for his faith in Christ in the year 305 after the birth of Christ. Saint Januarius is venerated in both the Orthodox and Catholic Churches.
According to legend, one of the pious wives who was present at the execution collected a certain amount of blood in a vial. She kept this vessel at home in the reliquary. This inexplicable phenomenon originates from those times. Namely, the coagulated clot suddenly "comes to life" and turns into a liquid state. Scientific research has shown that this is real human blood, which has all the properties of the blood of a living person. This miraculous phenomenon is repeated annually on September 19, the day of the saint's martyrdom, as well as on the first Sunday in May, sometimes on December 16, and even on special occasions.
This miracle contradicts the elementary laws of physics and human physiology. Scientists are faced with a complex riddle, trying to clarify something. Dried up since the 4th century, the blood suddenly turns into a liquid state! Before the eyes of many pilgrims, it changes color, volume, density ... And all this happens on certain days, from year to year, regardless of the weather, sometimes "comes to life" right at the opening of the metal reliquary where the shrine is. Such a change in blood happens spontaneously, despite the requests and aspirations of people. So, in 1976, after 8 days of prayer at the shrine of hundreds of Christians, the blood of St. Januarius remained in a coagulated state.
Physicists and hematologists agree that the presence of blood for 1690 years in a morphologically unchanging state, as well as sudden changes in volume and density, transition to a liquid state and return to the original clot - all this cannot be evaluated from a scientific standpoint. Modern science cannot provide a single more or less sensible explanation of the mysterious phenomenon taking place. Numerous attempts at laboratory replication of this phenomenon have failed.
Sometimes the clot dissolves, altering the volume only slightly. It happens that the blood rises significantly and fills the entire vessel, and sometimes it takes up only a small space. For scientists, the shocking fact remains that at times the density of the blood also changes. The color can range from bright scarlet to dark or rusty. The very process of blood transition from a clot to a liquid state seems paradoxical. Sometimes this happens instantly, and sometimes the process lasts several minutes or a whole day. All these facts are an obvious contradiction to the elementary laws of physiology and physics. Everyone understands perfectly well that in the warmth the blood quickly coagulates and dries up. But not the other way around!
Spectrographic analysis of blood showed that this is real human arterial blood without any chemical or other impurities.
The version of adding any substances to blood even in the Middle Ages completely disappears, since archaeological research proves that the bottles themselves and their corks belong to the 4th century and that the bottles cannot be opened otherwise than to break.
The blood of Saint Januarius miraculously does not obey the elementary laws of nature, and if it did, it would have deteriorated long ago and would have turned to dust.
The Italian scientist Gaston Lambertini, after many years of research, writes: “The law of conservation of energy, the foundations of the behavior of colloids (gelation and dissolution), the theory of aging of organic colloids, biological experiments concerning plasma densification - against such a background, the substance for many centuries has challenged any law of nature, not who can explain what is supernatural. The blood of Saint Januarius is a clot that lives and breathes, it is not just a relic, but a sign of eternal life and resurrection. "
One of the eyewitnesses of the event, in turn, notes: "The revival of blood is a sign of the existence of eternal life and a call to faith in the Resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of the flesh of all people who have ever lived on earth."
Saint Januarius accepted the martyr's crown because Christ was for him the highest value. Historians claim that this happened in 305 in the city of Pozzuoli. He was bishop of the city of Benvenuto. During the time of the persecution of the early Christians under the emperor Diocletian (234 - 313 years), the deacon Sossus was arrested. Bishop Januarius protested indignantly against the unjust arrest of his deacon. In response, the governor of that region of the Draconis took into custody the bishop himself and sentenced him to death. During the execution on September 19, 305, a Christian woman collected his blood in vials. Today, the blood of Saint Januarius is kept in the Cathedral of Naples, in the chapel erected in honor of the miraculous deliverance of the city from the plague in 1526. In the middle of the metal cabinet is an expertly crafted reliquary containing two ampoules from the 4th century. One of the ampoules is larger and two-thirds filled with blood. There is very little blood in the smaller ampoule. Both vessels were sealed with an extremely hard paste sixteen centuries ago.
All scientific research in this regard could be carried out only with the help of spectral analysis.
