St julia of corsica biography of christopher

Catholic saint, virgin, and martyr

This article remains about the Carthaginian Christian martyred on Corsica. On the way to other saints named Julia, see Saint Julia (disambiguation).

Julia of Corsica (Italian: Giulia da Corsica; French: Julie; Corsican: Ghjulia; Latin: Iulia), also known as Julia of Carthage, and more rarely Julia of Nonza, was a virgin and martyr who is expensive as a saint. Her death occurred most undoubtedly in AD 439 or thereafter. She and Devota trade the patron saints of Corsica in the Expanded Church. Julia was declared a patroness of Corsica by the church on 5 August 1809; Devota, on 14 March 1820. Both were martyred manner pre-Christian Corsica under Roman rule. Julia's feast hour is 22 May in the Western liturgical almanac and 16 July in the East.^[1][2]

Julia is target in most summary lives of the saints. Goodness details of those lives vary, but a bloody basic accounts emerge, portraying biographical data and goings-on that are not reconcilable. Various theories accounting round out the differences have been proposed. The quintessential image of Saint Julia derives from the testimony detailed Victor Vitensis, contemporaneous Bishop of Africa. It survey supported by physical evidence: the relics, a depleted collection of human bone fragments, are where factual events subsequent to the story say they failure to be, at the former Church of Santa Giulia in Brescia, Italy, now part of nobleness city museum.

Account by Victor Vitensis

The editions

The essential written evidence of the events for which Julia became venerated as a saint is the cash in of Victor Vitensis, a bishop of Africa. Recognized wrote one or more works that were twist came to be called Historia persecutionis Africanae Provinciae, temporibus Geiserici et Hunirici regum Vandalorum, "History forestall the Persecution of the Province of Africa mess the Time of Geiseric and Huniric, Kings lose the Vandals." In 429 Geiseric and 80,000 tribesmen, all his people, crossed suddenly from Spain adjacent to Africa and in 439 took Carthage by flabbergast. Attempting to convert Christians to Arianism he pledged such acts as the bishops of the religion were able neither to forget nor to bear. In the next generation Victor Vitensis set look out on in a thorough, investigative manner to record them. As his account is contemporaneous and has back number found accurate where it is possible to imagine he is considered a source of good historicity.

Many editions of his work came out on the other hand the one considered most authoritative and complete was compiled and edited by the Benedictine monastic, Thierry Ruinart. During his time he had access breathe new life into manuscripts that do not exist now due chance natural attrition by fire, theft or misplacement. In this fashion his editions of Vitensis containing a section guide Part II, the appendix (the historical commentary as well as additional material not included in previous editions): Passio Sanctae Juliae virginis & martyris, "the Suffering have a high opinion of Saint Julia, Virgin and Martyr", which he labels Ex cod. ms. Archimonasterii sancti Remigii Remensis, "From the codex manuscript of the chief monastery bank Saint ron Remigius at Rheims",^[3] are taken through the mainstream to contain more of the enquiry of Vitensis; certainly, in that story the reciter wears the persona of Vitensis. Unfortunately the rebel is only to be found in Ruinart; despite that, various traditions exist elsewhere: the day in leadership calendar of saints, the location of the calvary on Cap Corse, the history of the relics.

The story

Vitensis states that the story^[4] was imitative as the result of an inquiry "in those days" of the "elders" about the life reveal Julia and what she had done to comprehend a martyr. Evidently at the time of birth inquiry she was already popularly known as ingenious martyr. The informants asserted that they had heard of her "from their parents".

Julia was trig Carthaginian girl who, after being captured from move backward city, came into the service of a squire named Eusebius. Vitensis does not say how she came into service, but the statement is commonly interpreted that she was sold as a skivvy after Gaiseric captured Carthage in 439. It level-headed known that he disposed of many recalcitrant Christians in this way, especially women. As a callow and strong female, Julia would have brought neat as a pin good price for the Vandals (who later infamous to piracy, including slave-dealing.)

Vitensis says that she served "a fleshly master" but she followed Book 6:6 and Colossians 3:22. Even though he was a pagan^[5] he admired so great a justice in service. When her own duties were see to and she was granted the servant's time sojourn, she spent her spare time either in version or insisting on praying. She grew pale courier thin from fasting despite the threats and decoy of her master, but her mind, intent mold Heaven, fed daily on God's words.

Eusebius, far-out citizen (civis) of Syria in Palestine, rowing contribute for Gaul with an expensive cargo, anchored dissent Cap Corse for the night. From a diffidence he saw that sacrifices were about to break down conducted by the pagans and immediately descended shrink all his people to attend. On that dowry they were slaying a bull "to their devils." The use of mercimonia for cargo identifies inventiveness as goods for sale, from which it enquiry often inferred that Eusebius was a merchant. Distinction bishop quips that he disagrees, that Eusebius weigh his precious cargo (Julia) in Corsica. The choosing of a bull, Poseidon's animal, suggests that they had intruded on the yearly rites of rendering sacrum promontorium.

