ON THE HOLY ROMAN MARTYRS ROMANUS, ALBERT, DOMITIUS, AT ANTWERP IN BELGIUM.
CommentaryRomanus, Roman Martyr, at Antwerp in Belgium (S.)
Albert, Roman Martyr, at Antwerp in Belgium (S.)
Domitius, Roman Martyr, at Antwerp in Belgium (S.)
[1] Among the many basilicas with which Antwerp, a distinguished and magnificent city of Belgium, is adorned, not the least in renown is that which belongs to the Professed House of the Society of Jesus, built about fifty years ago through the pious generosity of both magistrates and private citizens, of white marble imported from Liguria; in the ancient style, not in the Gothic manner as is common in these regions. To the rest of its splendor there have been added both various incentives to piety and especially the Relics of Saints gathered here from many places, The relics of these Saints sent from Rome to Antwerp in the year 1659, concerning which mention has already been made in more than one place in this our work, and will be made more often hereafter. To this treasury a new and not common addition has been made in recent years, when the Most Reverend Father Goswin Nickel, General Superior of the Society of Jesus, sent from Rome to the Reverend Father Thomas Dekens, then Superior of this house, considerable portions of the bones of holy Martyrs, extracted from the sacred Roman Catacombs with due permission of the Superiors, as he himself attested by his own hand, given at Rome and sealed with his seal, on February 10, 1659.
[2] The Saints whose relics were brought were altogether fifteen: and of twelve others, Albanus, Agapitus, Constantius, Romanus, Albert, Domitius, Pamphylus, Marianus, Liobatus, Victoria, Ruffina, Valerius, Quirinus, Erinus, Benignus. Since it cannot be proved by any argument that these were companions in combat, that is, that they endured their struggle for the glory of Christ at one and the same time and place, having been deposited in various catacombs; the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Bishop of Antwerp, Dom Marius Ambrosius Capellus, when those Relics had been brought here from Rome with due care, approved by the Bishop of Antwerp, having diligently examined the casket in which they had been enclosed, the bindings with which it was tied, the seals and testimonials, and having judged them worthy to be proposed for public veneration, to amplify the fruit of piety in the minds of men and the honor of the Saints themselves, decreed that these, distributed into five classes as it were, should be celebrated on the same number of days and in different months, and their names pronounced in the sacrifices of the Mass and in the Canonical Hours. He ordained all things in this order: namely that on February 16 St. Albanus, St. Agapitus, and St. Constantius should be venerated: on March 14, St. Romanus, and an annual celebration assigned to them on various days: St. Albert, St. Domitius: on the Sunday after the Octave of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, St. Pamphylus, St. Marianus, St. Liobatus. On the second Sunday of October, St. Victoria and St. Restituta, Martyrs. On November 27, St. Valerius, St. Quirinus, St. Erinus, St. Benignus. And on the prescribed days, according to the Rites of the Holy Roman Church, every year, by all Priests residing in the same Professed House, the Office should be recited with the double rite and the Mass from the Common of Holy Martyrs, and in the Mass the Creed, according to the custom and statutes of the same Holy Roman Church.
[3] Then the same most religious Bishop added the following, as may be read in the documents drawn up on this matter on March 30 of the year 1660, confirmed by his hand and seal: Indulgences granted to those praying before them. Moreover, that the devotion of the people toward honoring the Relics of the said holy Martyrs may daily receive increase; especially in these most calamitous times, in which, to beseech the Divine clemency to deign to restrain his avenging hand and to turn away the scourges of his anger from us and from our Community of Antwerp, we are in the greatest need of the patronage of the Saints. To all the faithful of Christ who on the aforesaid anniversary day of any of the five days shall visit the Church of the aforesaid Professed House of the Society of Jesus, and there devoutly pour forth prayers for the extirpation of heresies, the concord of Christian Princes, and the exaltation of Holy Mother Church, we grant an indulgence of forty days: to those indeed who on each day throughout the year shall piously pray to the same holy Martyrs in the same church for those needs of the Church, we impart an indulgence of seven days.
[4] As regards those Martyrs whose annual celebration is held on this day of March 14, it is not easy to conjecture what torments they endured for the faith of Christ, or at what time; concerning these three nothing else is established, and whether on other days, and in which churches, their memory has been or is still being observed: although there are found certain Martyrs called by the same names, especially Romani and Domitii: but a conjecture drawn from the name alone is weak, especially if it is common to many persons. Since we had already published what was known to us concerning the Saints pertaining to the month of February, before the Relics of those holy Martyrs Albanus, Agapitus, and Constantius were brought to this city, and their annual celebration was decreed to be observed on February 16 of that month: therefore no mention of them was made by us in that month. But if at some time we should add an appendix to that month, it will be possible to record their memorial therein.