Every year on September 18, on the days of the martyrdom of Saint Januarius, crowds of people gather near the cathedral in Naples to witness the wondrous phenomenon of the "revival" of the saint's blood the next day. The blood remains in a liquid state for another eight consecutive days. Well, after that, bubbles appear on the surface and the blood secretly turns into a clot.
Hello friends! Today the story will be about patron saint of Naples - Saint Januaria(Italian San Gennaro).
This saint is revered by both the Catholic and the Orthodox Church, and is famous in particular for the fact that every year a miracle occurs in the Cathedral of Naples, which bears the name of the saint.
But first things first. According to historical sources, Januarius came from an aristocratic family from the city of Benevento near Naples, became a Christian at a young age, then, while still very young, became the first bishop of Benevento. During the persecution of Diocletian, Januarius regularly visited the deacons thrown into prison, and conducted services there. During one of the services, Januarius was arrested. Then the bishop, as well as the deacons imprisoned in the dungeon, were thrown alive into the furnace, but remained unharmed. After which they were given to be eaten by animals in the circus, but the animals did not touch them; finally, in 305, the captives were beheaded. At the time of his death, Januarius was about 30 years old.
In the 9th century, the "Gesta episcoporum Neapolitanorum" tells in detail the story of the acquisition and transfer of the saint's relics that took place in the 5th century, and the calendar of the Neapolitan church indicates two days of the memory of Januarius - April 13 (the transfer of the relics from Pozzuoli to the catacombs of San Gennaro in Naples) and 19 September (martyrdom).
Between 414 and 1497 relics of Januarius changed many locations, as the scattered Italian principalities fought with each other, and each new conqueror rushed to transport the relics as the greatest value.
In 1497, all relics of saint Januarius were transferred to Naples, where they are kept to this day in the altar of the crypt of the Cathedral. The head of the saint, placed in a gilded silver bust, is in the chapel of the Treasury of Saint Januarius, attached to the cathedral. In 1713, the bust was crowned with a miter adorned with diamonds, emeralds and rubies. In 1769, a necklace for the bust was made, consisting of thirteen gold chains adorned with precious stones. There are four crosses suspended from the necklace:
- a cross with 13 diamonds and 13 rubies donated by Charles VII of Bourbon in 1734,
- a cross with 64 precious stones presented by Maria Amalia of Saxony, wife of Charles VII in 1739,
- cross with 106 diamonds and 6 sapphires donated by Maria Caroline of Austria, wife of Ferdinand IV of Bourbon, in 1775,
- cross with 248 diamonds and 4 emeralds presented by Maria Cristina of Savoy, wife of Ferdinand II, King of the Two Sicilies
The jewelry presented to Januarius is usually kept in the cathedral's museum, and the bust itself is available for free viewing in the Chapel of the Treasury.
Adoration of Saint Januarius in Naples
During the 16th and 18th centuries, the veneration of Saint Januarius became a real popular cult among the inhabitants of Naples. In exchange for the constant patronage of the saint, a new chapel was built in his honor, and a vow of worship was given on behalf of 6 elected representatives of Naples. It is believed that after this, Januarius began to defend the city. Pious and very religious Neapolitans took this event very seriously, and the deed of the "deal" was written down and even notarized.
There are many legends about the intercession and protection of the city of Januarius. The most famous case is considered the salvation of Naples from the eruption of Vesuvius in 1631, when a stone statue of the saint brought up to meet the advancing lava flows raised its hand and stopped the lava. You may or may not believe these stories, but the fact remains: the worship of the holy protector of the city in Naples is extremely strong to this day.
However, Saint Januarius is most famous for a miracle that regularly occurs in.
Miracle of Saint Januarius
Miracle of Saint Januarius in Naples The essence of the miracle is the liquefaction of a dried liquid stored in a closed ampoule, considered with the blood of saint Januarius... Usually, an ampoule with blood is in a niche closed with silver doors. When the ampoule is removed, the blood in the ampoule is diluted. The miracle gathers a huge number of pilgrims. It happens three times a year:
- Saturday before the first Sunday in May - the first transfer of the relics of Januarius from Pozzuoli to Naples (5th century), the head and ampoule of blood, together with the statues of saints from the "suite of Januarius", are transferred in procession from the cathedral to the church of Santa Chiara, accompanied by a colorful procession.
