The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-10-19

ID0c7RiWNHE.


pISSSut uOllldn XudIIyIOIOSy we
learn that ~Januarius, Bishop of Bene-
ventum, was beheaded under the EN-
Iperori Diocletian. The. body of the
saint was. brought to Naples and
buried in the Cathedral of that city,
where his blood is kept in a phial of
glass. There we're other accounts of
the martyrdom of this saint, but the
Roman Martyrology bears the best
. evidence of authenticity, writes; Rev.
B, X.eO2Reilly. III
The celebrity that is given to the
name. OF J~anliarius is attached to the
miracle Of the 1quefaction of his
blood, Eighteen times in each year
Ethe phial containing the blood of the
saint, together with a silver bust
which is believed to, contain his head,
is exposed upon the altar. During the
time of this exposition the people in
great multiudes assemble in prayer.
The officiating prelate holds the Rel
iquary by it's extremities. After an
interval of varying duration the coagu-
lated mass gradually detaches itself
from the sides of the phial and be-
comes liquid, in some instances bub-
bling up, increasing in volume. The
officiant then announces that the mir
acle is accomplished and the Rel
iquary containing the liquified blood
is brought to the altar rail that the
faithful may venerate it by kissing
the containing vessel. .
There are some who would deny
the. supernatural character of this
phenomenon. It has been attributed
to the effects of natural heat. They
say that the heat produced by the
hands of the officiant and the press
ing ,throng of spectators, with the
lights IN the altar, raise the tempera-
ture of the air sufficiently to melt4the
substance in the phial. Skeptical
scientists have prepared. certain chem
icals that have reconstructed the
miracle, with, some success. They
have, been able to, exhibit some red
substance which though apparently
solid melted after an interval without
any direct application of heat. This
is far from an adequate, explanation
of the phenomenon of the. ~liquefac-
ton of the blood of st. Januarius.
Careful observations of the tempera-
lture of the air have been made for
more than a century. Many noted
scientists have declared that there Is
no direct relation between the tenn
perature and the time and manner of
the li%quefaction. The fact is. that the
liquefaction of the blood has on many
occasions been manifest in less time
during cold weather than during warm
weather. +,,. .r
1t has been argued by some scien-
lists that the movement, of the coagu-
lated blood in the, hands of the Off
ciating clergyman has caused the ap-
parent li~quefaction. Some have repro
dueed all the phenomenon with chem
ical compounds. The cohesion was
overcome by repeated movements such
as those that the Reliquary experi'
enced when the moment of ~liquefac.
ton is impatiently awaited. This OBJ
lection may be answered by the fact
that in many instances the liquefac.
ton took place Whenthe Reliquary was
standing by itself without any move
ment whatsoever. The miracle has
been subject to almost every possible
scientific test. A ray of light has
been passed through the phial during
liqnefaction and a-spectroscopic exam
ination made. The experiment yield
ed the distinctive lines of the spec
} trum of blood. The Reliquary has
been weighed during the time, of lique
faction and it was found that the
weight was not constant any more
; than the volume 1t weighed more
| when the phial seemed half full.
( The miracle has been the, subjec
of much controversy and has had t.
l do with many conversions to thu
Catholic faith. Every reasonable in
vestigator has been forced to admi
that a change goes on in the content!
l of a hermitically sealed vessel which
T can be explained by none of the law.
of nature. fl