#Pope St. Sylvester I

[portraitsofsaints]

Happy Feast Day

Pope St. Sylvester I

250-335

Feast Day: December 31

Patronage: Sylvestrine Benedictus, Milita Aurate order, domestic animals, stonecutters, masons, Papel Order of St. Sylvester I

Saint Sylvester I, a Roman and the first non-martyred pope, was chosen pope in 314 and reigned for almost 21 years. He strengthened the faithful by providing shelter and food and by preaching the Gospel during the Diocletian persecution. As a close friend, professionally and personally, to Emperor Constantine, he founded many churches including St. John Lateran and St. Peters. He is particularly remembered for the Council of Nicea and his leadership through the Donatism and Arianian heresies.

Prints, plaques & holy cards available for purchase. (website)

[thepastisalreadywritten]

The Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran is celebrated by the entire Church.

It marks the dedication of the cathedral church of Rome by Pope Sylvester I in 324.

This church is the cathedra (or chair) of the bishop of Rome, who is the Pope.

A Latin inscription in the Church reads: “omnium ecclesiarum Urbis et Orbis mater et caput.”

Translated, this means: “The mother and head of all churches of the city and of the world.”

The basilica was originally named the Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior.

However, it is called St. John Lateran because it was built on the property donated to the Church by the Laterani family, and because the monks from the monastery of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Divine served it.

[beyourselfchulanmaria]

有些人無論你在生活中遇過多少次，都不會在你的心裡留下任何印象。然而還有些人，他們只要觸動你一次，就讓你終生無法忘記。

─ 遠藤周作 《吹口哨時》

“Some people leave no impression at all upon your heart, no matter how often you encounter them in life. But there are also people who touch your life only once whom you cannot forget as long as you live.”

— Shūsaku Endō, When I Whistle

[incomingalbatross]

Traditional feast days within the Twelve Days of Christmas:

December 25: Christmas Day, the Nativity!

December 26: St. Stephen the first martyr

December 27: St. John the Evangelist

December 28: The Holy Innocents, murdered by Herod

December 29: St. Thomas a Becket and David

December 30: The Feast of the Holy Family (traditionally celebrated on the Sunday within the Octave, but on this day if there is no such Sunday)

December 31: St. Sylvester I, pope during the reign of Constantine and the Council of Nicaea

January 1: Octave-Day of the Nativity, traditionally the Feast of the Circumcision (and now of Mary, Mother of God)

January 2: Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus

January 3: Traditionally no particular saint (that I can find)

January 4: Traditionally no particular saint (now St. Elizabeth Ann Seton)

January 5: St. Telesphorus (second-century pope and martyr) and St. Edward the Confessor (King of England 1042-1066)

January 6: Epiphany! Feast of the Coming of the Magi, the Baptism of Our Lord, and the Wedding at Cana

(An eagle-eyed observer may note that there are thirteen days on this list. Opinions differ slightly as to whether the Twelve Days begin on the 26th or end on the 5th, but I don't think it matters terribly.)

(Also I probably missed some feast days.)

[anastpaul]

Sunday Within the Octave of Christmas, Santa María la Real de Uxue / Our Lady of Uxue, Spain (8th Century), St Pope Sylvester I (Died 335) and the Saints for 31 December

Sunday Within the Octave of Christmas New Year’s Eve Santa María la Real de Uxue / Our Lady of Uxue, Spain (8th Century) – 31 December:HERE:https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/31/the-seventh-day-of-the-octave-of-christmas-santa-maria-la-real-de-uxue-our-lady-of-uxue-uxue-spain-8th-century-and-memorials-of-the-saints-31-december/ St Pope Sylvester I (Died 335) Papal Ascension 314. Bishop of Rome,…

[foreverpraying]

On the 30th of May is the Feast Day of the Transfer of the Relics of King Saint Stephen of Hungary

The Holy Right Hand is a Hungarian national and catholic relic, said to be the naturally mummified right hand of Stephen I, first king of Hungary, also called Saint Stephen.

Saint Stephen (in Hungarian Szent István) was born around 970-975 in Esztergom. He was a member of the Árpád dynasty, born a pagan but baptized a Christian. In 996, he married Gisela of Bavaria, sister of the future Holy Roman Emperor Henry II. After the death of his father, the Grand Prince Géza, Stephen fought an insurrection led by his cousin, Koppány, who claimed the throne in accordance with the rules of succession of Árpád. After defeating Koppány, Stephen was crowned as (first) King of Hungary with a crown received from Pope Sylvester II.