- September 19 - Martyrdom of Saint Januarius
- December 16 - saving Naples from eruption of Vesuvius(1631)
Legend claims that blood thinning does not happen every year, and those cases when a miracle did not happen were accompanied by various disasters and disasters. So in the XX century, the miracle did not happen three times: in 1939 - before the start of World War II, in 1944 - before the eruption of Vesuvius, in 1980 - before a strong earthquake.
Many skeptics explain the miracle of Saint Januarius scientifically. This miracle is mainly due to the special nature of the substance in the ampoule, which turns into a liquid state under the influence of changes in temperature, light, or due to shaking of the ampoule. At the same time, spectrographic studies carried out twice showed traces of hemoglobin and its decay products in the substance stored in the ampoule.
Will a miracle happen this year? Let's see!!
Saint Januarius's blood did not turn to liquid.
Catholics are sure: This is a sign of the coming catastrophe
On Saturday, December 21, 2016, on the day of commemoration of the holy martyr, at the ceremony in Naples, the effusion of the holy blood of the great martyr Saint Januarius did not occur. The miracle did not happen, the dried blood, which is in a sealed glass ampoule, did not turn into liquid.
This event prompted believers to think about the coming disasters in 2017.
In the Catholic Church, the miracle of liquefying the saint's blood is performed three times a year on the day of his memory:
on Saturday before the first Sunday in May - the first transfer of the relics of Januarius from Pozzuoli to Naples (5th century),
September 19, the day of the martyrdom of Saint Januarius,
December 16 (saving Naples from the eruption of Vesuvius in 1631).
The miracle occurs when the closed vessel is taken out, in which the blood is stored, and it is placed near the reliquary with the head of Januarius in the Cathedral of Naples.
The ritual takes place in this way.
The local bishop picks up a precious relic of the cathedral - a transparent bowl with reddish-brown powder, reads a prayer, and the powder turns into a thick foamy liquid that looks like blood.
The entire ritual can take from a few minutes to many hours.
And this happens with a huge crowd of believers and tourists.
Indeed, in the Catholic world, the "miracle of St. Januarius" is comparable to the Orthodox descent of the Holy Fire on Easter in the Jerusalem Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
The ampoule is put on public display for about a day, until the liquid turns into powder again.
However, in the twentieth century, there were cases when a miracle did not happen:
in 1939 - before the start of World War II,
1944 - before the eruption of Vesuvius,
in 1980 - before a strong earthquake.
In connection with the latter case, among believers, fears arose that the absence of a miracle of thinning the blood of a saint, that is, the absence of a real miracle, is an ominous omen of future social or natural disasters.
Although the abbot of the Naples chapel, Vincenzo De Gregorio, hastened to calm the flock and warned against despondency: “We must not think about catastrophes and disasters. We are people of faith and we must continue to pray. "
But, given the emerging situation in Italy and Europe - with the political situation, social tension, the decline of Faith in the Almighty, the media whipping up a pseudo-threat from Russia, the migration of peoples from the Middle East ... it probably becomes clear the Lord's warning for the western tolerant and most democratic civilization that that you have embarked on a shaky path!
Saint Januarius is traditionally considered the patron saint of Naples, and the city's residents are always looking forward to this miracle.
Saint Januarius lived at the end of the 3rd - beginning of the 4th century A.D. He came from an aristocratic family, converted to Christianity in his youth and became the first bishop of Benevento, a city in the Italian region of Campania.
During the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian, the bishop was persecuted for his faith.
Bishop Januarius and his associates were arrested and thrown into the oven, but they remained unharmed. Then they were given to be torn apart by lions, but the animals did not attack them.
Ultimately, it was decided to behead Januarius and other Christians.
This event took place on September 19, 305.
Well, what then! Let's wait for the ensuing events due to the absence of the above miracle!
Afterword.
