Little is known about the saint who is celebrated on Valentine’s Day, though legends abound. The Catholic Church currently recognizes three martyred saints named Valentine or some variation thereof. Who was the real man, and what circumstances led to his death and subsequent martyrdom?
Claudius II, Roman Emperor for a mere two years, commanded the Roman army against the Goths in the year 268 A.D. They defeated the Goths, earning Claudius the name of Claudius Gothicus – Defeater of the Goths. It is said that the emperor, born in a barbarian society and the first soldier emperor to rule Rome, thought that young men would better serve Rome as soldiers rather than husbands. Allegedly, Claudius made it illegal for young men to marry – thus making their only option a life in the military.
Whether or not this is true is questionable, and scholars debate both sides. According to this part of one of the legends regarding Saint Valentine, the priest married young people in secret, believing that love and the sanctity of marriage were more important than expanding Rome’s territory. This legend states that Claudius caught wind of these illegal marriages and had Valentine executed.
Along with this theory, others speculate that Valentine was killed merely for his effort in aiding Christians from Roman persecution. It might less romantic version of the story but it is along the same line of thinking.
Another legend is far more romantic, but a little less pious. The legend states that Valentine, although he was a priest, fell link love with his jailor’s daughter. Though it provides continuity that Valentine was likely in prison for helping Christians, this story is very hard to verify. Hard to verify, but very compelling. According to the legend, Valentine wrote a love poem for the lovely jailor’s daughter. He signed the poem “from your Valentine.”
Since three like named saints are recognized by the Catholic Church does that mean that all three legends are true for three different Valentines, that all are true for the same Valentine, or that none of it is true? We may never know, though scholars and researchers have been trying to find an answer for a great number of years. Remains exhumed in 1836 were identified as St. Valentine’s and placed in Dublin, Ireland at the Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church. Valentine’s Day Mass includes a casket that is carried to the high alter – where a prayer is said for people in love.
Other relics of these St. Valentine can be found in France, Austria, Scotland, and England. England’s Birmingham Oratory holds a gold reliquary on an alter that holds the words meaning that it holds the body of St. Valentine, Martyr. It is said that the rest of St. Valentine’s body lies beneath that alter.
Today we celebrate Valentine’s Day with gifts of candy and trinkets, as well as more valuable gifts of gold and silver jewelry, diamonds, pearls, and other precious gems. It is intriguing to not know the origins of this celebratory day, yet it is delightful to celebrate it anyway.
Author Resource:
Piper Smith is the VP of Marketing for Museum Way Pearls, a leading provider of pearl jewelry such as pearl necklaces, Tahitian pearls, and pearl bracelets. Museum Way Pearls can be found online at: http://www.museumwaypearls.com .
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