At Valentine Day, St Valentine Remains Tried to Remove
Senin, 15 Februari 2016 - 20:02 WIB
At Valentine Day, St Valentine Remains Tried to Remove
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ROMA - February 14 supposed to be a day dedicated to love and a celebration of our affection for one another. But St Valentine triggered a bitter row in Italy after a bishop tried to remove his remains from the cathedral in which they have been kept since the 17th century.
Monsignor Giuseppe Piemontese planned to temporarily transfer the saint's relics from the San Valentino Basilica in Terni, Umbria, to another cathedral three miles away, provoking an outpouring of anger from local parishioners.
Dozens of angry church-goers descended on the basilica, positioning chairs around a glass coffin containing the remains and holding hands to form a human barrier against their removal. The shouts of the protesters grew louder as Monsignor Piemontese, Bishop of Terni, tried to explain himself. His increasingly desperate calls for silence went unheard.
Parishioners say their town has been abandoned in recent years, falling into a state of decay. One resident, heading to the church to protest, said they “had lost everything” and would not allow a much-loved piece of their history, as well as an important tourist attraction, to be taken from them.
“We are staying here together with our patron saint,” another protester told local Italian media. No-one is going to take him away. If they really want to do it, they’re going to have to get past us, because we’re not moving even one step backwards.”
The relics of St. Valentine - one of three claimants to be the one whose feast-day was originally celebrated on February 14 - were due to be moved for a special Valentine’s Day celebration in honour of the Catholic Church’s Holy Year of Mercy.
They would have been returned to the San Valentino basilica in the town of his birth within days, and Monsignor Piemontese was reported to have paid out of his own pocket for a specially modified car to transport the remains.
However, succumbing to pressure from the local community, the relics were still in San Valentino Basilica on February 14.
During his homily on Sunday morning, Monsignor Piemontese accused protesting parishioners of behaving in an “intolerant, arrogant and disrespectful manner” and implied there may have been other motives behind the protest, although he did not specify what these were.
“On several occasions I have had, during difficult conversations, the perception that the real reasons for this protest haven’t been made clear to this speaker or to the public,” he said.
“Instead they [rumours] have been circulated in an underhand manner; people are hiding behind expressions such as ‘so and so says this’, spreading biased information to beat the enemy, without having any intention of engaging with the true facts.
“The controversy surrounding the temporary transfer of St. Valentine’s remains to the cathedral, which was planned to make the celebration even more special for the devoted, is symptomatic of the intolerant, arrogant and disrespectful manner which has showed itself here.” He said the decision to temporarily move the remains had been taken “after many consultations and general consensus”’, both within the church and the wider community.
Saint Valentine, officially known as St. Valentine of Rome, served in the third century and was martyred and buried to the north of Rome. His remains were then transferred to the newly constructed San Valentino Basilica in 1618. There are several legends that claim to explain the connection between Saint Valentine and romantic love.
One such story says that St. Valentine was working in the garden when he heard a young couple fighting. He carried a rose out to them, asking them to hold it, before explaining what it meant to be of “one heart”. A stained-glass window in San Valentino Basilica shows the saint handing a rose to a couple dressed in ancient Roman robes. Some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14 to mark the anniversary of St Valentine's death.
Monsignor Giuseppe Piemontese planned to temporarily transfer the saint's relics from the San Valentino Basilica in Terni, Umbria, to another cathedral three miles away, provoking an outpouring of anger from local parishioners.
Dozens of angry church-goers descended on the basilica, positioning chairs around a glass coffin containing the remains and holding hands to form a human barrier against their removal. The shouts of the protesters grew louder as Monsignor Piemontese, Bishop of Terni, tried to explain himself. His increasingly desperate calls for silence went unheard.
Parishioners say their town has been abandoned in recent years, falling into a state of decay. One resident, heading to the church to protest, said they “had lost everything” and would not allow a much-loved piece of their history, as well as an important tourist attraction, to be taken from them.
“We are staying here together with our patron saint,” another protester told local Italian media. No-one is going to take him away. If they really want to do it, they’re going to have to get past us, because we’re not moving even one step backwards.”
The relics of St. Valentine - one of three claimants to be the one whose feast-day was originally celebrated on February 14 - were due to be moved for a special Valentine’s Day celebration in honour of the Catholic Church’s Holy Year of Mercy.
They would have been returned to the San Valentino basilica in the town of his birth within days, and Monsignor Piemontese was reported to have paid out of his own pocket for a specially modified car to transport the remains.
However, succumbing to pressure from the local community, the relics were still in San Valentino Basilica on February 14.
During his homily on Sunday morning, Monsignor Piemontese accused protesting parishioners of behaving in an “intolerant, arrogant and disrespectful manner” and implied there may have been other motives behind the protest, although he did not specify what these were.
“On several occasions I have had, during difficult conversations, the perception that the real reasons for this protest haven’t been made clear to this speaker or to the public,” he said.
“Instead they [rumours] have been circulated in an underhand manner; people are hiding behind expressions such as ‘so and so says this’, spreading biased information to beat the enemy, without having any intention of engaging with the true facts.
“The controversy surrounding the temporary transfer of St. Valentine’s remains to the cathedral, which was planned to make the celebration even more special for the devoted, is symptomatic of the intolerant, arrogant and disrespectful manner which has showed itself here.” He said the decision to temporarily move the remains had been taken “after many consultations and general consensus”’, both within the church and the wider community.
Saint Valentine, officially known as St. Valentine of Rome, served in the third century and was martyred and buried to the north of Rome. His remains were then transferred to the newly constructed San Valentino Basilica in 1618. There are several legends that claim to explain the connection between Saint Valentine and romantic love.
One such story says that St. Valentine was working in the garden when he heard a young couple fighting. He carried a rose out to them, asking them to hold it, before explaining what it meant to be of “one heart”. A stained-glass window in San Valentino Basilica shows the saint handing a rose to a couple dressed in ancient Roman robes. Some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14 to mark the anniversary of St Valentine's death.
(rnz)