Scientists have repeatedly tried to deal with the blood of St. Januarius. In 2005, September 19 marked the 1700th anniversary of the execution of the martyr. About thirty minutes after the beginning of the prayer, Cardinal Michele Giordano announced the accomplishment of a miracle - "the blood became liquid." The festivities began in the city. But the good mood of the townspeople and tourists was spoiled by scientists from the Italian Committee for the Study of the Paranormal (an analogue of our Commission for the Fight against Pseudoscience at the Russian Academy of Sciences). Committee representatives Dr. Margarita Hack and Luigi Marcollo announced that they were able to repeat this miracle in the laboratory, using ingredients "that were available even to ancient alchemists."
- The "miracle" comes from the fact that the priest, picking up the ampoule, shakes it, - says Dr. Hack. - And this is the whole secret. After all, the very process of transformation of a powder or hardened paste into a liquid as a result of mechanical action has been known to scientists for a long time.
It is called thixotropy from the Greek. thixis - touch and trop - change.
It remained for us to find suitable substances, representatives from science said.
The Vatican had the opportunity to confirm the miracle, argued Luigi Marcollo. - We have several times asked to provide us with a piece of "blood" for research. But they were refused.
Like alchemists, scientists began to experiment "by touch", testing dozens of different components from among those that experimenters might have had 600-700 years ago. The only thing they were sure of was that the liquid in the ampoules looked like blood, had a reddish-brown color.
Hence, it should have included iron. As in human blood.
Scientists managed to make a thixotropic liquid-paste, which resembles blood in color and density and turns into liquid from a concussion, back in 1991.
But then they used substances that could not be obtained in the XIV century - after all, the first "appearance of the blood of St. Januarius" took place in 1389.
The first "laboratory blood of Januarius" contains water, sodium chloride, calcium carbonate and one of the iron chlorides. The manufacturing process takes several days. You just need to know the concentration of substances. Sodium chloride and calcium carbonate are not a problem to get. The first is mined in salt deposits - this is ordinary table salt; the second is regular chalk or crushed seashells. But the required ferric chloride is not found in nature, at least in Italy.
The skeptical scientists had nothing to replace ferric chloride. The Januarius blood case had to be closed for ten years. Until I came across a geological report, which said that in the frozen lava of Vesuvius, the mineral molyzite was found, consisting of just the right substance! Vesuvius is located about 12 kilometers from Naples. The volcano is still considered active and has erupted about 60 times over the past 2000 years.
Water, salt, powder from shells and solidified lava ... Januarius's blood turned out like real.
An indirect proof of our correctness, added Marcollo, is the strange concentration of all kinds of religious "blood" artifacts in the vicinity of Naples. Evidence has been preserved that in the Middle Ages there were several more vessels with the "reviving blood" of various saints. But by the twentieth century, they all disappeared somewhere. Our version: such miracles are based on the same technology using Vesuvius lava. However, this is just my guess. I do not want to offend the feelings of believers, but I want to get to the bottom of the truth, to receive for analysis a particle of the true blood of St. Januarius from the Naples Cathedral.
But of course, the Catholic Church is not going to succumb to the provocation of scientists. Nobody will print ampoules for research either.
Cardinal Michele Giordano announced that the relics had already been shown to scientists in 1989. Several Italian chemists performed spectral analysis of "liquid blood". The ampoule was illuminated with light and "caught" the rays at the exit. By changing the spectrum of light, you can determine the approximate composition of the substance through which it passed. The conclusion was as follows: the ampoule contains hemoglobin - the basis of human blood. However, it is known that the chemists who carried out the analysis were far from atheists. On the contrary, zealous Catholics. Perhaps this left the skeptics dissatisfied. Moreover, they hinted that the composition of hemoglobin includes protein and ions of the same iron. So spectrometry cannot give an accurate conclusion.
The only way out is to open the ampoule and take the substance for analysis.
But alas! Not yet given!
One thing is clear that when the blood of a saint does not foam, misfortunes are coming, so the natural powder of blood in bubbles or the composition creatively processed by the geniuses of antiquity does not beg for a miracle and, accordingly, the consequences in its absence.
| Januarius | |
| Januarius | |
| Birth: |
? |
|---|---|
| Death: |
305 year (0305
)
|
| Honored: |
in the Orthodox and Catholic Churches |
| In the face: |
hieromartyrs |
| Main shrine: |
relics in Naples |
| Day of Remembrance: |
Saturday before the first Sunday in May, September 19, December 16 (in the Catholic Church); April 21 (May 4 New Style) (in the Orthodox Church) |
| Devotion: |
martyrdom |
Saint Januarius(lat. Januarius, ital. San Gennaro, Iannuarius (church-glorified)) - Hieromartyr, venerated by the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, the patron saint of Naples, known for regularly occurring miracles.
