Translation (relics)
Encyclopedia
In Christianity
, the translation of relic
s is the removal of holy objects from one locality to another (usually a higher status location); usually only the movement of the remains of the saint's body would be treated so formally, with secondary relics such as items of clothing treated with less ceremony. Translations could be accompanied by many acts, including all-night vigil
s and processions, often involving entire communities.
The solemn translation (in Latin
, translatio) of relics is not treated as the outward recognition of sanctity. Rather, miracles confirmed a saint's sanctity, as evinced by the fact that when, in the twelfth century, the Papacy attempted to make sanctification an 'official' process, many collections of miracles were written in the hope of providing proof of the saint-in-question's status.
The date of a translation of a saint's relics was celebrated as a feast day in its own right. For example, on January 27
is celebrated the translation of the relics of St. John Chrysostom from the Armenia
n village of Comana
(where he died in exile in 407) to Constantinople. The most commonly celebrated feast days, however, are the 'dies natales' (the day on which the saint died, not the modern idea of birthday).
Relics sometimes travelled very far. The relics of Saint Thyrsus
at Sozopolis, Pisidia
, in Asia Minor
, were brought to Constantinople
and then to Spain
. His cult became popular in the Iberian Peninsula
, where he is known as San Tirso
or Santo Tirso. Some of his relics were brought to France
: Thyrsus is thus the titular saint of the cathedral of Sisteron
in the Basses Alpes, the Cathédrale Notre Dame et Saint Thyrse. Thyrsus is thus the patron saint
of Sisteron. Liborius of Le Mans became patron saint of Paderborn
, in Germany, after his relics were transferred there in 836.
, always outside the walls of the city, but martyrium
s began to be built over the site of the burial, and it was considered beneficial to the soul to be buried close to the remains of saints, several large "funerary halls" being built over the sites of martyr's graves, including Old Saint Peter's Basilica
. The earliest recorded removal of saintly remains was that of Saint Babylas
at Antioch
in 354, but, partly perhaps because Constantinople lacked the many saintly graves of Rome, they soon became common in the Eastern Empire, though still prohibited in the West. The Eastern capital was therefore able to acquire the remains of Saints Timothy, Andrew
and Luke, and the division of bodies also began, the 5th century theologian Theodoretus declaring that "Grace remains entire with every part". An altar slab dated 357, found in North Africa but now in the Louvre
, records the deposit beneath of relics from several prominent saints. Non-anatomical relics, above all that of the True Cross
, were divided and widely distributed from the 4th century. In the West a decree of Theodosius I
only allowed the moving of a whole sarcophagus
with its contents, but the upheavals of the barbarian invasions relaxed the rules, as remains needed to be relocated to safer places.
In the 4th century, Basil the Great requested of the ruler of Scythia Minor
, Junius Soranus (Saran), that he should send him the relics of saints of that region. Basil was sent the relics of Sabbas the Goth
to him in Caesarea, Cappadocia
, in 373 or 374 accompanied by a letter, the 'Epistle of the Church of God in Gothia to the Church of God located in Cappadocia and to all the Local Churches of the Holy Universal Church'. The sending of Sabbas' relics and the writing of the actual letter has been attributed to Bretannio
. This letter is the oldest known writing to be composed on Romanian soil and was written in Greek
.
The spread of relics all over Europe from the 8th century can be explained by the fact that after 787 all new Christian churches had to possess a relic before they could be properly consecrated
. New churches, situated in areas newly converted to Christianity, needed relics and this encouraged the translation of relics to far-off places. Relics became collectible items, and owning them became a symbol of prestige for cities, kingdoms, and monarchs. According to one legend concerning Saint Paternian
, the inhabitants of Fano
competed with those of Cervia
for possession of his relics. Cervia would be left with a finger, while Fano would possess the rest of the saint's relics.