His coronation, which took place around 1021 years ago on Christmas Day in the year 1000, marked Hungary's entry into the family of European Christian nations. Stephen made the Church the main pillar of his authority, sending missionaries throughout his kingdom, founding bishoprics and abbeys, and mandating the building of churches. He died in 1038 and became the patron saint of Hungary.

The king's right hand, naturally mummified, is one of the most importantrelics Hungarian nationals, discovered during the opening of his stone tomb on August 20, 1083 in Székesfehérvár. (The identifying mark of the right hand was the king's ring, which adorned the hand). Therelic had a few adventures in his time. During the Turkish occupation, it ended up in Ragusa (today: Dubrovnik, Croatia), where it was guarded by Dominican friars, attracting increasing numbers of pilgrims to the city.

Source of picture: https://relics.es

Queen Maria Theresa (1717-1780), late successor to Saint Stephen on the Hungarian throne, negotiated the return of the Holy Right Hand in 1771, offering in return the historic city of Ragusa its protection against the threat of Russian invasion. In her charter decree, she specified how the relic, the mummified hand of Saint Stephen, was to be respected throughout the country.

During World War II, the Holy Right Hand was concealed - along with the Coronation Jewels - near Salzburg, Austria. The relic returned to Hungary in 1945, and it has been on display in St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest since 1987.

Source: https://relics.es/en/blogs/relics/la-sainte-main-droite-detienne-ier-roi-de-hongrie

[silvestromedia]

St. Sylvester I, Pope - Information on the Saint of the Day - Vatican News

[cruger2984]

THE DESCRIPTION OF POPE SAINT SYLVESTER I Feast Day: December 31

Sylvester was elected Pope in 314 AD, one year after Constantine the Great had granted freedom to the Church.

The most important event of his reign was the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, which condemned Arianism and defined the divine nature of Jesus Christ.

The famous legend of the 'Donation of Constantine', according to which the emperor granted Sylvester the dominion of Italy as a reward for the gift of baptism, and for his miraculous recovery from leprosy, has proven to be false. The real donation of Constantine to the Church was freedom from persecution, as well as the Basilicas of St. Peter in the Vatican and of St. John in Lateran.

Another legend has Sylvester I slaying a dragon. He is often depicted with the dying beast.

Sylvester I also built a church in the cemetery of Priscilla along the Salarian Way, where he himself was buried in 335 AD.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 11.18 (before 1940)

326 – The old St. Peter's Basilica is consecrated by Pope Sylvester I. 401 – The Visigoths, led by king Alaric I, cross the Alps and invade northern Italy. 1095 – The Council of Clermont begins: called by Pope Urban II, it led to the First Crusade to the Holy Land. 1105 – Maginulfo is elected Antipope Sylvester IV in opposition to Pope Paschal II. 1210 – Pope Innocent III excommunicates Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV for invading the Kingdom of Sicily after promising to recognize papal control over it. 1302 – Pope Boniface VIII issues the Papal bull Unam sanctam, claiming spiritual supremacy for the papacy. 1421 – St Elizabeth's flood: A dike in the Grote Hollandse Waard in the Netherlands breaks, killing about 10,000 people. 1493 – Christopher Columbus first sights the island now known as Puerto Rico. 1601 – Tiryaki Hasan Pasha, an Ottoman provincial governor, routs the Habsburg forces commanded by Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria who were besieging Nagykanizsa. 1626 – The new St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is consecrated. 1730 – The future Frederick the Great of Prussia is granted a pardon by his father and is released from confinement. 1760 – The rebuilt debtors' prison, at the Castellania in Valletta, receives the first prisoners. 1803 – The Battle of Vertières, the last major battle of the Haitian Revolution, is fought, leading to the establishment of the Republic of Haiti, the first black republic in the Western Hemisphere. 1809 – In a naval action during the Napoleonic Wars, French frigates defeat British East Indiamen in the Bay of Bengal. 1812 – Napoleonic Wars: The Battle of Krasnoi ends in French defeat, but Marshal of France Michel Ney's leadership leads to him becoming known as "the bravest of the brave". 1863 – King Christian IX of Denmark signs the November constitution that declares Schleswig to be part of Denmark. This is seen by the German Confederation as a violation of the London Protocol and leads to the German–Danish war of 1864. 1867 – An earthquake strikes the Virgin Islands, triggering the largest tsunami witnessed in the Caribbean and killing dozens. 1872 – Susan B. Anthony and 14 other women are arrested for voting illegally in the United States presidential election of 1872. 1883 – American and Canadian railroads institute five standard continental time zones, ending the confusion of thousands of local times. 1901 – Britain and the United States sign the Hay–Pauncefote Treaty, which nullifies the Clayton–Bulwer Treaty and withdraws British objections to an American-controlled canal in Panama. 1903 – The Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty is signed by the United States and Panama, giving the United States exclusive rights over the Panama Canal Zone. 1905 – Prince Carl of Denmark becomes King Haakon VII of Norway. 1909 – Two United States warships are sent to Nicaragua after 500 revolutionaries (including two Americans) are executed by order of José Santos Zelaya. 1910 – In their campaign for women's voting rights, hundreds of suffragettes march to the British Parliament in London. Several are beaten by police, newspaper attention embarrasses the authorities, and the march is dubbed Black Friday. 1916 – World War I: First Battle of the Somme: In France, British Expeditionary Force commander Douglas Haig calls off the battle which started on July 1, 1916. 1918 – Latvia declares its independence from Russia. 1928 – Release of the animated short Steamboat Willie, the first fully synchronized sound cartoon. 1929 – Grand Banks earthquake: Off the south coast of Newfoundland in the Atlantic Ocean, a Richter magnitude 7.2 submarine earthquake, centered on the Grand Banks, breaks 12 submarine transatlantic telegraph cables and triggers a tsunami that destroys many south coast communities in the Burin Peninsula.

