Marcellus of Tangier

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Marcellus and Cassian, icon in the Russian Orthodox Church in Rabat

Marcellus von Tanger (* middle of the 3rd century ; † 298 ), also called Marcellus the Soldier , with his full name Publius Aelius Marcellus , was a Christian martyr . The Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church venerate him as a saint. His feast day for these churches is October 30th . His feast day in the Evangelical Name Calendar of the Evangelical Church in Germany is October 28th .

Legend

Marcellus is said to have been a centurion stationed in Tingis (now Tangier ) who refused to take part in the general birthday celebrations of Emperor Maximian , which would have included sacrifices to the Roman gods . Marcellus threw away his soldier's belt, his weapons and his vine (a badge of rank) and was immediately brought before judge Fortunatus. This ordered the case of Maximian and Constantius I to be presented ; the latter was Christian-friendly. Instead, Marcellus was brought before the deputy Praetorian prefect Aurelius Agricolanus. Marcellus pleaded guilty to refusing allegiance to a secular leader.

Marcellus was killed by the sword by the Deputy Praetorian Prefect , called Vicar, who presided over the Diocese of Spain , which comprised five provinces in Iberia , the northwest African province of Mauretania Tingitana and the Balearic Islands .

According to this, the official stenographer , a man named Cassian , was said to have been so upset by the verdict that he refused to record the process, whereupon he was also killed.

Altarpiece with statue and reliquary of Marcellus in the Church of San Marcelo in León

Marcellus' relics were later brought to León , making him the patron saint of the city and now the province of León . The Plaza de San Marcelo in León was named after him. The church of San Marcelo dates from the tenth century.

Alternative version

An alternative version of the legend says that Marcellus was a centurion of the Legio VII Gemina Pia Felix and was born in what is now León in the middle of the third century. However, it could be shown that this version was largely apocryphal. The story goes that Marcellus lived near the city ​​walls . During the birthday celebrations for Emperor Maximian in July 298, Marcellus publicly demonstrated his Christian faith by throwing away his badges of rank and announcing that he only worshiped one god. He was then brought to Tangier to be judged by the Vice-Prefect (Vicar) Agricolanus. He was sentenced to death and beheaded on October 29, 298 together with his wife Nona and his twelve sons ( Claudius , Lupercus, Victorius, Facundus, Primitivus , Servandus, Germanus , Faustus, Januarius and Martial) . The group of his sons also includes the martyrs Emeterius and Celedonius, although their connection to Marcellus may be apocryphal . Servandus and Germanus (or Cermanus) were venerated separately in Cadiz , their connection with Marcellus is also apocryphal.

Claudius, Lupercus, Victorius

Claudius, Lupercus (Lupercio) and Victori (c) us († 300) are said to have been sons of Marcellus. They are said to have died as a martyr during the reign of Emperor Diocletian in León , Spain. Her relationship with Marcellus is possibly apocryphal, although it found its way into later breviaries and hagiographies and the Roman Martyrology ; The latter provides for all four saints for October 30th. However, it is very likely that Claudius, Lupercus and Victorius were soldiers of Spanish origin who were killed near León, as tradition assumes. Many churches in Spain are dedicated to them, including the old Benedictine Abbey of San Claudio in Galicia . The city of San Claudio near Oviedo takes its name from this group of martyrs.

Procession of the Brotherhood of Santo Cristo de la Bienaventuranza passes the Church of San Claudio in León (2005).

Their relics were over the centuries several times transferred . King Ferdinand I brought some of her relics to the Church of San Isidoro in León. In 1173 the relics were translated into a new church dedicated to the three martyrs. This church was destroyed in 1834 and the relics were brought to the Church of San Marcelo, dedicated to their possible father. Its feast day is celebrated in Spain and Portugal on October 30th.

Victorius or Victoricus should not be confused with the French saint of the same name. Another Lupercus or Luperculus was Archbishop of Eauze , who was revered as a martyr and is sometimes accepted as an uncle of the Spanish Saint Engratia .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Monks of Ramsgate. “Marcellus”. Book of Saints , 1921. CatholicSaints.Info. November 19, 2014. Web
  2. ^ "Marcellus of Tangier, M, (RM)"
  3. ↑ Parroquia de San Marcelo: "Cofradía de las Siete Palabras de Jesús en la Cruz" ( Memento of October 10, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) de León, España
  4. ↑ de Gaiffier, B. “S. Marcel de Tanger ou de Léon? Evolution d'une légende”, Analecta Bollandiana 61 (1943), 116-139
  5. ↑ The oldest versions of the Marcellus act show no reference to Léon or the legio septima gemina. This information does not belong to the original files. See: Noé Villaverde Vega, Tingitana en la antigüedad tardía, siglos III – VII , p. 341
  6. ^ Catholic Online - Saints & Angels: "Sts. Servandus & Cermanus"
  7. ↑ "Santos Patronos de Cádiz"
  8. ^ Santi e beati: "Santi Claudio, Luperco e Vittorico"
  9. ^ "Claudius, Lupercus & Victorius, MM, (RM)"
  10. ^ Sabine Baring-Gould , "The Lives of the Saints," J. Hodges, 1874, p. 410
personal data
SURNAME Marcellus of Tangier
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Marcellus the soldier; Publius Aelius Marcellus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Christian martyr
DATE OF BIRTH 3rd century
DATE OF DEATH 298
Place of death Tangier , Tangier-Tétouan , Morocco