Marcellus of Tangier

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Saint Marcellus of Tangier (Marcellus the Centurion) ((Spanish) San Marcelo) (d. 298 AD) is venerated as a Christian saint by the Catholic Church. His feast day is October 30.

He is said to have been a centurion stationed at Tingis (modern Tangiers) who refused to participate in the general birthday celebrations of Emperor Maximian, which would have entailed sacrifice to the Roman gods. Throwing off his military belt, weapons, and vine-branch -the insignia of his rank- Marcellus was soon brought before a judge named Fortunatus. The judge remanded the saint to lay his case before Maximian and Constantius; the latter was friendly to Christians. However, Marcellus was taken to the deputy Praetorian prefect Aurelius Agricolan instead. Marcellus pleaded guilty to repudiating his allegiance to an earthly leader.

He was martyred with a sword by the deputy Praetorian prefect.

Afterwards, it is said that the official shorthand writer, a man named Cassian, was so angry at the sentence that he refused to record the court proceedings and was martyred as welll.

Marcellus' relics were later brought to and enshrined at León, Spain, and he became a patron saint of the city. The Plaza de San Marcelo in this city is named for him. The church of San Marcelo dates from the 10th century.

[edit] Alternate version

An alternate version of his legend status that he was a centurion of the Legio VII Gemina Pia Felix, and was born in León in the middle of the third century. He lived close to the city walls. During the birthday celebrations for the Emperor Valerian, in July 298, Marcellus publicly demonstrated his Christian faith by throwing down the insignia of his rank, and proclaimed that he only venerated one God. He was then sent to Tangiers to be judged by the prefect Agricolanus. He was condemned to death and decapitated on October 29, 298, together with his wife Nona and his twelve sons (Claudius, Lupercus, Victorius, Facundus, Primitivus, Servandus, Germanus, Faustus, Januarius, and Martial). Included in this group of sons are the martyrs Emeterius and Celedonius, though their connection to Marcellus is probably apocryphal.

[edit] Claudius, Lupercus, Victorius

Saints Claudius, Lupercus (Lupercio), and Victori(c)us (d. 300) are said to have been the sons of Marcellus. They were said to have been martyred at León, Spain, during the reign of Diocletian. Their relationship to Marcellus is probably apocryphal, though it was accepted in subsequent breviaries and hagiographies as well as the Roman Martyrology, which placed all four saints under October 30.[1] However, it is quite possible that Claudius, Lupercus, and Victorius were soldiers of Spanish origin who were killed at León, as tradition states. Many churches in Spain were dedicated to them, including the ancient Benedictine abbey of San Claudio, in Galicia.[2] The town of San Claudio (Sancloyo in Asturian), near Oviedo, takes its name from this group of martyrs.

Procession of the Confraternity of Santo Cristo de la Bienaventuranza walking past the church of San Claudio in León, 2005.

Their relics were translated several times in succeeding centuries. Ferdinand I of Castile transported some of their relics to the church of San Isidoro in León. In 1173, the relics were translated to a new church dedicated to the three martyrs. This church was destroyed in 1834 and the relics were moved to the church of San Marcelo, dedicated to their presumed father. Their feast day is celebrated in Spain and Portugal.

Victorius or Victoricus should not be confused with the French saint of the same name.