B
batteddy
Guest
In the liturgical reforms of Pope Paul VI, as you know, many famous Saints were removed from the universal calendar. Some had their feasts moved only to local calendars in places with special devotion to those Saints, and some of their cults were supressed completely.
These Saints were down-graded as it were, because it is widely recognized that most of the details that made them famous were legendary, and though they probably still did in fact exist, without the spurious stories to win them glory, they were simply obscure martyrs with more important Saints to take their feast days.
Saint Ursula was a virgin martyred in the first few centuries with companions. Wild legends grew up around her, even though evidence about her is very small, and the companions eventually were venerated at the ridiculous number of 11,000!
In the liturgical renewal, even though she was a widely venerated Saint and had many things named after her, she was removed from all calendars and the Roman Martyrology. Many regarded even her existence as false.
I was very sad about this, because although the legend surrounding her has clearly been mostly false and exagerated, the cultus of Ursula has been very fruitful in the Church and there is no reason to doubt her simple existence as a virgin and martyr. Even though the legend is false, there is evidence attesting to her existence as part of the Martyrs of Cologne.
Pope John Paul II, I just found out, recognized that, even though the legend surrounding her is mostly false, there is no reason to doubt the existance of Ursula or the fact that she had some number of companions. It is thought that they probably only numbered ELEVEN, not the 11,000 explained by some as a misreading of some ancient texts.
Though still as a minor Saint with no feast that takes precedence anywhere, Ursula is once again included in the new edition of the Roman Martyrology!!
Here is the article I found:
worldyouthday.org.uk/WYDSAN10FEB2005patronPDHfinal.htm
These Saints were down-graded as it were, because it is widely recognized that most of the details that made them famous were legendary, and though they probably still did in fact exist, without the spurious stories to win them glory, they were simply obscure martyrs with more important Saints to take their feast days.
Saint Ursula was a virgin martyred in the first few centuries with companions. Wild legends grew up around her, even though evidence about her is very small, and the companions eventually were venerated at the ridiculous number of 11,000!
In the liturgical renewal, even though she was a widely venerated Saint and had many things named after her, she was removed from all calendars and the Roman Martyrology. Many regarded even her existence as false.
I was very sad about this, because although the legend surrounding her has clearly been mostly false and exagerated, the cultus of Ursula has been very fruitful in the Church and there is no reason to doubt her simple existence as a virgin and martyr. Even though the legend is false, there is evidence attesting to her existence as part of the Martyrs of Cologne.
Pope John Paul II, I just found out, recognized that, even though the legend surrounding her is mostly false, there is no reason to doubt the existance of Ursula or the fact that she had some number of companions. It is thought that they probably only numbered ELEVEN, not the 11,000 explained by some as a misreading of some ancient texts.
Though still as a minor Saint with no feast that takes precedence anywhere, Ursula is once again included in the new edition of the Roman Martyrology!!
Here is the article I found:
worldyouthday.org.uk/WYDSAN10FEB2005patronPDHfinal.htm