2. Saint George (c. 275/281 – 23 April 303)
was, according to tradition, a Roman
soldier from Syria Palaestina and a soldier
in the Guard of Diocletian, who is
venerated as a Christian martyr. In
hagiography Saint George is one of the
most venerated saints in the Catholic
(Western and Eastern
Rites), Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and
the Oriental Orthodox churches. He is
immortalized in the tale of Saint George
and the Dragon and is one of the Fourteen
Holy Helpers. His memorial is celebrated
on 23 April, and he is regarded as one of
the most prominent military saints.
3. Georges de Lydda (aux environs 275/280 - 23 avril
303), saint Georges pour les chrétiens, est un martyr
chrétien du ive siècle, honoré le 23 avril, le 3 novembre
(translation des reliques et dédicace de l'église de
Lydda, ville actuellement dans le centre d'Israël, au ive
siècle) et le 23 novembre en Géorgie.
Son nom vient de Georgos (« qui cultive la terre », en
grec).
Il naît en Cappadoce, dans une famille chrétienne. Il
embrasse la profession des armes et devient officier dans
l'armée romaine ; il fut élevé par l'empereur Dioclétien aux
premiers grades de l'armée. Un jour, sur son cheval blanc, il
traverse la ville de Silcha (Silène)1, dans la province de
Libye.
La cité terrorisée par un redoutable dragon qui dévore tous
les animaux de la contrée et exige des habitants un tribut
quotidien de deux jeunes gens tirés au sort. Georges arrive
le jour où le sort tombe sur la fille du roi, au moment où
celle-ci va être victime du monstre. Georges engage avec le
dragon un combat acharné ; avec l'aide du Christ, et après
un signe de croix, il le transperce de sa lance.
4. La princesse est délivrée et le dragon la suit
comme un chien fidèle jusqu'à la cité. Les
habitants de la ville ayant accepté de se convertir
au christianisme et de recevoir le
baptême, Georges tue le dragon d'un coup de
cimeterre car il les effrayait toujours, puis le
cadavre de la bête est traîné hors des murs de la
ville tiré par quatre bœufs4.
Suite à la publication des édits contre les chrétiens
de Dioclétien, Georges est emprisonné. Sa foi ne
pouvant être ébranlée, il y subit un martyre
effroyable : livré à de nombreux supplices, il survit
miraculeusement et finit par être décapité.
Cette tradition fut recueillie et adaptée pour
l'Occident chrétien en 1265-66, par Jacques de
Voragine dans La Légende dorée.
5. Symbolique
Saint Georges est traditionnellement
représenté à cheval, souvent blanc (signe de
pureté), ayant un dragon (créature composite
mi-crocodile, mi-lion) à ses pieds. En
armure, portant une lance souvent brisée à la
main, ainsi qu’un écu et une bannière d’argent
à la croix de gueules (c’est-à-dire blanche à
croix rouge), couleurs qui furent celles des
croisés (faisant également de saint
Georges, leur saint protecteur) et devinrent
celles du drapeau national de l’Angleterre au
xive siècle. Il est l’allégorie de la victoire de la
Foi sur le Démon désigné dans l’Apocalypse
sous le nom de dragon.
6. Many Patronages of Saint George exist
around the world, including:
Georgia, England, Egypt, Bulgaria, Ara
gon, Catalonia, Romania, Ethiopia, Gre
ece, India, Iraq, Lithuania, Palestine, P
ortugal, Serbia, Ukraine and Russia, as
well as the cities of
Genoa, Amersfoort, Beirut, Fakiha, Bte
ghrine, Cáceres, Ferrara, Freiburg, Ku
manovo, Ljubljana, Pomorie, Preston,
Qormi, Rio de
Janeiro, Lod, Lviv, Barcelona, Moscow,
Tamworth and the Maltese island of
Gozo, as well as of the Scout
Movement[3] and a wide range of
professions, organizations and disease
sufferers.