[christianpureofficial]

Dedication of St. John Lateran

Dedication of St. John Lateran Feast date: Nov 09 The feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran is celebrated by the entire Church. It marks the dedication of the cathedral church of Rome by Pope Sylvester I in 324. This church is the cathedra (or chair) of the bishop of Rome, who is the Pope. A Latin inscription in the Church reads: “omnium ecclesiarum Urbis et Orbis mater et…

[european-elements]

Sancta Scala, Rome, Italy

I. I chose the Sancta Scala because of its historical/biblical significance. Similar to the Lateran Palace, the Sancta Scala is found in Rome, Italy, and used to be attached to the Lateran Palace. It is a set of 28 white marble holy stairs that, according to tradition, are the staircase leading once to the praetorium of Pilate at Jerusalem. These would have been the very steps that Jesus ascended before his trial before Pilate. From old floor plans, it can be assumed that the staircase led to a corridor in the old Lateran Palace near the Chapel of St. Sylvester. When Pope Sixtus V destroyed the old palace, he ordered the stairs to be moved to their present location before the Sancta Sanctorum (Holy of Holies). This is the old private chapel dedicated to St. Lawrence, and it is the only remaining part of the ancient Lateran Palace. 

II. These stairs were brought from Jerusalem to Rome by St. Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great. This is a connection to the Reformation, as Constantine was the first emperor to legalize Christianity. Additionally, these stairs can only be ascended on the knees. Therefore, pilgrims and the Roman faithful devote their efforts to such a task on Fridays and in Lent. Lots of Popes have performed this action. Something else that relates to the reformation is the indulgences given to those who ascended the stairs in the prescribed manner. As we learned in class, indulgences were given as a way to reduce or eliminate punishment for sins that have already been forgiven. They are gifts from God through the Pope to those faithful Christians who meet certain conditions. For example, Pius VII granted a plenary indulgence of nine years per step in 1817, and in 1908, Pius X granted indulgences as often as the stairs were devoutly ascended after confession and communion. 

III. Pictured above is the Sancta Scala or the Holy Stairs.

IV. Something that surprised me about the Sancta Scala was its connection to the Bible!  Although I do not necessarily believe that these are the steps that Jesus ascended on the eve of his crucifixion, it is neat to see them and imagine what it might have been like in that time, at that event. Also, I was kind of shocked to learn that people cannot simply climb them. Instead, they must ascend them while on their knees…sometimes Catholicism is a bit funny. Also, it was super cool to see people actively doing this when we visited! It is also weird to think that some people actually believe such things to be true.

[portraitsofsaints]

Pope St. Sylvester I

250-335

Feast Day: December 31

Patronage: Sylvestrine Benedictus, Milita Aurate order, domestic animals, stonecutters, masons, Papel Order of St. Sylvester I

Saint Sylvester I, a Roman and the first non-martyred pope, was chosen pope in 314 and reigned for almost 21 years. He strengthened the faithful by providing shelter and food and by preaching the Gospel during the Diocletian persecution. As a close friend, professionally and personally, to Emperor Constantine, he founded many churches including St. John Lateran and St. Peters. He is remembered in particular for the Council of Nicea and his leadership through the Donatism and Arianian heresies.