The translation of relics was a solemn and important event. In 1261, the relics of Lucian of Beauvais
and his two companions were placed in a new reliquary
by William of Grès (Guillaume de Grès), bishop of Beauvais. The translation took place in the presence of St. Louis IX
, king of France, and Theobald II
, king of Navarre, and much of the French nobility. The memory of this translation was formerly celebrated in the abbey of Beauvais as the fête des Corps Saints.
On February 14, 1277, while work was being done at the church of St. John the Baptist (Johanniterkirche) in Cologne
, the body of Saint Cordula, one of the companions of Saint Ursula
, was discovered. Her relics were found to be fragrant and on the forehead of the saint herself were written the words, “Cordula, Queen and Virgin.” When Albert the Great, who had been residing in Cologne in his old age, had listened to the account of the finding of the relics, “he wept, praised God from the depth of his soul, and requested the bystanders to sing the Te Deum
. Then vesting himself in his episcopal robes, he removed the relics from under the earth, and solemnly translated them into the church of the monks of St. John. After singing Mass, he deposited the holy body in a suitable place, which God has since made illustrious by many miracles.”
Some relics were translated from place to place, buffeted by the tides of wars and conflicts. The relics of Saint Leocadia were moved from Toledo
to Oviedo during the reign of Abd ar-Rahman II
, and from Oviedo they were brought to Saint-Ghislain
(in present-day Belgium
). Her relics were venerated there by Philip the Handsome and Joanna of Castile
, who recovered for Toledo a tibia
of the saint. Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba
attempted unsuccessfully to rescue the rest of her relics. Finally, a Spanish Jesuit, after many travels, brought the rest of the saint’s relics to Rome
in 1586. From Rome they were brought to Valencia by sea, and then finally brought to Toledo from Cuenca
. Philip II of Spain
presided over a solemn ceremony commemorating the final translation of her relics to Toledo, in April 1587.
Idesbald’s
relics were moved from their resting-place at the abbey of Ten Duinen after the Geuzen
(“Sea Beggars”) plundered the abbey in 1577; his relics were translated again to Bruges
in 1796 to avoid having them destroyed by Revolutionary
troops.
The translation of the relics continued into modern times. On December 4, 1796, as a result of the French Revolution
, the relics of Saint Lutgardis were carried to Ittre
from Awirs
. Her relics remain in Ittre.
, have been much studied, as his coffin, gospel book
and other items buried with him are now very rare representatives of Anglo-Saxon art
.
Some well-known translations of relics include the removal of the body of Saint Nicholas
from Myra
in Asia Minor
to Bari
, Italy
in 1087. Tradesmen of Bari visited the relics of Saint Nicholas in 1087 after finding out their resting-place from the monk
s who guarded them. According to one account, the monks showed the resting-place but then became immediately suspicious: "Why you men, do you make such a request? You haven't planned to carry off the remains of the holy saint from here? You don't intend to remove it to your own region? If that is your purpose, then let it be clearly known to you that you parley with unyielding men, even if it mean our death." The tradesmen try different tactics, including force, and manage to take hold of the relics. An anonymous chronicler writes about what happened when the inhabitants of Myra found out:
Professor Nevzat Cevik, the Director of Archaeological Excavations in Demre (Myra), has recently recommended that the Turkish government should request the repatriation of St Nicholas' relics, alleging that it had always been the saint's intention to be buried in Myra. The Venetians, who also claimed to have some parts of St Nicholas, had another story: The Venetians brought the remains back to Venice, but on the way they left an arm of St Nicholas at Bari (The Morosini Codex 49A).
In 828, Venetian
merchants acquired the supposed relics of Saint Mark the Evangelist
from Alexandria
, Egypt. These are housed in St. Mark's Cathedral; in 1968, a small fragment of bone was donated to the Coptic Church in Alexandria.
) by Pope John Paul II in 2007, and that of St. Padre Pio in 2005.
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, the translation of relic
Relic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
s is the removal of holy objects from one locality to another (usually a higher status location); usually only the movement of the remains of the saint's body would be treated so formally, with secondary relics such as items of clothing treated with less ceremony. Translations could be accompanied by many acts, including all-night vigil
Vigil
A vigil is a period of purposeful sleeplessness, an occasion for devotional watching, or an observance...
s and processions, often involving entire communities.
