The history of the faith people choose to worship is important in understanding its origin, and the strength and determination its people endured. The history of Christianity overflows with people who were executed by the wrath of other religions, as it happened to St. Cecilia.
History
The Roman empire's vast territory made it challenging to keep track of Christians along the centuries. They believed in Roman gods such as Jupiter, Neptune, Cupid or Bacchus. Christians used to be blamed and severely punished for anything bad that happened, from plagues to attacks and invasions. For centuries, anyone who worshiped God was persecuted and sentenced to death.
When Constantine became emperor of the Roman empire in 306 A.D., he legalized Christianity. Years later, at the end of the fourth century, Flavius Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the empire, which converted most Romans of the time.
Time Frame
It is believed that St. Cecilia's story took place during the fifth century. However, the research done by Battista de Rossi confirms Venantius Fortunatus findings that she was killed at the end of the second century. There is no documentation yet that can provide a more accurate time line.
Significance
St. Cecilia is known as the patroness of music and poetry. It is said that at her wedding, when the musicians were playing, she sang to God in her heart. Other stories say that she heard celestial music at her wedding.
Story
According to "Lives of the Saints," by Alban Butler, Cecilia was a noble from Rome who was raised Christian. She wore rough clothing "beneath the clothes of her rank," and "fasted from food several days a week." Cecilia was determined to remain unmarried and pure "for the love of God." Ignoring her plans, her father gave her hand in marriage to Valerian.
On the wedding night, she confessed her most possessed secret to Valerian by warning him of the angel of God watching over her, and if he touched her in an erotic way, he would get mad and make him "suffer." But if Valerian respected her wishes of remaining pure, God would love him as he loved her. Valerian asked to see the angel, and she explained that the only possible way was if he believed in the one and only God and received baptism.
Valerian went to visit Bishop Urban and was baptized. When he returned to his new wife, he found an angel standing by her side. The angel placed on their heads crowns of roses and lilies. Valerian's brother, Tiburtius, appeared and he was offered the crown if he converted to Christianity. Cecilia held a long conversation with him until he was convinced, and he also received baptism. Valerian and Tiburtius began burying the corpses of martyrs that were killed, for which they were arrested. Chief Almachius was in charge of evaluating their case, and asked one of them to tell the court if "he would sacrifice to the gods" and go free. Both replied "no, not to the gods, but to the one God to whom we offer sacrifice daily." The chief thought they referred to one particular Roman god, but Valerian told him no. They were sent to be scourged to make them change their minds. However, the chief's assessor convinced him that Valerian and Tibertius would use that time to get rid of their possessions to prevent the confiscation of all their property by the state. Both were beheaded in a place four miles from Rome called Pagus Triopius. Maximus, an official of the Roman army, after witnessing what happened to the brothers, declared his Christian faith and was also killed.
Cecilia buried the three bodies and was asked to refuse her faith, but she ended up converting those people. When Pope Urban went to visit her at home, "he baptized over 400 people in there." Among those converted, one named Gordian formed a church in Cecilia's house, and eventually Pope Urban dedicated it "in her name."
Eventually Cecilia was brought before chief Almachius and was sentenced to death by suffocation in the bathroom of her house. Even though the furnace received double the amount of fuel over a day and night, it did no harm. A soldier was ordered to decapitate her. "The soldier struck three times, and then left her lying." She did't die right away. The three days in which she stayed alive, Christians congregated by her, and Cecilia arranged to leave Pope Urban her house. After she died, "she was buried next to the papal crypt in the Catacomb of St. Callistus."
Theories/Speculations
Nothing has been found about a Roman martyr named Cecilia after the persecutions of Christians in the Roman empire. She was not mentioned in the writings of Damasus, and the famous Christian poet Prudentius, who was born in 348 A.D. in what is now the north of Spain and died after 405 A.D. (although it is believed to be closer to 413 A.D.), never mentioned her among the popular events and martyrs he wrote about.
Her name is not part of the "Depositio Martyrium," which is an official list of venerated martyrs; her name is not mentioned in the early fourth century.
According to New Advent, Catholic Encyclopeidia, St. Cecilia's name appears under different dates in the "Martyrologium Hyeronymianum." She appears under August 11 with Tiburtius, but it was not her husband's brother. Although it is believed that could be some other woman with the same name. Also, on September 16 there is an inscription in Latin determining the date of her burial that was found at the Callixto's catacomb next to the pope's crypt, and eventually the remains were moved. Finally, November 22 is the date the church in Trastevere kept to honor the martyr.
The "Sacramentarium Leoniam," which is a recompilation of masses that was finished at the end of the fifth century, there are at least five different masses in her honor.
This evidence shows that the Roman Catholic church worshiped St. Cecilia, and there is some proof of her existence.
Famous Ties
St. Cecilia's church in Trastavere, Rome, was built on top of her house, and there are tours available to see some findings of it beneath the church.
Many artists like Raphael, Gentileschi, Raggi and Strozzi painted the martyr among other saints. She is always portrayed with instruments, such as playing the organ or the violin.
Although the list of music inspired by St. Cecilia through the centuries is very long, at the end of the 17th century, Handel stands out with his ode to St. Cecilia's Day, which was written by the poet John Dryden.
Tags: Pope Urban, Roman empire, appears under, baptism Valerian, believed that, fifth century, fourth century