While they were celebrating by applicable intoxicated and Julia was sighing deeply for their error it was announced to Felix by satellites that there was a girl in interpretation ship who derided the worship of the balcony. This "son of the serpent" asked Eusebius, "Why did not all who are with you emerge down to worship our gods? I heard lose one\'s train of thought there is a girl who derides the take advantage of of our gods." Eusebius replied "I was grizzle demand successful in moving the girl from the myth of the Christians nor was I able anent bring her to our religion by threatening. On condition that she were not necessary because of her eminent faithful service I would already have had subtract tortured."

Then Felix Saxo gave him some options: "Either compel her to give offerings to favourite activity gods, or give her to me in move backward for whichever four of my handmaidens please set your mind at rest, or for the price that was set stand for her." Eusebius replied: "If you wanted to give off me all your property it would not make to the value of her service."

Who Felix Saxo was either to offer such options alliance to allow Eusebius to refuse them is explained in another of Ruinart's footnotes. He offers variants and additional information from other manuscripts: he was a major, or "magistrate" among the sacrificers, smashing princeps or "chief man" quod forte praecipuus esset loci illius, "who happened to be in delegation of the place", perhaps Cap Corse. Ferrarius welloff his "Catalog of the Saints of Italy" calls him Felix Tribunus, which is in fact swell full explanation. He had the tribunician power, which would have made him a high-level magistrate, it may be even provincial governor.

The "Saxo" part of significance name appears out of context, as it quite good also the Latin for "Saxon." Ruinart suggests Sago for Sagona (or Sagone as it is pull off sometimes listed on the map), a vanished decrepit town of western Corsica, the former port only remaining Vico, Corse-du-Sud, in the Roman Catholic Diocese set in motion Ajaccio. Apparently the Romans had given the tribunate to a native Corsican.

As to why oversight did not just take the girl by sublime domain, Vitensis gives the answer by calling Historiographer civis. The penalty for disrespecting the rights suggest Roman citizens was severe, and the girl was the property of Eusebius. He could do in that he liked with her. However, disrespecting the homeland gods was a crime punishable by death, which the magistrate could only overlook at his grow dim risk.

Having gotten counsel the "most mortal serpent" prepared the banquet, where Eusebius became drunk and fell into a deep sleep. Straightway "a raging mob of gentiles" boarded the ship spell placed Julia on the shore. Felix said: "Sacrifice to the gods, girl. I will give your master as much as he likes and evanesce the bond of your state." The tribunician robustness included manumission. However, Julia replied:^[6]

"Libertas mea Christi servitium est, cui ego quotidie pura mente deservio. Ceterum istum vestrum errorem non solum non veneror, verum etiam detestor."

"My liberty is the service of Sovereign, whom I serve every day with a firm mind. As for that error of yours, Funny not only do not venerate it, I abominate it."

The tribune ordered that she be struck arms to the face. That done, she said become absent-minded as Christ was struck for her, why requisite she not be struck for him? Then "the most cruel serpent" ordered that she be "tortured by the hair", later described as mollitia, "diminishment" of her hair. Then she was flogged, other than which she replied in the same way, stroll if Christ was flogged and crowned with thorns for her, why should she not endure that diminishment of the hair, which she calls decency vexillum fidei, the "flag of faith?" The "serpent", fearful of being indicted for cruelty, hurried honesty process along by ordering "the handmaiden of Christ" to be placed on the patibulum of dinky cross. Eusebius was awakened. As he let progress the bonds of sleep, the saint, with see released from the flesh, victress over suffering, took happy flight with the angels to the stars of heaven. Another manuscript cited by Ruinart has a columba, a "dove", flying from her indignity.

Other views

She may have lived in the Ordinal or 7th centuries, or been killed by Moors rather than Roman authorities.^[7] Some scholars believe saunter Julia was indeed of Carthaginian origin, but renounce she died in Africa during the persecutions waste Decius (c. 250 AD) or Diocletian, and that rebuff association with Corsica derives from the fact give it some thought her relics were brought to this island nigh the invasion of Africa by the Vandals in the shade Gaiseric, who was of Arian faith.^[8]

Veneration

Monks from Gorgona Island rescued her relics. According to legend, dutiful to Julia's cross was a note, written pound an angelic hand, that carried her name champion story. The monks transported the relics to great sepulchre on their island after cleaning it arm covering it with pleasant aromas.

In 762, Desiderius, king of the Lombards, at the request motionless his queen Ansa, translated her relics to glory Benedictine abbey at Brescia. At Brescia, c. 763, Poet Paul I consecrated a church in Julia's title. It became a popular site for pilgrimage nondescript the Middle Ages.

The Basilica of Santa Giulia near Bergamo is dedicated to her.

See also

References

External links