Life and sources
For the first time, Januaria is mentioned in the message of Urania to Pakat (431), the author of the text talks about the phenomenon of Januaria, “ at the same time bishop and martyr who glorified the church of the city of Naples"To the dying Peacock Nolansky. The earliest source detailing the life and martyrdom of Januarius is the acts of martyrdom “ Acta bononiensia”(Bologna Acts, VI-VII centuries) and their extended version - Vatican Acts (VIII-IX centuries). According to these acts, Januarius came from an aristocratic family from Benevento, at a young age he became a Christian, then as a young man he became the first bishop of Benevento. During the persecution of Diocletian, Januarius regularly visited the deacons Sozio and Proclus, who were thrown into the prison of Pozzuoli, and served the Liturgy with them. During one of these services, Januarius was arrested. Then the bishop as well as the deacons Sozius, Proclus, Fest, the reader Desiderius and laymen Akucius and Eutykhiy were consistently: thrown into the furnace, but remained unharmed; given to be eaten by animals in the Pozzuoli circus, but the animals did not touch them; finally, they were beheaded (305). At the time of his death, Januarius was about 30 years old.
The name of Januarius is mentioned already in the 5th century in the Martyrology of Jerome (the memory of Januarius and the martyrs who suffered with him is noted there under eight different dates), in the 6th century - in the Carthaginian calendar (twice: Januarius - September 19, Sossius - September 23). There is written evidence of the veneration of Januarius and his associates in England and Germany already in the 8th-9th centuries. In Rome, the beginning of the veneration of Januarius, Sossius and other martyrs is associated with Pope Symmachus.
In the 9th century " »Tells in detail the history of the acquisition and transfer of the saint's relics that took place in the 5th century, and the calendar of the Neapolitan church indicates two days in memory of Januarius - April 13 (transfer of the relics from Pozzuoli to the San Gennaro catacombs in Naples) and September 19 (martyrdom).
An important evidence of the veneration of the saint is his numerous images in the catacombs of San Gennaro, the earliest of which date back to the 6th century. It is noteworthy that all other saints are depicted in the catacombs with explanatory inscriptions, and only Januarius - without any explanations. Thus, the image of Januarius by this moment was so recognizable that it did not need comment.
Relics of Saint Januarius
The fate of the relics
According to the message “ Gesta episcoporum neapolitanorum The relics of Saint Januarius were originally secretly buried in Pozzuoli, and the Neapolitan bishop John I (who held the cathedra in 414-432) discovered them and transferred them to the catacombs located at the foot of the Capodimonte hill, north of Naples. These catacombs have since been named after Saint Januarius (San Gennaro). Numerous mosaics and frescoes depicting a saint in arcosolium speak of the presence of revered relics in the catacombs. In the 6th century, at the entrance to the upper level of the catacombs, the so-called Great Basilica was built (now called San Gennaro extra Moenia, that is, "outside the walls"), the altar of which was located above the tomb of the holy martyr. In 1973 archaeologist Umberto Fazola discovered the site of the relics of the saint in the catacombs, surrounded by numerous tombs of the Neapolitan bishops.
In 831, the Benevent prince Sico, attacking Naples, transported the relics of Januarius to Benevento. Around 1154, the Sicilian king William I the Evil, defeating Pope Adrian IV, who owned Benevento, ordered the relics to be transferred to the monastery of Monte Vergine, where they were practically forgotten. In 1497, the Cardinal-Archbishop of Naples, Alessandro Carafa, transferred them to Naples.
The head of Saint Januarius remained in Naples all this time. For its storage, in 1305, at the expense of King Charles II the Lame, three Provencal masters made a gilded silver bust, magnificently decorated by the Neapolitan monarchs during the 18th century.