The solemn translation (in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, translatio) of relics is not treated as the outward recognition of sanctity. Rather, miracles confirmed a saint's sanctity, as evinced by the fact that when, in the twelfth century, the Papacy attempted to make sanctification an 'official' process, many collections of miracles were written in the hope of providing proof of the saint-in-question's status.
The date of a translation of a saint's relics was celebrated as a feast day in its own right. For example, on January 27
January 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Jan. 26 - Eastern Orthodox Church calendar - Jan. 28-Fixed commemorations:All fixed commemorations below are observed on February 9 by Old Calendarists.-Saints:*Saint Peter of Egypt *Martyr Demetrius at Constantinople...
is celebrated the translation of the relics of St. John Chrysostom from the Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n village of Comana
Comana, Cappadocia
Comana was a city of Cappadocia and later Cataonia . The Hittite toponym Kummanni is considered likely to refer to Comana, but the identification is not considered proven. Its ruins are at the modern Turkish village of Şar, Tufanbeyli district, Adana Province.-History:According to ancient...
(where he died in exile in 407) to Constantinople. The most commonly celebrated feast days, however, are the 'dies natales' (the day on which the saint died, not the modern idea of birthday).
Relics sometimes travelled very far. The relics of Saint Thyrsus
Saint Thyrsus
Saint Thyrsus or Thyrsos is venerated as a Christian martyr. He was killed for his faith in Sozopolis , Phrygia during the persecution of Decius. Leucius and Callinicus were martyred with him. Tradition states that Thrysus endured many tortures and was sentenced to be sawn in half...
at Sozopolis, Pisidia
Sozopolis, Pisidia
Sozopolis in Pisidia, called Apollonia during Seleucid times, was an ancient town in the region of Pisidia, now in the Asian part of Turkey. It is not to be confused with the Thracian Sozopolis in present-day Bulgaria....
, in Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
, were brought to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
and then to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. His cult became popular in the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
, where he is known as San Tirso
Tirso
Tirso is Spanish and Portuguese for Thyrsus, and usually refers to the saint of that name . It can also refer to:People*Tirso de Molina , Spanish playwright, poet and friar...
or Santo Tirso. Some of his relics were brought to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: Thyrsus is thus the titular saint of the cathedral of Sisteron
Sisteron
Sisteron is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Sisteron is situated on the banks of the River Durance just after the confluence of the rivers Buëch and Sasse...
in the Basses Alpes, the Cathédrale Notre Dame et Saint Thyrse. Thyrsus is thus the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of Sisteron. Liborius of Le Mans became patron saint of Paderborn
Paderborn
Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
, in Germany, after his relics were transferred there in 836.
History
In the early church the disturbance, let alone the division, of the remains of martyrs and other saints, was not practised. They were allowed to remain in their often unidentified resting places in cemeteries and the catacombs of RomeCatacombs of Rome
The Catacombs of Rome are ancient catacombs, underground burial places under or near Rome, Italy, of which there are at least forty, some discovered only in recent decades. Though most famous for Christian burials, either in separate catacombs or mixed together, they began in the 2nd century, much...
, always outside the walls of the city, but martyrium
Martyrium
Martyrium may refer to:* Martyrium , album by unblack metal band Antestor* Martyrium, destroyed village of Oradour-sur-Glane in France.* Martyrium , early christian mausoleum for a martyr....
s began to be built over the site of the burial, and it was considered beneficial to the soul to be buried close to the remains of saints, several large "funerary halls" being built over the sites of martyr's graves, including Old Saint Peter's Basilica
Old Saint Peter's Basilica
Old Saint Peter's Basilica was the building that stood, from the 4th to 16th centuries, on the spot where the Basilica of Saint Peter stands today in Rome. Construction of the Basilica, built over the historical site of the Circus of Nero, began during the reign of emperor Constantine I...
