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The Blood Miracle of St.Januarius

St. Januarius or St. Gennaro was the bishop of Benevento, a town near Naples. He was beheaded in 305. At this time severe religious conflicts erupted between Christians and the Roman Empire, and these claimed many lives. Legend has it that one of St. Gennaro's supporters collected his blood in a vial after his beheading and preserved it. The vial and the saint's remains were transported to Naples, and the miracle was seen in 313 for the first time - the clotted blood liquefied. The miracle has been recorded many times throughout the ages since.

The people of Naples perceive the miracle as an omen of good. If it occurs, that means that nothing bad can be anticipated in the future. They present evidence in support of this - the blood did not liquefy in 1980, the year that a tremendous earthquake in Naples claimed 2000 lives. San Gennaro is less a patron saint and more a guardian angel of the city, and locals worship him with the utmost, heartfelt gratitude.

The festival in honour of this miracle takes place twice a year - on September 19th and on the first Saturday of May. It includes a parade, and holy symbols are borne through the Spaccanapoli. The silver bust of the saint, which is later placed next to the altar, is at the fore of the parade. The vial is displayed, the crowds begin to pray and continue until the blood liquefies. This is a moment of pure ecstasy, accentuated by the toll of the church bell. The people line up to kiss the vial. The event is attended not only by spiritual followers, but also by members of the political elite, representatives of the church, and many other high authorities. The festival also includes the market day, with stands selling memorable tokens, souvenirs and delicious foods.

Theologians, physicians, parapsychologists and experts in other fields of science have put several hypotheses forth regarding the origin of the miracle. When the blood clot breaks down, it cannot reoccur. That is the one verifiable fact, and from here on magnetic forces, spiritual effects and otherworldly influences have been referred to as a possible explanation. Biological theories involving molecular absorption have emerged, and spectroscopy and temperature tests have been conducted. These have not yielded results. Scientists are still searching for an explanation and are optimistic about finding a solution, because this is a recurrent phenomenon. The Catholic Church has not established it officially as a phenomenon.

The first celebration in St. Gennaro's honour was held in the 14th century. The miracle was not recorded until the end of the century, however. Chronicles of the history of Naples from that period refer to the cult of the saint, but not to the phenomenon or the vial.

The vial itself is airtight, small, flat and round, half-filled with what is believed to be the blood of the saint. During the ceremony it is checked continuously to determine if the clot has broken down. Sometimes the solid liquefies immediately, and sometimes it takes several days to do so. Eyewitnesses claim that sometimes the colour changes and the weight increases.

Non-believers often attribute the occurrence to the effects of heat, produced from the lands of the church official holding the vial, the candles at the altar, or simply the weather. Furthermore, the point has been made that no one has ever actually studied the content of the vial, and it may not be blood at all. The hypothesis related to the effects of heat is generally not accepted, however, and we can say with certainty that there is no conspiracy among Neapolitan priests, most of whom are honoured and exceptionally eminent.

Perhaps the magnetic influence of Mount Vesuvius, which is close to Naples, provides a more solid explanation. It has been noted that many relics on the territory of Naples undergo a similar liquefying process. Some examples are the blood of St. Stephen, St. Patricia, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, and St. John the Baptist. The miracle does not have a solid scientific explanation to this day. However, the fact remains that true believers do not need one.