Thus, after 1497, all the relics of Saint Januarius are in Naples. In 1964, a study was made of the relics. They were housed in a sealed oval terracotta urn from the Lombard era (6th-9th century), wrapped in velvet. Ballot box labeled C ( orpus) S ( ancti) Ianuarii Ben ( eventani) Epi ( scopi), in turn, was in a wooden casket, and the latter was in a bronze reliquary of 1511. The relics themselves are well-preserved bones of a 35-40 year old man, about 1.90 m tall.
Honored relics and where they are stored
The relics of Saint Januarius are kept in the altar of the crypt of the Cathedral of Naples (rebuilt in 1497 - 1508). Access to them is carried out by two staircases on both sides of the main altar of the cathedral and is free, except for the time of worship on the "upper" altar.
The head of the saint, placed in a reliquary - a gilded silver bust, is located in the chapel of the Treasury of Saint Januarius, attached to the cathedral. In 1713, the bust was crowned with a miter adorned with 3,328 diamonds, 198 emeralds and 168 rubies. In 1769 the jeweler Michele Dato made for the bust a necklace consisting of thirteen gold chains adorned with precious stones. There are four crosses suspended from the necklace:
The cross with 13 diamonds and 13 rubies was donated by Charles VII of Bourbon in 1734,
The cross with 64 precious stones was presented by Maria Amalia of Saxony, wife of Charles VII in 1739,
Cross with 106 diamonds and 6 sapphires presented by Maria Caroline of Austria, wife of Ferdinand IV of Bourbon, in 1775,
Cross with 248 diamonds and 4 emeralds presented by Maria Cristina of Savoy, wife of Ferdinand II, King of the Two Sicilies
The jewelry presented to Januarius is usually kept in the cathedral's museum, and the bust itself is available for free viewing in the Chapel of the Treasury.
Finally, the most famous relic of the saint is two glass ampoules containing, according to believers, the blood of Saint Januarius. The first mention of this relic is the message of the chronicle Chronicon Siculum dated August 17, 1389, which contains an enthusiastic account of the miracle associated with the blood of Januarius. Since 1667, ampoules have been kept behind the altar of the Treasury Chapel, in a niche closed by two massive silver doors - a gift from Charles II of Spain.
Treasury of Saint Januarius and the Veneration of Saint by the Neapolitans
In 1526-1527, Naples suffered the hardships of the war between France and Spain in the Kingdom of Naples, and then the city was struck by an epidemic. On January 13, 1527, the Neapolitans, represented by 6 "chosen ones" (5 from the aristocracy and 1 from the bourgeoisie), took a vow to Saint Januarius to erect a new chapel in his honor in exchange for the saint's constant patronage. The vow was formalized in writing, sealed with the signatures of the “chosen ones” and notarized. Thus, the Neapolitans bound their patron saint with a semblance of a treaty. Between 1608-1646, a new chapel, called the Treasury of Saint Januarius, was built. The seriousness of the Neapolitans in fulfilling their vows is evidenced by their refusal from the financial aid offered by the viceroy's wife (Spanish woman) and the removal from work in the chapel of all non-Neapolitan artists.
In addition to the bust of Saint Januarius, statues of 51 saints were placed in the Treasury, to whom other churches in Naples are dedicated. In processions in honor of St. Januarius, these statues served as the "retinue of the saint." Temples could receive back the statue of their saint only for a time on the security of the full cost of the statue.
The Treasury itself is a recognized baroque masterpiece, decorated with frescoes by Dominichino, Ribera, Lanfranco, massive silver doors by Fanzago.
During the 16th and 18th centuries, the veneration of Saint Januarius became a true folk cult of the Neapolitans. All events in Neapolitan history are somehow connected in the popular mind with the intercession of the patron saint. The rulers of Naples also supported and shared this popular cult. So Charles VII, who considered his victory at Velletri over the Austrians to be the merit of Januarius, bestowed upon the saint the military rank of commander.
The most famous case of Januarius' patronage is the salvation of Naples from the eruption of Vesuvius in 1631, colorfully described in folk legends. The lava flow during this eruption was directed directly towards the city. The people demanded that the relics of the saint be brought out towards the lava, but the archbishop and the "deputies of the Treasury", who kept the keys to the niche with relics, had already fled, and there was no way to retrieve the relics. Then a procession with the Holy Gifts went to meet the flow of lava, but this procession did not help either. Then the worshipers began to appeal to Januarius, and before their eyes the hand of the stone statue of Saint Januarius, which stood on the bridge, rose and with one gesture stopped the eruption. This story is the best evidence of the confidence of the Neapolitans in the boundless power of their patron. In honor of the rescue of Naples from the eruption, a special holiday was established on December 16.
