Difference between revisions of "Saint Andrew" - New World Encyclopedia

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{{Infobox Saint
 
{{Infobox Saint
 
|name=Saint Andrew
 
|name=Saint Andrew
 
|birth_date=
 
|birth_date=
 
|death_date=
 
|death_date=
|feast_day=[[November 30]]
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|feast_day=November 30
 
|venerated_in=All Christianity
 
|venerated_in=All Christianity
 
|image=Apostol-Andrey-Pervozvannyj.jpg
 
|image=Apostol-Andrey-Pervozvannyj.jpg
|imagesize=200px
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|imagesize=250px
|caption=Icon of the Apostle Andrew
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|caption=Icon of the apostle Andrew
|birth_place=[[Bethsaida]]
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|birth_place=Bethsaida  
|death_place=[[Patras]]
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|death_place=Patras
 
|titles=Apostle
 
|titles=Apostle
 
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|canonized_place=
 
|canonized_place=
 
|canonized_by=
 
|canonized_by=
|attributes=Old man with long (in the East often untidy) white hair and beard, holding the Gospel in right hand, sometimes leaning on a [[saltire|saltire cross]]
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|attributes=Old man with long (in the East often untidy) white hair and beard, holding the Gospel in right hand, sometimes leaning on a saltire cross
  
|patronage= [[Scotland]], [[Russia]], [[Sicily]], [[Greece]], [[Romania]], Amalfi and Luqa - Malta and [[Prussia]], Army Rangers, mariners, fishermen, fishmongers, rope-makers, singers, performers,
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|patronage= [[Scotland]], [[Russia]], [[Sicily]], [[Greece]], [[Romania]], [[Malta]] (Amalfi and Luqa), and [[Prussia]], Army Rangers, mariners, fishermen, fishmongers, rope-makers, singers, performers
|major_shrine=Church of St. Andreas at [[Patras]]
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|major_shrine=Church of St. Andreas at Patras
 
|suppressed_date=
 
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'''Saint Andrew''' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: '''Ανδρέας''', ''Andreas'', "manly, brave"), called in the [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Orthodox]] tradition ''Protocletos'', or the ''First-called'', is a Christian [[Apostle]] and the younger brother of [[Saint Peter]]. He is renowned for bringing Christianity to Romania, Ukraine, and Russia, and is said to have been crucified on a Saltaire cross in Patras (Patrae) in [[Greece]].
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'''Saint Andrew''' (first century C.E.) ([[Greek language|Greek]]: '''Ανδρέας''', ''Andreas'', "manly, brave"), called ''Protocletos'', or the ''First-called'' in the [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Orthodox]] tradition, was a Christian [[Apostle]] and the younger brother of [[Saint Peter]]. He was renowned for bringing [[Christianity]] to [[Romania]], [[Ukraine]], and [[Russia]], and is said to have been crucified on a [[Cross|Saltire cross]] in Patras, [[Greece]]. Andrew is esteemed as an example of humility for the fact that he refused to be crucified on the same type of cross as [[Christ]] because he was not worthy.
 
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{{toc}}
Many countries honour and venerate Saint Anthony as their patron Saint including [[Scotland]], [[Russia]], [[Romania]], and [[Malta]].<ref>He was also the patron saint of [[Prussia]].</ref>  The feast of Saint Andrew is observed on November 30 in both the Eastern and Western churches, and is the national day of Scotland.
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Many countries venerate Andrew as their patron saint including [[Scotland]], [[Russia]], and [[Romania]].<ref>Historically, Saint Andrew was also the patron saint of [[Prussia]] when it existed as an independent entity.</ref> It is also held that Andrew founded the See of Byzantium in 38 C.E., where he installed [[Stachys]] as [[bishop]]. This See would later develop into the [[Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople]], and Andrew is its patron [[saint]]. In both the Eastern and Western churches, the feast of Saint Andrew is observed on November 30 and it is the national day of [[Scotland]].  
  
