Pancras of 1 Pancras of Rome

For things named after Saint Pancras see the disambiguation page: St. Pancras. See also Saint Pancras of Taormina and San Pancrazio (disambiguation).

Saint Pancras

Saint Pancras, by Guercino, ca. 1616.

Born ~289 Synnada, Phrygia

Died ~304 Via Aurelia, Rome

Honored in Roman [1] Eastern Orthodox Church

Major shrine San Pancrazio, Rome

Feast May 12

Attributes depicted as a young man or soldier

Patronage children; invoked against cramps, false witness, headache, and perjury

Saint Pancras (: Sanctus Pancratius; Greek: Ἅγιος Παγκράτιος) was a Roman citizen who converted to Christianity, and was beheaded for his faith at the age of just 14 around the year 304. His name is Greek and literally means "the one that holds everything". From an early stage, Saint Pancras was venerated together with Saints Nereus and Achilleus in a shared feastday and Mass formula on 12 May. In 1595, 25 years after Pope Pius V promulgated the Tridentine Missal, Saint Domitilla was added also. Since 1969 Saint Pancras is venerated separately, still on 12 May. He is, traditionally, the second of the Ice Saints.

Legend Because he was said to have been martyred at the age of fourteen during the persecution under Diocletian, Pancras would have been born around 289, at a place designated as near Synnada, a city of Phrygia Salutaris, to parents of Roman citizenship. His mother Cyriada died during childbirth, while his father Cleonius died when Pancras was eight years old. Pancras was entrusted to his uncle Dionysius’ care. They both moved to Rome to live in a villa on the . They converted to Christianity, and Pancras became a zealous adherent of the religion. During the persecution of Christians by Diocletian, around 303 AD, he was brought before the authorities and asked to perform a sacrifice to the Roman gods. Diocletian, impressed with the boy's determination to resist, promised him wealth and power, but Pancras refused, and finally the emperor ordered him to be decapitated on the Via Aurelia, on May 12, 303 AD; this traditional year of his martyrdom cannot be squared with the saint's defiance of Diocletian in Pancras of Rome 2

Rome, which the emperor had not visited since 286, nor with the mention of Cornelius (251-253) as bishop of Rome at the time of the martyrdom, as the most recent monograph on Pancras's texts and cult has pointed out.[2] A Roman matron named Ottavilla recovered Pancras's body, covered it with balsam, wrapped it in precious linens, and buried it in a newly built sepulchre dug in the . Pancras’ head was placed in the reliquary that still exists today in the Basilica of San Pancrazio.[3]

Veneration Devotion to Pancras definitely existed from the fifth century onwards, for the basilica of San Pancrazio was built by (498-514), on the place where the body of the young martyr had been buried; his earliest passio seems to have been written during this time. Gregory the Great gave impetus to the cult of Pancras, sending Augustine to England carrying relics of that saint and including his legend in Liber in gloria martyrum. In medieval iconography, Pancras was depicted as a young soldier, due to his association with the paired soldier saints Nereus and Achilleus.[4] By the mid-nineteenth century, pious embroidery set Pancras's martyrdom in the arena among wild beasts, where the panther refrains from attacking and killing him until the martyr gives the beast permission. Main article: San Pancrazio The basilica of San Pancrazio fuori le Mura was built by Pope Symmachus (498-514), over the Catacombe di Ottavilla, where the body of the young martyr had been buried. In the 17th century, it was given to the Carmelites. In Spain St. Pancras is referred to as San Pancracio. He is popularly venerated as the patron saint of jobs and health. He is offered parsley.[5] His image in statue form can be found in many bars, restaurants and other businesses. Some of his relics found their way to England, which is why many of the nation's churches are dedicated to him; St Pancras Old Church is believed to be one of the oldest sites of Christian worship in England. Pancras is normally invoked against cramps, false witness, headache, and perjury. He is a patron saint of children. The Tridentine Calendar had on 12 May a joint feast (semidouble rank) of Nereus, Achilleus and Pancras. The name of Domitilla was added in 1595. The joint celebration of Nereus, Achilleus, Domitilla and Pancras continued with that ranking (see General Roman Calendar of 1954) until the revision of 1960, when it was reclassified as a third-class feast (see General Roman Calendar of 1960). In the present General Roman Calendar, revised in 1969, Saints Nereus and Achilleus (together) and Saint Pancras have distinct celebrations (optional memorials) on 12 May. Saint Domitilla is not included in the revised calendar, because the liturgical honours once paid to her "have no basis in tradition".[]

