> > THE FORTY MARTYRS OF SEBASTE (about A.D. 320)
> >
> > Forty soldiers of the Thundering Legion, "natives of differenct
> > countries, but all young, brave, and distinguished for their services,
> > refused to sacrifice to the idols," and were frozen to death in an icy
> > pond.
>
> The Encyclopedia of Saints states that this cult was surpressed in
> 1969. Why?
>
> Dick Fischbach
>
A considerable number of saints was removed in 1969 from the official Roman
calendar, because, as the decree accompagning the complete new saints
calendar states, "no historical evidences are found" for a certain number of
saints. This doesn't mean that certain saints' cult stopped after that date;
liturgically speaking yes, but common people still continued to venerate
these saints. I have seen similar facts here in Flanders, where people
(mostly originated from or living at the country side) even continue to
venerate certain saints on the date of the Tridentine Calendar and not of
the new one (since also some saints were displaced and given another date in
the new calendar), although not following the Tridentine Rite.
However, this reformation was not logic at all, since certain saints were
suppressed, but other, although the decree mentions similar remarks
regarding to missing historical evidences, were retained. The reason was
mentionned: "important popular veneration". So, for the Vatican liturgists
St. Caecilia - only to mention her - didn't exist and her cult had to
abolished, but they agreed finally to maintain the saint of the calendar...
In their eyes: the people is venerating a non-existing saint...
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