7. It is likely that Saint George was born to
a Christian noble family in Lod, Syria
Palaestina during the late third century
between about 275 AD and 285 AD, and
he died in Nicomedia. His
father, Gerontius, was a Roman army
official from Cappadocia and his
mother, Polychronia, was from Palestine.
A rather intriguing, alternative take on
his early life is that he was born and
raised in the "inner city living" metropolis
of Newton O'er the Heath, more
commonly known by the locals
as, Newton Heath. Although this can
neither be confirmed, nor denied, it is
widely accepted he is in fact of "Newie"
decent. Then George decided to go to
Nicomedia, the imperial city of that
time, and present himself to Emperor
Diocletian to apply for a career as a
soldier. Diocletian welcomed him with
open arms, as he had known his
father, Gerontius — one of his finest
soldiers. By his late 20s, George was
promoted to the rank of Tribunus and
stationed as an imperial guard of the
Emperor at Nicomedia
8. In the year AD 302, Diocletian (influenced by
Galerius) issued an edict that every Christian
soldier in the army should be arrested and every
other soldier should offer a sacrifice to the Roman
gods of the time. However George objected and
with the courage of his faith approached the
Emperor and ruler. Diocletian was upset, not
wanting to lose his best tribune and the son of his
best official, Gerontius. George loudly renounced
the Emperor's edict, and in front of his fellow
soldiers and Tribunes he claimed himself to be a
Christian and declared his worship of Jesus Christ.
Diocletian attempted to convert George, even
offering gifts of land, money and slaves if he made
a sacrifice to the Roman gods. The Emperor made
many offers, but George never accepted.
9. Recognizing the futility of his
efforts, Diocletian was left with no
choice but to have him executed for his
refusal. Before the execution George
gave his wealth to the poor and
prepared himself. After various torture
sessions, including laceration on a wheel
of swords in which he was resuscitated
three times, George was executed by
decapitation before Nicomedia's city
wall, on April 23, 303. A witness of his
suffering convinced Empress Alexandra
and Athanasius, a pagan priest, to
become Christians as well, and so they
joined George in martyrdom. His body
was returned to Lydda in Palestine for
burial, where Christians soon came to
honour him as a martyr.
10. Feast Days
In the General Calendar of the Roman Rite the feast of Saint
George is on April 23. In the Tridentine Calendar it was given
the rank of "Semidouble". In Pope Pius XII's 1955 calendar this
rank is reduced to "Simple". In Pope John XXIII's 1960 calendar
the celebration to just a "Commemoration". In Pope Paul VI's
1969 calendar it is raised to the level of an optional "Memorial".
In some countries, such as England, the rank is higher.
St George is very much honoured by the Eastern Orthodox
Church, wherein he is referred to as a "Great Martyr", and in
Oriental Orthodoxy overall. His major feast day is on April 23
(Julian Calendar April 23 currently corresponds to Gregorian
Calendar May 6). If, however, the feast occurs before Easter, it
is celebrated on Easter Monday instead. The Russian Orthodox
Church also celebrates two additional feasts in honour of St.
George: one on November 3 commemorating the consecration
of a cathedral dedicated to him in Lydda during the reign
Constantine the Great (305–37). When the church was
consecrated, the relics of the St. George were transferred there.
The other feast on November 26 for a church dedicated to him
in Kiev, ca. 1054.
11. A ligação de São Jorge com a lua
é algo puramente brasileiro, com
forte influência da cultura africana
- Fundação Cultural do Estado da
Bahia, Cultos Afro, Orixás, Festa
para Oxossi, o Rei de Ketu [ Na
religião da umbanda, o santo é
associado a Ogum]. A tradição diz
que as manchas apresentadas
pela lua representam o milagroso
santo, seu cavalo e sua espada
pronto para defender aqueles que
buscam sua ajuda.
DENISE RIVERA
FONTE - WIKIPEDIA