Cultural references He is also featured in Nicholas Wiseman's novel Fabiola, as the gentle antagonist of the villain Corvinus. There are also changes to his martyrdom in the book, where he is thrown to the circus beasts instead of being beheaded.

References

[1] Ὁ Ἅγιος Παγκράτιος ὁ Μάρτυρας (http:/ / www. synaxarion. gr/ gr/ sid/ 3121/ sxsaintinfo. aspx). 12 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. [2] Hubertus Drobner, Der heilige Pankratius: Leben, Legende und Verehrung 2nd rev. ed. 2005. (Paderborn:Bonifatius Verlag) is the most complete modern monograph on the texts and the spread of the cultus.

[3] San Pancrazio Martire (http:/ / www. santiebeati. it/ dettaglio/ 27200) [4] Eleanor P. Spencer and Wolfgang Stechow,, "Sts. Nereus and Achilleus in the Fifteenth Century" The Art Bulletin 48.2 (June 1966:207-209). [5] "But anywhere they sell bread, specially in the area around Sineu, there's always a figure of Saint Pancras. He should never be without his sprig of parsley," reports Na Fiola, in Tomás Graves, Bread & oil: Majorcan culture's last stand, 2002, p. 72. Pancras of Rome 3

St Pancras Martyr, in a church in Sant'Alessandro church in Milan, Italy, right-side nave. Seville

External links

• Catholic Forum (http:/ / www. catholic-forum. com/ saints/ saintp02. htm)

• San Pancrazio (http:/ / www. santiebeati. it/ dettaglio/ 27200) (Italian)

• http:/ / www. heiligenlexikon. de/ Legenda_Aurea/ Pancratius. htm Article Sources and Contributors 4 Article Sources and Contributors

Pancras of Rome Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=621549928 Contributors: Adversus hereticos, Andycjp, Asterion, Bazonka, Benkenobi18, Bhoeble, Bookworm857158367, Carbon Caryatid, Deipnosophista, Delirium, Dimadick, Emuka, Esoglou, Fayenatic london, Fjbfour, Funandtrvl, Geogre, Grutness, HansMair, Ian Spackman, InfernoXV, Interlingua, JASpencer, Johnpacklambert, Lima, Lunamaria, Man vyi, Mauls, Michael Hardy, Mladifilozof, NewEnglandYankee, PhnomPencil, Polylerus, Rjwilmsi, Shyam, Sibeaster, Spaceflower, Stacie Croquet, Thanatos666, WSaindon, Waacstats, Walgamanus, Wesdindm, Wetman, ΙΣΧΣΝΙΚΑ-888, 22 anonymous edits Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

File:San Pancrazio Guercino 1616.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:San_Pancrazio_Guercino_1616.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Arianna, Ecummenic, Mattes, Polylerus, Shakko Image:San_Pancracio_Martir.JPG Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:San_Pancracio_Martir.JPG License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.5 Contributors: Original uploader was Asterion at en.wikipedia Image:1873 - Milano - Sant'Alessandro - G. B. Ossona, Martirio di S. Pancrazio - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto 20-May-2007.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:1873_-_Milano_-_Sant'Alessandro_-_G._B._Ossona,_Martirio_di_S._Pancrazio_-_Foto_Giovanni_Dall'Orto_20-May-2007.jpg License: Attribution Contributors: User:G.dallorto, User:G.dallorto License

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