View source for Marcellus of Tangier

{{Short description|Catholic saint}}
{{Infobox saint
|name=Marcellus of Tangier
| honorific_prefix = [[Saint]]
|birth_date=c. mid 3rd century [[AD]]
|death_date=298 [[AD]]
|feast_day=October 30
|venerated_in=[[Catholic Church]], [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]
|image=Marcellus Cassian.jpg
|imagesize=250px
|caption= Icon of Saint Marcellus located in the [[Russian Orthodox Church in Rabat|Russian Orthodox Church of the Resurrection]], [[Rabat]]
|death_place=[[Tingis]], [[Mauretania Tingitana]] (modern-day [[Tangiers]], [[Morocco]])
|titles=Martyr
|beatified_date=
|beatified_place=
|beatified_by=
|canonized_date=[[Pre-congregation|Pre-Congregation]]
|canonized_place=
|canonized_by=
|attributes=
|patronage=the city of [[León, Spain|León]] and the [[Province of León]], Spain
|major_shrine=Church of San Marcelo, [[León, Spain|León]]<ref>[http://www.aytoleon.es/web/cms/leon/ayto/leon_tu_ciudad/monumentos/iglesiamarcelo/index.jsp?actionMenu=ltc_mn_ismarcelo Iglesia de San Marcelo] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061207015504/http://www.aytoleon.es/web/cms/leon/ayto/leon_tu_ciudad/monumentos/iglesiamarcelo/index.jsp?actionMenu=ltc_mn_ismarcelo |date=2006-12-07 }}</ref>
|suppressed_date=
|issues=
}}
'''Saint Marcellus of Tangier''' or '''Saint Marcellus the Centurion''' ({{langx|es|San Marcelo}}) (c. mid 3rd century – 298 [[AD]]) was a [[Roman people|Roman]] centurion who is today venerated as a [[Christian martyr|martyr-saint]] in both the [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] and the [[Catholic Church]]. His [[feast day]] is celebrated on October 30.
==Life==
Marcellus is said to have been a Roman [[centurion]], stationed at [[Tingis]] (modern-day [[Tangiers]]), who refused to participate in the general birthday celebrations of the Emperor [[Maximian]], which would have entailed sacrifice to the [[Roman mythology|Roman gods]]. Throwing off his military belt, weapons, and [[vine staff]] (the symbol of his rank),<ref>[http://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-marcellus-30-october/ Monks of Ramsgate. “Marcellus”. ''Book of Saints'', 1921. CatholicSaints.Info. 19 November 2014. Web]</ref> Marcellus was soon brought before a judge named [[Fortunatus the judge|Fortunatus]]. The judge remanded the saint to lay his case before Maximian and Constantius; the latter was friendly to Christians. However, Marcellus was taken to the deputy Praetorian prefect [[Aurelius Agricolanus]] instead. Marcellus pled guilty to repudiating his allegiance to an earthly leader.
Marcellus was [[martyr]]ed with a [[sword]] by the deputy [[Praetorian Guard|Praetorian]] prefect.
Afterwards, it is said that the official [[shorthand]] writer, a man named [[Cassian of Tangier|Saint Cassian]], was so angry at the sentence that he refused to record the court proceedings and was martyred as well.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/1030.shtml#marc |title="Marcellus of Tangier, M, (RM)" |access-date=2008-10-29 |archive-date=2015-03-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150322022530/http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/1030.shtml#marc |url-status=dead }}</ref>
St. Marcellus's [[relics]] were later brought to and enshrined at what now is [[León, Spain]], and he became a [[patron saint]] of the city. The Plaza de San Marcelo in this city is named for him. The church of San Marcelo dates from the 10th century.
==Alternative version==
An alternative version of his legend states that he was a centurion of the [[Legio VII Gemina|Legio VII Gemina Pia Felix]], and was born in what is now [[León, Spain]], in the middle of the third century.<ref>[http://www.sietepalabras.com/parroquia.html Parroquia de San Marcelo: "Cofradía de las Siete Palabras de Jesús en la Cruz"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060916111020/http://www.sietepalabras.com/parroquia.html |date=2006-09-16 }} de León, España</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=http://opac.regesta-imperii.de/lang_de/anzeige.php?pk=424071| journal=Analecta Bollandiana|author=de Gaiffier, B.|title=S. Marcel de Tanger ou de Léon ? Évolution d'une légende, Analecta Bollandiana 61|year=1943| volume=61|pages= 116–139| doi=10.1484/J.ABOL.4.02202}}</ref> This version, however, has been shown to be largely apocryphal.{{efn|The oldest versions of the documents relating to Saint Marcelleus lack any reference to either Léon or the legio septima gemina. They do not belong to the original. see: Noé Villaverde Vega, ''Tingitana en la antigüedad tardía, siglos III–VII'', p. 341}} The story relates that Marcellus lived close to the [[city walls]]. During the birthday celebrations for the Emperor [[Maximian]], in July 298, Marcellus publicly demonstrated his Christian faith by throwing down the insignia of his rank, and proclaimed that he venerated only one God. He was then sent to Tangiers to be judged by the vice-prefect (vicar), Agricolanus. He was condemned to death and [[decapitation|decapitated]] on October 29, 298, together with his wife Nona and his twelve sons (Claudius, Lupercus, Victorius, [[Facundus and Primitivus|Facundus, Primitivus]], Servandus, Germanus, Faustus, Januarius, and Martial). Included in this group of sons are the martyrs [[Emeterius and Celedonius]], though their connection to Marcellus is probably [[apocryphal]]. [[Servandus and Germanus]] (or Cermanus) were venerated separately at [[Cadiz]], and their association with Marcellus is also apocryphal.<ref>[http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=2511 Catholic Online – Saints & Angels: "Sts. Servandus & Cermanus"]</ref><ref>[http://www.cadizcofrade.net/patronos/marceloynonia.htm "Santos Patronos de Cádiz"]</ref>
==Claudius, Lupercus, Victorius==
[[Image:Papones Santo Cristo Bienaventuranza León.JPG|thumb|200px|Procession of the Confraternity of Santo Cristo de la Bienaventuranza walking past the church of San Claudio in León, 2005.]]
