Saint Valentine was a saint of the third century. He was born in Terni Italy in 226 AD and he died in Rome on 14th February 269 A.D.
He was a pious man but history does not reveal much, that he was either a priest or a bishop in the Roman Empire who assisted and ministered the persecuted Christians. He was martyred and his body was buried in a cemetery close to Ponte Milvio north of Rome. His feast has been celebrated on the 14th February since 496 AD. Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD referred to the Martyr and his acts as “being known only to God” as he was a temple priest and beheaded near Rome by the Emperor Claudius II for helping Christian couples wed.
There was a confusion of two persons being beheaded during the same period bearing the same name. Because of the similarities of these accounts it is thought that they are referring to the same person. Due to this confusions the true identity of St. Valentine, is not clear. The Catholic Church discontinued his liturgical veneration in 1969, though his mortal remains on the list of officially recognized saints.
His skull adorned with flowers is on display in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin Rome. When his body or skeletal remains were excavated the pieces were distributed to reliquaries around the world. Namely: Czech Republic, Ireland, Scotland, England and France.
St. Valentine’s day that we celebrate now-a-days on the feast day i.e. 14th February may have been invented by Chaucer the famous Poet of the Medievel period in England.
No record exists of romantic celebration on Valentine’s Day prior to the Poem Chaucer wrote around 1375. In his work “Parliament of Foules”, he writes about traditional courtly love with the celebration of St. Valentine’s feast day. An event that was mentioned in his work never existed prior to his writing. The Poem received widespread attention and acclamation. A day where in birds in the air and humans come in search of a mate, thus the first valentine day may have started and it continues further. Leaving the saint and its life history, we have ventured into a different lifestyle.
The present generation seeks reasons to celebrate and thus Valentine’s Day is celebrated.
The young people look forward to this day to open up to their friends, their love. The social media, the business houses are also well knit to market their products mainly teddy bears, roses, chocolates, ice-creams, gifts packed in red. The whole market turns red in colour to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
But this is not the Valentine day we want to celebrate. We will celebrate this day as a day when St. Valentine was martyred because he was doing good work at the Roman Empire trying to help all those who were in trouble and did seek his assistance.
Rosarito Coelho
Ward 8