 
==Biography==
 
==Biography==
In [[Christianity|Christian]] tradition, Andrew was born at Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee (''[[Gospel of John|John]]'' 1:44). Later, he lived at Capernaum (''[[Gospel of Mark|Mark]]'' 1:29). Since Andrew or Andreas is a Greek name, it is likely that he had another [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] or [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]] name but none is recorded for him in the [[Bible]].
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According to [[Christianity|Christian]] sources, Andrew was born at Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee ([[Gospel of John|John]] 1:44). Later, he lived at Capernaum ([[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 1:29) where he was likely exposed to Greek influences.<ref>Andrew (or Andreas) is itself a Greek name. He likely had another [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] or [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]] name but none is recorded for him in the [[Bible]].</ref> Andrew and his elder brother Peter were fishermen by [[trade]]<ref>Hence the tradition that Jesus called them to be his disciples by saying that He will make them "fishers of men" ([[Greek language|Greek]]: αλιείς ανθρώπων, ''halieis anthropon''). Bruce Metzger and Michael D. Coogan (eds.), ''The Oxford Companion to the Bible,'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993), p. 27.</ref> and they were the first apostles to be appointed by Jesus. Consequently, Andrew is often called ''Protocletos'', or the "first-called"; in the Eastern Orthodox tradition and he is described as being one of the disciples more closely attached to Jesus (Mark 13:3; John 6:8, 12:22).  
  
In the gospels, he is described as being one of the disciples more closely attached to Jesus (Mark 13:3; John 6:8, 12:22); in [[Acts of the Apostles|Acts]] there is only a bare mention of him (1:13). Both he and his brother Peter were fishermen by [[trade]], hence the tradition that Jesus called them to be his disciples by saying that He will make them "fishers of men" ([[Greek language|Greek]]: αλιείς ανθρώπων, ''halieis anthropon''). <ref name="oxford">Metzger & Coogan (1993) Oxford Companion to the Bible, p27.</ref>
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After the [[crucifixion]] and [[Pentecost]], Andrew allegedly preached in Asia Minor and in Scythia, along the [[Black Sea]] as far as the [[Volga River|Volga]] and Kyiv. Due to his travels in these lands, he subsequently became known as the patron saint of [[Romania]] and [[Russia]]. Additionally, it is held that Andrew founded the See of [[Byzantium]] in 38 C.E., which would later develop into the [[Patriarchate of Constantinople]]. Andrew is still its patron saint.
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{{readout||left|250px|It is said that Saint Andrew, refusing to be crucified on the same type of cross as [[Christ]] because he was not worthy, was [[martyr]]ed on an X-shaped cross.}}
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It is said that Andrew was [[martyr]]ed by crucifixion at Patras in Greece (c. 60-70 C.E.), on a cross of the form called ''Crux decussata'' (X-shaped cross) and commonly known as "St. Andrew's [[cross]]," at his own request, as he deemed himself unworthy to be crucified on the same type of cross on which [[Jesus of Nazareth|Christ]] was crucified. According to tradition his relics were removed from Patras to [[Constantinople]], and thence to [[St. Andrews]]. Local legends say that the relics were sold to the [[Roman Empire|Romans]] by the local priests in exchange for the Romans constructing a water reservoir for the city. The head of the Saint Andrew, considered as one of the treasures of St. Peter's Basilica, was given by the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] despot Thomas Palaeologus to [[Pope Pius II]] in 1461. In recent years, the relics were kept in the [[Vatican City]], but were sent back to Patras by decision of the [[Pope Paul VI]] in 1964. The relics, which consist of the small finger and part of the top of the cranium of Saint Andrew, have since that time been kept in the Church of St. Andrew at Patras in a special tomb, and are reverenced in a special ceremony every November 30.
  
[[Eusebius of Caesarea|Eusebius]] quotes [[Origen]] as saying Andrew preached in [[Asia Minor]] and in [[Scythia]], along the [[Black Sea]] as far as the Volga and Kyiv. Hence he became a patron saint of [[Romania]] and [[Russia]]. According to tradition, he founded the Sea of [[Byzantium]] in 38, installing Stachys as bishop (the only bishopric in that neighbourhood before that time had been established at [[Heraclea]]). This Sea would later develop into the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Andrew is its Patron Saint.
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[[Image:Agiandreas.jpg|thumb|right|St. Andrew Basilica at [[Patras]], Greece, where the saint's relics are kept, is said to be erected over the place of his [[martyrdom]]]]
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[[Saint Jerome]] (c. 342 –419) wrote that the relics of Andrew were taken from Patras to [[Constantinople]] by order of the Roman emperor [[Constantius II]] in 357. In 1208, the relics were taken to Amalfi, [[Italy]], by Pietro, cardinal of Capua, a native of Amalfi. In the fifteenth century, the skull of Andrew was brought to [[Rome]], where it became enshrined in one of the four central piers of Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. In September 1964, as a gesture of good will toward the [[Greek Orthodox Church]], [[Pope Paul VI]] returned a finger and part of the head to the church in Patras. The Amalfi cathedral, dedicated to Andrew (as is the town itself), contains a tomb in its crypt that it maintains still contains the rest of the relics of the apostle.
  