'''Saints Claudius, Lupercus''' or '''Lupercio''', and '''Victorius''' or '''Victoricus''' (d. c. 300) are said to have been the sons of St Marcellus. They were said to have been martyred at [[León, Spain|León]], Spain, during the reign of the Emperor [[Diocletian]]. Their relationship to Marcellus is probably [[apocryphal]], though it was accepted in subsequent [[canonical hours|breviaries]] and [[hagiographies]] as well as the ''[[Roman Martyrology]]'', which placed all four saints under October 30.<ref>[http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/61000 Santi e beati: "Santi Claudio, Luperco e Vittorico"]</ref> However, it is quite possible that Claudius, Lupercus, and Victorius were soldiers of Spanish origin who were killed at León, as tradition states. Many churches in Spain were dedicated to them, including the ancient [[Benedictine]] abbey of San Claudio, in [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/1030.shtml#clau |title="Claudius, Lupercus & Victorius, MM, (RM)" |access-date=2008-10-29 |archive-date=2015-03-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150322022530/http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/1030.shtml#clau |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The town of [[San Claudio]], near [[Oviedo]], takes its name from this group of martyrs.
Their [[relics]] were [[Translation (relics)|translated]] several times in succeeding centuries. King [[Ferdinand I of Castile]] transported some of their relics to the church of San Isidoro in León. In 1173, the relics were translated to a new church dedicated to the three martyrs. This church was destroyed in 1834 and the relics were moved to the church of San Marcelo, dedicated to their presumed father. Their feast day is celebrated in Spain and Portugal on October 30.
Victorius or Victoricus should not be confused with the [[Victoricus, Fuscian, and Gentian|French saint of the same name]]. [[Luperculus|Another Lupercus or Luperculus]] was a [[bishop of Eauze]] who was venerated as a martyr, and sometimes identified as an uncle of the Spanish saint [[Saint Engratia]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/livessaints04barigoog/page/n5/mode/2up|via=archive.org|title=The Lives of the Saints|first1=Sabine |last1=Baring-Gould|first2= J. |last2=Hodges|year=1874|pages=410}}</ref>
==See also==
{{Portal|Saints}}
*[[Leonese people]]
*[[León province]]
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
===Notes===
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
==External links==
*[http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E08138 The Cult of Saints database entry on Marcellus]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081023165340/http://saints.sqpn.com/saintm9a.htm Patron Saints Index: ''Saint Marcellus the Centurion'']
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080917045558/http://www.irondequoitcatholic.org/index.php/St/MarcellusTheCenturion Irondequoit Catholic Communities: Marcellus the Centurion]
*[http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/lots/lots336.htm Lives of the Saints: October 30 – ''St. Marcellus the Centurion, Martyr'']
*[http://www.ucc.ie/milmart/Marcellus.html St. Marcellus of Tingis: The Passion of St. Marcellus (BHL5255a)]
*[http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/1030.shtml#marc ''Marcellus of Tangier, M, (RM)''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150322022530/http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/1030.shtml#marc |date=2015-03-22 }}
*[http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/1030.shtml#clau ''Claudius, Lupercus, Victorius, MM, (RM)''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150322022530/http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/1030.shtml#clau |date=2015-03-22 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060916111020/http://www.sietepalabras.com/parroquia.html Parroquia de San Marcelo: "Cofradía de las Siete Palabras de Jesús en la Cruz"] de León, España {{in lang|es}}
*[http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/61000 Santi e beati: ''Santi Claudio, Luperco e Vittorico''] {{in lang|it}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061207015504/http://www.aytoleon.es/web/cms/leon/ayto/leon_tu_ciudad/monumentos/iglesiamarcelo/index.jsp?actionMenu=ltc_mn_ismarcelo Iglesia de San Marcelo] {{in lang|es}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marcellus The Centurion}}
[[Category:Christianity in Morocco]]
[[Category:3rd-century births]]
[[Category:298 deaths]]
[[Category:Groups of Christian martyrs of the Roman era]]
[[Category:People from Tangier]]
[[Category:3rd-century Christian martyrs]]
[[Category:Roman saints from Africa (continent)]]
[[Category:Military saints]]