Prints, plaques & holy cards available for purchase here: (website)

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (August 16)

On August 16, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of King Saint Stephen of Hungary, the monarch who led his country to embrace the Christian faith during the 11th century.

Before the future saint's birth in 975, his mother, the Duchess Sarolt, is said to have received a vision in which the original Saint Stephen – the Church's first martyr – appeared telling her she would bear a son who would evangelize their land.

Together with her husband, the Hungarian Duke Geza, Sarolt is believed to have been converted and baptized by the bishop Saint Adalbert of Prague.

The same saint baptized their son Vaik in 985, giving him the name of Stephen.

Geza had desired to convert the Hungarians to the Catholic faith, a passion shared by Stephen once he reached adulthood and succeeded him in power.

After conclusively defeating an alliance of rival pagan nobility, he used their acquired wealth to build a monastery and invited clergy to convert the people.

Stephen established laws favoring Christianity over paganism and sent an emissary to Rome with a request for the Pope to proclaim him as king.

Pope Sylvester II accepted the request, sending him a crown and a gold processional cross, while also giving Stephen certain religious privileges.

He showed great diligence as king, while devoting the rest of his time to his religious duties – including charity toward the poor and sick, as well as the worship of God – and to his household.

Gisela, Stephen's wife, was the sister of the ruler later canonized as the Holy Roman Emperor Saint Henry II.

Greatly devoted to the Virgin Mary, Stephen had several churches built in her honor both in Hungary and outside the kingdom.

Her intercession is credited with preventing a war between Hungary and the Holy Roman Empire under Conrad II, and stopping an assassination plot against Stephen himself.

The Hungarian king also established a monastery in Jerusalem and set up institutions to aid pilgrims in other major cities.

Stephen counted saints among his friends and correspondents, and fulfilled the Pope's charge to use his royal authority for the good of the Church.

Suffering came to the king, however, when only one of his children survived to adulthood.

Stephen's only living son Emeric received a strong Catholic upbringing and was expected to succeed his father.

But Emeric died before Stephen after a hunting accident in 1031.

Emeric was later canonized as a saint in his own right, and Stephen eventually came to rejoice that his son had been permitted to enter God's presence before him.

The king's final years, however, were marked by illness as well as a succession dispute among his relatives.

In 1038, on the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Stephen delivered his final words to leaders of the Church and state, telling them to protect and spread the Catholic faith.

To the Virgin Mary, the king directed one of his final prayers:

“To thee, O Queen of heaven, and to thy guardianship, I commend the holy Church, all the bishops and the clergy, the whole kingdom, its rulers and inhabitants; but before all, I commend my soul to thy care.”

Stephen of Hungary died on 15 August 1038.

He was buried alongside his son St. Emeric, and the two were canonized together in 1083.

[informationatlas]

The tradition of the twelve days of Christmas has its roots in Christian religious observance. The period known as the Twelve Days of Christmas extends from December 25th, Christmas Day, to January 5th, with the culmination on January 6th, which is celebrated as the Feast of the Epiphany or Three Kings' Day.

Christmas Day (December 25th): This day marks the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

St. Stephen's Day (December 26th): Also known as Boxing Day in some countries, it commemorates St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

St. John the Evangelist's Day (December 27th): Honoring the apostle John, this day is associated with the author of the Gospel of John.

Feast of the Holy Innocents (December 28th): This day commemorates the infants killed by King Herod in his attempt to eliminate the baby Jesus.

Feast of St. Thomas Becket (December 29th): Honoring the Archbishop of Canterbury who was murdered in 1170.

Feast of St. Sylvester (December 31st): Celebrating Pope Sylvester I, this day is also known as New Year's Eve.

New Year's Day (January 1st): The start of the new calendar year.

Feast of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (January 1st): This day honors the Virgin Mary as the mother of Jesus.

Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (January 2nd): Celebrating the naming of Jesus on the eighth day after his birth, according to Jewish tradition.

Feast of the Epiphany (January 6th): Also known as Three Kings' Day, it commemorates the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus, symbolizing the revelation of Jesus as the Son of God to the Gentiles.

The Twelve Days of Christmas, therefore, have both religious and secular significance, with various feasts and celebrations marking different events within this period.