. The earliest recorded removal of saintly remains was that of Saint Babylas
Saint Babylas
Saint Babylas was a patriarch of Antioch , who died in prison during the Decian persecution. He asked to be buried in his chains. In the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches of the Byzantine rite his feast day is September 4, in the Roman Catholic, January 24...
at Antioch
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
in 354, but, partly perhaps because Constantinople lacked the many saintly graves of Rome, they soon became common in the Eastern Empire, though still prohibited in the West. The Eastern capital was therefore able to acquire the remains of Saints Timothy, Andrew
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
and Luke, and the division of bodies also began, the 5th century theologian Theodoretus declaring that "Grace remains entire with every part". An altar slab dated 357, found in North Africa but now in the Louvre
Louvre
The Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
, records the deposit beneath of relics from several prominent saints. Non-anatomical relics, above all that of the True Cross
True Cross
The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a Christian tradition, are believed to be from the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.According to post-Nicene historians, Socrates Scholasticus and others, the Empress Helena The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a...
, were divided and widely distributed from the 4th century. In the West a decree of Theodosius I
Theodosius I
Theodosius I , also known as Theodosius the Great, was Roman Emperor from 379 to 395. Theodosius was the last emperor to rule over both the eastern and the western halves of the Roman Empire. During his reign, the Goths secured control of Illyricum after the Gothic War, establishing their homeland...
only allowed the moving of a whole sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
with its contents, but the upheavals of the barbarian invasions relaxed the rules, as remains needed to be relocated to safer places.
In the 4th century, Basil the Great requested of the ruler of Scythia Minor
Scythia Minor
Scythia Minor, "Lesser Scythia" was in ancient times the region surrounded by the Danube at the north and west and the Black Sea at the east, corresponding to today's Dobruja, with a part in Romania and a part in Bulgaria....
, Junius Soranus (Saran), that he should send him the relics of saints of that region. Basil was sent the relics of Sabbas the Goth
Sabbas the Goth
Sabbas the Goth is a martyr and Christian saint.He was born in 334 to Christian parents in a village in the Buzău river valley and lived in what is now the Wallachia region in Romania...
to him in Caesarea, Cappadocia
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province.In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine...
, in 373 or 374 accompanied by a letter, the 'Epistle of the Church of God in Gothia to the Church of God located in Cappadocia and to all the Local Churches of the Holy Universal Church'. The sending of Sabbas' relics and the writing of the actual letter has been attributed to Bretannio
Bretannio
Saint Bretannio was a bishop of Tomi during the fourth century. Of Cappadocian origin, he occupied the see of Tomi from 360....
. This letter is the oldest known writing to be composed on Romanian soil and was written in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
.
The spread of relics all over Europe from the 8th century can be explained by the fact that after 787 all new Christian churches had to possess a relic before they could be properly consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
. New churches, situated in areas newly converted to Christianity, needed relics and this encouraged the translation of relics to far-off places. Relics became collectible items, and owning them became a symbol of prestige for cities, kingdoms, and monarchs. According to one legend concerning Saint Paternian
Saint Paternian
Paternian or Paternianus is the name of an Italian saint. There are two figures, Paternian of Bologna and Paternian of Fermo, who are considered to be the same person. The first was bishop of Bologna from around 450 to 470. The second was a native of Fermo who escaped to the mountains during the...
, the inhabitants of Fano
Fano
Fano is a town and comune of the province of Pesaro and Urbino in the Marche region of Italy. It is a beach resort 12 km southeast of Pesaro, located where the Via Flaminia reaches the Adriatic Sea...
competed with those of Cervia
Cervia
Cervia is a town and comune in the province of Ravenna , central Italy.-History:Originally called Ficocle, it was probably of Greek origin and was located midway from current Cervia and Ravenna...
for possession of his relics. Cervia would be left with a finger, while Fano would possess the rest of the saint's relics.
