medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Just to clarify: the translation is the removal of a saint's body from one
place to another (normally with papal permission!). It usually means from
the original grave to a shrine (at, near, or behind the high altar). The
feast thus usually commemorates the canonisation. For example, Richard of
Chichester died on 3 April 1253. He was canonised in 1262, and as a
(delayed) result his body was moved to the shrine behind the high altar on
16 June 1276. His feast was thus on 3 April (as it still is in the Book of
Common Prayer) and the feast of the translation on 16 June.
Gregory appears in the Book of Common Prayer on 12 March ("Gregorius Mag.,
Bp of Rome & Conf.").
John Briggs
John B. Dillon wrote:
>
> Possibly to another location in St. Peter's on the Vatican. A
> translation can occur within the same building. Greg has had several of
> these; the last, one reads, occurred in 1606. To compare great things
> with small, that was also the year in which Lidanus of Sezze's remains
> were formally translated from their previous resting spot in Sezze's
> cathedral to that building's new high altar.
>
> As Phyllis observed in her initial posting, 3 September 590 is the date
> of Gregory's consecration as pope. Perhaps one of his translations was
> timed to commemorate that event.
>
> Best,
> John Dillon
>
> John B. Wickstrom wrote:
>> Well, no. A "translatio" marks the transferal of the saint's body from
>> one place to another (see P. Geary, _Furta Sacra_ for a wonderful
>> study of "stealing" saints' bodies). <snip> So my question was, where
>> was Gregory's body taken that is celebrated on Sept. 3?
>> jw
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Marjorie Greene
>>> Sent: Friday, September 03, 2004 2:04 AM
> <snip>
>>> See: http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintg02.htm
>>> According to this website, 3 Sept is the date of Greg's
>>> ascension to the papal throne. He was born and died at Rome.
>>> If I understand your question and the word "translation," the
>>> answer is Rome.
>>> MG
>>>
>>> -- John Wickstrom <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> <snip>
>>> Gregory the Great joins the long line of saints deprived from
>>> their centuries-long enjoyment of another feast day, in this
>>> case, March 12th, too far along in Lent probably to satisfy
>>> Martimort et al. As with others, the new date is the
>>> traditional translation feast. Doest anyone know whence
>>> Gregory's translatio?
>>> John W.
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Phyllis Jestice
>>> Sent: Thursday, September 02, 2004 10:41 PM
> <snip>
>>> Today (3. September) is the feast day of:
> <snip>
>>> Gregory the Great (d. 604) One of the very few popes to win
>>> the soubriquet "the great" (I can only think of Leo I and,
>>> with somewhat less justice, Nicholas I), Gregory was the last
>>> of the four fathers of the Latin church. He was a wealthy
>>> Roman patrician who served as prefect of the city before
>>> converting his home into a monastery and becoming a monk. He
>>> was soon drafted into papal service, and in 590, much against
>>> his will, was elected pope---consecrated on this day in 590.
>>> He proved to be a splendid pontiff---a great diplomat, a
>>> painstaking administrator, a good pastor, and even a great theologian.
>>> <snip>
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