He is said to have been [[martyr]]ed by crucifixion at [[Patras]] (Patrae) in Achaea, on a cross of the form called ''Crux decussata'' (X-shaped cross) and commonly known as "St. Andrew's [[cross]]", at his own request, as he deemed himself unworthy to be crucified on the same type of cross on which [[Christ]] was crucified. According to tradition his relics were removed from Patras to [[Constantinople]], and thence to [[St. Andrews]] (see below). Local legends say that the relics were sold to the Romans by the local priests in exchange for the Romans constructing a water reservoir for the city. The head of the saint, considered as one of the treasures of St. Peter's Basilica, was given by the Byzantine [[despot]] Thomas Palaeologus to [[Pope Pius II]] in 1461. In recent years, the relics were kept in the [[Vatican City]], but were sent back to Patras by decision of the [[Pope Paul VI]] in 1964. The relics, which consist of the small finger and part of the top of the cranium of Saint Andrew, have since that time been kept in the Church of St. Andrew at Patras in a special tomb, and are reverenced in a special ceremony every [[November 30]].
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The [[apocrypha]]l “[[Acts of Andrew]],” as well as a “Gospel of St. Andrew,” appear among rejected books in the ''Decretum Gelasianum'' connected with the name of [[Pope Gelasius I]]. The Acts of Andrew was edited and published by Constantin von Tischendorf in the ''Acta Apostolorum apocrypha'' (Leipzig, 1821), putting it for the first time into the hands of a critical professional readership.
  
[[Image:Agiandreas.jpg|thumb|right|St. Andrew Basilica at [[Patras]], where the saint's relics are kept, said to be erected over the place of his [[martyrdom]]]]
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== His Role as an apostle ==
  
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Andrew was selected by Jesus to be an apostle. In [[Christianity]], an apostle (Greek: Ἀπόστολος ''apostolos''; meaning "messenger") designates an individual commissioned by God to spread the "Good News" of the Christian message to the world. Normally, the term applies to one of the ''Twelve Apostles'' ... listed in the [[New Testament]], who were chosen by [[Jesus of Nazareth|Jesus]] to heal the sick, drive out demons, raise the dead (Mark 6:7-13, cf. Matthew 10:5-42, Luke 9:1-6), and to spread his message.<ref>Some scholars read this more metaphorically as instructions to heal the spiritually sick and thus to drive away wicked behavior.</ref> The status of the apostles in the early church was penultimate to Jesus himself, for Jesus had given them power to teach in his name. Many [[Christianity|Christian]] churches still base their authority on the premise of [[Apostolic Succession]] (ecclesiastical authority derived from being founded by an apostle).
  
The [[apocrypha]]l ''[[Acts of Andrew]],'' mentioned by [[Eusebius of Caesarea|Eusebius]], [[Epiphanius of Salamis|Epiphanius]] and others, is among a disparate group of ''Acts'' of the Apostles that were traditionally attributed to [[Leucius Charinus]].  "These Acts may be the latest of the five leading apostolic romances. They belong to the third century: ''ca.'' A.D. 260," was the opinion of C.R. James, who edited them in 1924. The ''Acts'', as well as a ''Gospel of St. Andrew'', appear among rejected books in the ''[[Decretum Gelasianum]]'' connected with the name of [[Pope Gelasius I]]. The ''Acts of Andrew'' was edited and published by [[Constantin von Tischendorf]] in the ''Acta Apostolorum apocrypha'' ([[Leipzig]], 1821), putting it for the first time into the hands of a critical professional readership. Another version of the Andrew legend is found in the ''Passio Andreae,'' published by Max Bonnet (''Supplementum II Codicis apocryphi'', [[Paris]], 1895).
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According to Eastern Orthodoxy, Andrew founded the See of Byzantium in 38 C.E., which would later develop into the Patriarchate of [[Constantinople]].
  
