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| Saint Valentine |
Saint Valentine (in Latin, Valentinus) a widely recognized
third century Roman saint commemorated on February 14 and associated since the
High Middle Ages with a tradition of courtly love. Nothing is known reliably of
St. Valentine except his name and the fact that he died on the Via Flaminia
north of Rome on February 14. It is even uncertain whether St. Valentine is to
be identified with only one saint or two saints of the same name. Several
differing martyrologies have been added to later hagiographies that are
unreliable. For these reasons this liturgical commemoration was not kept in the
Catholic calendar of saints for universal liturgical veneration as revised in
1969. But the "Martyr Valentinus who died on the 14th of February on the
Via Flaminia close to the Milvian bridge in Rome" still remains in the
list of officially recognized saints for local veneration. Saint Valentine's
Church in Rome, built in 1960 for the needs of the Olympic Village, continues
as a modern, well-visited parish church.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Saint Valentine the Presbyter
is celebrated on July 6 and Hieromartyr Saint Valentine (Bishop of Interamna,
Terni in Italy) is celebrated on July 30. Notwithstanding, because of the
relative obscurity of this western saint in the East, members of the Greek
Orthodox Church named Valentinos (male) or Valentina (female) may celebrate
their name day on the Western ecclesiastical calendar date of February 14.