The translation of relics was a solemn and important event. In 1261, the relics of Lucian of Beauvais
Lucian of Beauvais
Saint Lucian of Beauvais is a Christian martyr of the Catholic Church, called the "Apostle of Beauvais." He was killed in the 3rd century during the Diocletian persecution, although later traditions make him a martyr of the 1st century instead. This was because the church of Beauvais attempted...
and his two companions were placed in a new reliquary
Reliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
by William of Grès (Guillaume de Grès), bishop of Beauvais. The translation took place in the presence of St. Louis IX
Louis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
, king of France, and Theobald II
Theobald II of Navarre
Theobald II , called the Young, was Count of Champagne and Brie and King of Navarre from 1253 until his death....
, king of Navarre, and much of the French nobility. The memory of this translation was formerly celebrated in the abbey of Beauvais as the fête des Corps Saints.
On February 14, 1277, while work was being done at the church of St. John the Baptist (Johanniterkirche) in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, the body of Saint Cordula, one of the companions of Saint Ursula
Saint Ursula
Saint Ursula is a British Christian saint. Her feast day in the extraordinary form calendar of the Catholic Church is October 21...
, was discovered. Her relics were found to be fragrant and on the forehead of the saint herself were written the words, “Cordula, Queen and Virgin.” When Albert the Great, who had been residing in Cologne in his old age, had listened to the account of the finding of the relics, “he wept, praised God from the depth of his soul, and requested the bystanders to sing the Te Deum
Te Deum
The Te Deum is an early Christian hymn of praise. The title is taken from its opening Latin words, Te Deum laudamus, rendered literally as "Thee, O God, we praise"....
. Then vesting himself in his episcopal robes, he removed the relics from under the earth, and solemnly translated them into the church of the monks of St. John. After singing Mass, he deposited the holy body in a suitable place, which God has since made illustrious by many miracles.”
Some relics were translated from place to place, buffeted by the tides of wars and conflicts. The relics of Saint Leocadia were moved from Toledo
Toledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
to Oviedo during the reign of Abd ar-Rahman II
Abd ar-Rahman II
Abd ar-Rahman II was Umayyad Emir of Córdoba in the Al-Andalus from 822 until his death.He was born in Toledo, the son of Emir Al-Hakam I...
, and from Oviedo they were brought to Saint-Ghislain
Saint-Ghislain
Saint-Ghislain is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 22,466 inhabitants. The total area is 70.18 km², giving a population density of 320 inhabitants per km²....
(in present-day Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
). Her relics were venerated there by Philip the Handsome and Joanna of Castile
Joanna of Castile
Joanna , nicknamed Joanna the Mad , was the first queen regnant to reign over both the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon , a union which evolved into modern Spain...
, who recovered for Toledo a tibia
Tibia
The tibia , shinbone, or shankbone is the larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates , and connects the knee with the ankle bones....
of the saint. Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba
Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba
Don Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, 3rd Duke of Alba was a Spanish general and governor of the Spanish Netherlands , nicknamed "the Iron Duke" in the Low Countries because of his harsh and cruel rule there and his role in the execution of his political opponents and the massacre of several...
attempted unsuccessfully to rescue the rest of her relics. Finally, a Spanish Jesuit, after many travels, brought the rest of the saint’s relics to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 1586. From Rome they were brought to Valencia by sea, and then finally brought to Toledo from Cuenca
Cuenca, Spain
-History:When the Iberian peninsula was part of the Roman Empire there were several important settlements in the province, such as Segóbriga, Ercávica and Gran Valeria...
. Philip II of Spain
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
presided over a solemn ceremony commemorating the final translation of her relics to Toledo, in April 1587.
Idesbald’s
Idesbald
Saint Idesbald was a Cistercian monk and abbot of the Ten Duinen abbey. He was a courtier and page to the Count of Flanders. It is believed that he was related to or proceeded from the noble family of Van der Gracht, lords of Moorsel.He became a canon priest at Veurne in 1135...
relics were moved from their resting-place at the abbey of Ten Duinen after the Geuzen
Geuzen
Geuzen was a name assumed by the confederacy of Calvinist Dutch nobles and other malcontents, who from 1566 opposed Spanish rule in the Netherlands. The most successful group of them operated at sea, and so were called Watergeuzen...