== His Role as an Apostle ==
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==Saint Andrew in Ukraine==
 
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Early Christian history in [[Ukraine]] holds that the apostle Saint Andrew is said to have preached on the southern borders of Ukraine, along the [[Black Sea]]. Legend has it that he traveled up the [[Dnieper River]] and reached the future location of [[Kiev]], where he erected a cross on the site where the Saint Andrew's Church of Kiev currently stands, and prophesied the foundation of a great Christian city.
====Relics====
 
The purported relics of Andrew are kept at St. Andrew Basilica, [[Patras]], [[Greece]]; Sant'Andrea Dome, [[Amalfi]], [[Italy]]; [[St. Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh (Roman Catholic)|St Mary's Cathedral]], [[Edinburgh]], [[Scotland]];<ref>http://www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/standrew.html</ref> and St. Andrew and St. Albert Church, [[Warsaw]], [[Poland]].
 
 
 
==The Italian tradition==
 
[[St. Jerome]] wrote that the relics of St Andrew were taken from [[Patras]] to [[Constantinople]] by order of the Roman emperor [[Constantius II]] in 357. In 1208, the relics were taken to [[Amalfi]], [[Italy]], by Pietro, cardinal of [[Capua]], a native of Amalfi. In the 15th century, the skull of St Andrew was brought to Rome, where it became enshrined in one of the four central piers of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. In September 1964, as a gesture of good will toward the Greek Orthodox Church, [[Pope Paul VI]] returned a finger and part of the head to the church in [[Patras]]. The Amalfi cathedral, dedicated to St. Andrew (as is the town itself), contains a tomb in its crypt that it maintains still contains the rest of the relics of the apostle.
 
  
 
==Romanian tradition==
 
==Romanian tradition==
[[Romanians]] believe that Saint Andrew (named ''Sfântul Apostol Andrei'') was the first who preached Christianity in [[Scythia Minor]], modern [[Dobrogea]], to the native people of the [[Dacians]] (ancestors of the Romanians). It is the official standpoint of the [[Romanian Orthodox Church]].<ref name="patriarhiarom_istoric">See Romanian Patriarchy web site [http://www.patriarhia.ro/istoric.php www.patriarhia.ro/istoric.php] (in [[Romanian language|Romanian]]).</ref> [[Hippolyte of Antioch]] (died ~ 250 C.E.) in his ''On apostles'',<ref name="patriarhiarom_istoric"> </ref> [[Origen]] in the third book of his ''Commentaries'' on the ''Genesis'' (254 C.E.), [[Eusebius of Caesarea]] in his ''Church History'' (340 C.E.), and other different sources, like the ''Usaard's Martyrdom'' written between 845-865,<ref>Cf. Nicolae Dură, ''Christianism in Pontic Dacia'' in ''Revue Roumain d'Histoire'', XLII, no 1-4, pp. 5-17, Publishing House of the [[Romanian Academy]], Bucharest, 2003.</ref> [[Jacobus de Voragine]] in [[Golden Legend]] (~1260),<ref>Cf. Rebeka Ceravolo, ''An Iconographic analysis of the retable of saints Andrew and Antonin of Pamier'', University of Toledo, Ohio, 2003, p. 20 (pdf) [https://portfolio.du.edu/portfolio/getportfoliofile?uid=45534].</ref> mention that Saint Andrew preached in [[Scythia Minor]]. There are [[toponym]]s and numerous very old traditions (like carols) related to Saint Andrew, many of them having probably a pre-Christian substratum. There exists a cave where he supposedly preached.  
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[[Romania]]ns believe that Saint Andrew (named ''Sfântul Apostol Andrei'') was the first who preached Christianity in Scythia Minor, modern Dobrogea, to the native people of the Dacians (ancestors of the Romanians). This is the official standpoint of the [[Romanian Orthodox Church]]. [[Hippolyte of Antioch]], (died c. 250 C.E.) in his ''On Apostles'', [[Origen]] in the third book of his ''Commentaries'' on the ''Genesis'' (254 C.E.), [[Eusebius of Caesarea]] in his ''Church History'' (340 C.E.), and other different sources, like the ''Usaard's Martyrdom'' written between 845-865,<ref>cf. Nicolae Dură, ''Christianism in Pontic Dacia'' in ''Revue Roumain d'Histoire'', XLII, no. 1-4, pp. 5-17, Publishing House of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, 2003.</ref> Jacobus de Voragine in ''Golden Legend'' (c. 1260),<ref>cf. Rebeka Ceravolo, [https://portfolio.du.edu/portfolio/getportfoliofile?uid=45534 ''An Iconographic analysis of the retable of saints Andrew and Antonin of Pamier'',] University of Toledo, Ohio, 2003, p. 20 (pdf). Retrieved June 19, 2007.</ref> mention that Saint Andrew preached in Scythia Minor. There are toponyms and numerous very old traditions (like carols) related to Saint Andrew, many of them having probably a pre-Christian substratum. There exists a cave where he supposedly preached.
  