Okay but, where did the 12 days of Christmas come from?

[starsofarda]

THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN!

So.

We are in early 1440. The Renaissance is about to kick off, we are now in a period called "Humanism", where a LOT of Greco-Roman books and fragments and whatnot are being rediscovered and rewritten - this done mainly by monks, if you wanted to be a scholar you either took the vows or you were rich.

Linguistic studies are all the rage, after all with Dante, Boccaccio, Petrarca and the Dolce Stil Novo poets trying to come up with something that would be a proto-Italian language, a lot of steps are being made using the Tuscanian dialect as a base and trying to set up rules and standards.

Worry not, officially the Italian peninsula will start using Italian actively only after reuniting in 1871, tbf still today there are way too many people who actually do not know Italian that well - looking at my Italian language teacher in high school, pls "scendete le sedie e uscite i libri", you do not talk like that if you are actively teaching Italian language and literature. 🤡

Anyway, I digress.

Well, in 1440 a monk called Lorenzo Valla decided to study the linguistics of the official Vatican documents and he decided very bravely to study the so-called Donation of the Emperor Constantin in 313 B.C. of the land to the Pope, which meant that:

This was the actual proof that the Pope COULD have BOTH religious AND secular power

The Pope, other than being the Pope was a King in his right, therefore equal - no, actually superior to any other king - See in that sense Federico II, pope Innocenzo III and everything around it

And also, not there, but tangential, if you TRULY wanted to be the Holy Emperor of the Roman Empire, only the Pope could crown you.

Well Brother Valla matched whatever new linguistic discoveries were made and the knowledge he had acquired to the document at hand. To no one of the Humanists' surprise, the document proved to be a 700 A.D. fake, written at least 400 years after the death of Emperor Constantin.

Not only linguistics were involved, but also law - after all the Law University of Bologna officially opened in 1088. It is interesting how it affirms that "by any law neither Contantin nor Pope Sylvester I were jurisdictionally equal, so the donation could not have happened".

Lorenzo Valla made the discovery known to the Vatican and he was accused of being a heretic and burned at the stake.

The actual essay was then published in 1517 by the German Protestant Humanist Ulrich von Hutten. By then Luther had already published the 95 theses and the Vatican ws actioning the Counter-Reformation to shut down anyone who would speak against the pope having any secular power. The essay was then banned in 1559 and inserted in the Index of Prohibited Books.

And the donation of Constantin keeps being a thorn in Italy's butt to this day.

So. Italy's regions were united in 1870, BUT the Church STILL held a very firm foot on Rome and surroundings. So in 1871 the State of the Church was conquered and terminated and Italy was united.

And then the Pope threw a hissy fit: "You can go vote, but you are hereby considered heretic and will burn in hell if you go vote for your government. If you are a good catholic, you will NOT vote and will submit to me, the Pope."

You can only imagine the guilt going on.

The one ""resolving"" the question was exactly Mussolini, that shitty fascist. Because if he wanted to be a dictator and whatnot, he NEEDED those catholic votes for him.

He granted to the Pope:

The Reign over the Vatican, comprehensive of St. Peter's cathedral and the 44sqm around it (ofc with the Swiss Guard and all)

The Italian government recognised the sovereignity of the State of the Church

Tax immunity to the Clergy

Mandatory Catholic studies in all schools

Roman Catholicism as the Official State Religion

More stuff, but I can't remember on top of my head

These were known as the Patti Lateranensi (Lateranensian Pacts) and were signed in 1929.

Fascism ended as it did - though it's come back full force now.

The Pacts were introduced inside the Italian Constitution in 1948, in 1971 they were defined as atypical laws inside the constitution, in 1984 they were further revised and ultimately schools were finally free not to have Catholic studies as mandatory in 1996.

And that is all for tonight.

Right, tiny non-Tolkien parenthesis. I want to put my Literature Major to good use, is there any fact from Homer to today that you would like me to talk about?

Like do you want to know about the fake document forged by the Church on Emperor Constantin's donation of the land to the Pope?

[anastpaul]

One Minute Reflection – 31 December – ' ... For when is he without light, who has Light in his heart? ...'

One Minute Reflection – 31 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Seventh Day of the Octave of Christmas and the Memorial of St Pope Sylvester I (Died 335) – Galatians 4:1-7, Luke 2:33-40 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/ “She did not leave the temple, serving with fastings and prayers, night and day.”- Luke…