(“Sea Beggars”) plundered the abbey in 1577; his relics were translated again to Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
in 1796 to avoid having them destroyed by Revolutionary
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
troops.
The translation of the relics continued into modern times. On December 4, 1796, as a result of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, the relics of Saint Lutgardis were carried to Ittre
Ittre
Ittre is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 Ittre had a total population of 6,064. The total area is 34.92 km² which gives a population density of 174 inhabitants per km²...
from Awirs
Awirs
Awirs is a subdivision of the municipality of Flémalle in the province of Liège in Belgium. The population on December 31, 2004 was 2,869.A notable building is the 18th century Château d'Aigremont....
. Her relics remain in Ittre.
Notable translations
Among the most famous translations is that of St Benedict of Nursia, author of the Regula S. Benedicti, from Cassino to Fleury. Adrevald's account of this translation, and the ensuing miracles, helped establish one of medieval Europe's most influential cults. In England, the lengthy travels of St Cuthbert's remains to escape the Vikings, and then his less respectful treatment after the English ReformationEnglish Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
, have been much studied, as his coffin, gospel book
Stonyhurst Gospel
The Stonyhurst Gospel, also known as the St Cuthbert Gospel or the St Cuthbert Gospel of St John, is a small 7th-century pocket gospel book, written in Latin, which was probably placed in the tomb of Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, a few years after he died in 687...
and other items buried with him are now very rare representatives of Anglo-Saxon art
Anglo-Saxon art
Anglo-Saxon art covers art produced within the Anglo-Saxon period of English history, beginning with the Migration period style that the Anglo-Saxons brought with them from the continent in the 5th century, and ending in 1066 with the Norman Conquest of a large Anglo-Saxon nation-state whose...
.
Some well-known translations of relics include the removal of the body of Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
from Myra
Myra
Myra is an ancient town in Lycia, where the small town of Kale is situated today in present day Antalya Province of Turkey. It was located on the river Myros , in the fertile alluvial plain between Alaca Dağ, the Massikytos range and the Aegean Sea.- Historical evidence :Although some scholars...
in Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
to Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in 1087. Tradesmen of Bari visited the relics of Saint Nicholas in 1087 after finding out their resting-place from the monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s who guarded them. According to one account, the monks showed the resting-place but then became immediately suspicious: "Why you men, do you make such a request? You haven't planned to carry off the remains of the holy saint from here? You don't intend to remove it to your own region? If that is your purpose, then let it be clearly known to you that you parley with unyielding men, even if it mean our death." The tradesmen try different tactics, including force, and manage to take hold of the relics. An anonymous chronicler writes about what happened when the inhabitants of Myra found out:
Professor Nevzat Cevik, the Director of Archaeological Excavations in Demre (Myra), has recently recommended that the Turkish government should request the repatriation of St Nicholas' relics, alleging that it had always been the saint's intention to be buried in Myra. The Venetians, who also claimed to have some parts of St Nicholas, had another story: The Venetians brought the remains back to Venice, but on the way they left an arm of St Nicholas at Bari (The Morosini Codex 49A).
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
merchants acquired the supposed relics of Saint Mark the Evangelist
Mark the Evangelist
Mark the Evangelist is the traditional author of the Gospel of Mark. He is one of the Seventy Disciples of Christ, and the founder of the Church of Alexandria, one of the original four main sees of Christianity....
from Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, Egypt. These are housed in St. Mark's Cathedral; in 1968, a small fragment of bone was donated to the Coptic Church in Alexandria.
In recent times
A famous and recent example is the return of the relics of St. John Chrysostom and St. Gregory of Nazianzus to the See of Constantinople (Greek Orthodox ChurchGreek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
) by Pope John Paul II in 2007, and that of St. Padre Pio in 2005.
External links
- Relics at the Catholic Encyclopedia
- An anonymous Greek account of the transfer of the Body of Saint Nicholas from Myra in Lycia to Bari in Italy