In 1799, the royal government made an attempt to deprive Januarius of the status of the patron saint of the city for "treason". The circumstances of this "betrayal" no less vividly testify to the special attitude of the Neapolitans towards their saint. In January 1799, the French army under the command of Championne took possession of Naples, King Ferdinand IV fled, and here the Parthenopean Republic was proclaimed. To win the sympathy of the royalist-minded population, Championne demanded that the clergy of the cathedral perform an extraordinary miracle of St. Januarius. French soldiers entered the sacristy and threatened the clergy with execution, and the miracle did take place on January 24, 1799. Accepting the miracle as a sign of the saint's sympathy for the French, the Neapolitans noisily greeted the establishment of the republic. In the same year, an army of the Sanfedists, under the command of Cardinal Ruffo, occupied Naples and restored royal power. Ruffo announced that Saint Anthony of Padua appeared to him in a dream, deciding to become the patron saint of the city instead of the traitor Januarius. During the solemn ceremony, Anthony was proclaimed the new patron of Naples, and Januarius was exiled with his relics. However, soon the popular piety forced the king to return Januarius his rightful "post" as the patron of the city.
Miracle of Saint Januarius
Saint Januarius is known in the Catholic world for a miracle that regularly occurs on his relics. The first mention of this miracle dates back to August 17, 1389.
The essence of the miracle is the liquefaction, and sometimes even boiling of the dried liquid stored in a closed ampoule, which is considered the blood of St. Januarius. In normal times, an ampoule with blood is in a niche closed by silver doors in the Treasury. When you remove the ampoule and place it near the reliquary with the head of Januarius, the blood in the ampoule liquefies. The miracle attracts a huge number of pilgrims and curious people.
Currently, the miracle is performed three times a year:
- Saturday before the first Sunday in May - the first transfer of the relics of Januarius from Pozzuoli to Naples (5th century), the head and ampoule of blood, together with statues of saints from the "suite of Januarius", are transferred in procession from the cathedral to Santa Chiara, where they remain for 8 days. A colorful procession ("Procession with garlands") on this day has been held since 1337;
- September 19 - the martyrdom of Saint Januarius (305), the head and the ampoule of blood are exhibited for worship to the believers for 8 days,
- December 16 - the salvation of Naples from the eruption of Vesuvius (1631), the head and an ampoule of blood are exhibited for worship for 1 day.
There are cases when a miracle was not performed on a fixed day; such an event is considered an omen of social disaster. So in the XX century, the miracle did not happen three times: in 1939 - before the start of World War II, in 1944 - before the eruption of Vesuvius, in 1980 - before a strong earthquake.
There are many theories that explain this miracle from a materialistic point of view. Basically, they associate the miracle with the special nature of the substance in the ampoule, which turns into a liquid state under the influence of changes in temperature, light flux, or because of the shaking that inevitably accompanies the removal of the ampoule from the niche. At the same time, spectrographic studies carried out twice (1902 and 1988) showed traces of hemoglobin and its decay products in the substance stored in the ampoule.
In 1992, Italian scientists obtained the "blood of Saint Januarius" in the laboratory. All materials and processes used were known in the Middle Ages. The thixotropic brown gel of basic iron oxide FeO (OH) became liquid upon shaking. The absorption spectrum of the resulting mixture was similar to the absorption spectrum of old blood.
Sources of
- "The Royal Chapel of S. Gennaro's Treasury" - a guide to the Treasury
- Alexandre Dumas "Louise San Felice". Separate chapters describe the life and miracle of St. Januarius, and also set out the history of the "betrayal" and "overthrow" of the saint.
- (English)
- author Iannuarius // Orthodox encyclopedia. Volume XX. - M. : Church Scientific Center "Orthodox Encyclopedia", 2009 .- S. 583-590. - 752 p. - 39,000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-89572-036-3
