Posted: Aug 15 2007 at 3:02pm | IP Logged

2. CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE DATA ON EACH SAINT

If the instructions given in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy--that only the saints 'truly of universal importance' be retained in the calendar--were to be followed literally and rigidly, only a few saints would have been retained. This, it was felt, would have been going too far: it would have caused consternation and would have given offence. For this reason, another proceddure was chosen: many saints which had been included in the 1960 calendar were retained, but as optional memorials.

The science of hagiography helped considerably in passing historical judgments on individual saints. It made great strides forward in the nineteenth century, with considerable help from archeology, and mainly through the work of H. Delehaye and the Bollandists. Two publications bear the fruit of their labours: Commentarius perpetuus in Martyrologium hieronymianum (1931) and Martyrologium romanum scholiis historicis instructum (1940). Their conclusions are solidly based, though a number of problems remain unsolved. Later studies in hagiography, among which is the excellent Bibiliotheca Sanctorum of the Lateran University, publicised, completed and utilised their conclusions. The reform of the calendar was, necessarily, in large measure dependent on these studies. Present-day Christians rightly want their devotion to the saints to have a sound historical basis. A most careful historical investigation was made into the lives of the saints included in the 1960 calendar. The saints thus examined can be divided into the following categories:


a) Saints which present historical difficulties:
The following present major difficulties: St Paul, Hermit (15 Jan.), St Maurus (15 Jan.), St Martina (30 Jan.), St Domitilla (12 May), St Boniface of Tarsus (14 May), St Venantius (18 May), St Pudentiana (19 May), Ss Modestus and Crescentia (15 June), Ss John and Paul (26 June), St Alexius (17 July), Ss Symphorosa and her sons (18 July), St Margaret (20 July), St Christopher (25 July), St Susanna (11 Aug.), St Hippolytus (22 Aug.), the twelve holy brothers (1 Sept.), Ss Lucia and Geminianus (16 Sept.), Ss Eustace and companions (20 Sept.), St Thecla (23 Sept.), Ss Cyprian and Justina (26 Sept.), Ss Placid and companions (5 Oct.), Ss Tryphon, Bacchus and Apuleiu (8 Oct.), Ss Ursula and companions (21 Oct.), Ss Respicius and Nympha (10 Nov.), St Felix of Valois (20 Nov.), St Cecilia (22 Nov.), St Catherine (25 Nov.), St Bibiana (2 Dec.), St Barbara (4 Dec.).

While it cannot be stated that these saints did not exist, hagiographers are unable fully to explain the historical foundations of the devotion to them, as can easily be gleaned from an examination of the data concerning them collected in the aforementioned studies. Apart from St. Cecilia, the names of these saints are not listed in the new calendar...