 
==Scottish legends==
 
==Scottish legends==
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[[Image:Flag of Scotland.svg|thumb|190px|left|The Saltire (or "Saint Andrew's Cross") is the national flag of [[Scotland]]]]
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About the middle of the tenth century, Andrew became the [[patron saint]] of [[Scotland]]. Several legends state that the relics of Andrew were brought under supernatural guidance from [[Constantinople]] to the place where the modern town of [[St. Andrews]] stands.
  
About the middle of the tenth century, Andrew became the [[patron saint]] of [[Scotland]]. Several legends state that the relics of Andrew were brought under supernatural guidance from Constantinople to the place where the modern town of [[St. Andrews]] stands ([[Picts|Pictish]], Muckross; [[Scottish Gaelic|Gaelic]], Cill Rìmhinn).
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The oldest surviving manuscripts are two: one is among the manuscripts collected by [[Jean-Baptiste Colbert]] and willed to [[Louis XIV of France|Louis XIV]], now in the [[Bibliothèque Nationale]], Paris, the other is in the [[Harleian Miscellany]] in the [[British Library]], London. They state that the relics of Andrew were brought by one Regulus to the [[Picts|Pictish]] king Óengus mac Fergusa (729&ndash;761). The only historical Regulus (Riagail or Rule)&mdash;the name is preserved by the tower of St. Rule&mdash;was an Irish monk expelled from [[Ireland]] with Saint [[Columba]]; his date, however, is c. 573&ndash;600. There are good reasons for supposing that the relics were originally in the collection of Acca, bishop of Hexham, who took them into Pictish country when he was driven from Hexham (c. 732), and founded a See, not, according to tradition, in Galloway, but on the site of St. Andrews. The connection made with Regulus is, therefore, due in all probability to the desire to date the foundation of the church at St. Andrews as early as possible.
[[Image:Flag of Scotland.svg|thumb|190px|left|The Saltire (or "St. Andrew's Cross") is the national flag of Scotland]]
 
  
The oldest surviving manuscripts are two: one is among the manuscripts collected by [[Jean-Baptiste Colbert]] and willed to [[Louis XIV of France|Louis XIV]], now in the [[Bibliothèque Nationale]], Paris, the other in the [[Robert Harley|Harleian Mss]] in the [[British Library]], London. They state that the relics of Andrew were brought by one Regulus to the [[Picts|Pictish]] king [[Óengus I of the Picts|Óengus mac Fergusa]] (729&ndash;761). The only historical Regulus (Riagail or Rule) &mdash; the name is preserved by the tower of St. Rule &mdash; was an Irish monk expelled from [[Ireland]] with Saint [[Columba]]; his date, however, is c. 573&ndash;600. There are good reasons for supposing that the relics were originally in the collection of [[Acca of Hexham|Acca, bishop of Hexham]], who took them into Pictish country when he was driven from Hexham (c. 732), and founded a See, not, according to tradition, in Galloway, but on the site of St. Andrews. The connection made with Regulus is, therefore, due in all probability to the desire to date the foundation of the church at St. Andrews as early as possible.
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Another legend says that in the late eighth century, during a joint battle with the English, King Ungus (either the Óengus mac Fergusa mentioned previously or Óengus II of the Picts (820&ndash;834)) saw a cloud shaped like a [[saltire]], and declared Andrew was watching over them, and if they won by his grace, then he would be their patron saint. However, there is evidence Andrew was venerated in Scotland even before this time.
  
Another legend says that in the late eighth century, during a joint battle with the English, King Ungus (either the Óengus mac Fergusa mentioned previously or [[Óengus II of the Picts]] (820&ndash;834)) saw a cloud shaped like a [[saltire]], and declared Andrew was watching over them, and if they won by his grace, then he would be their patron saint. However, there is evidence Andrew was venerated in Scotland before this time.
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Andrew's connection with Scotland may have been reinforced following the [[Synod of Whitby]], when the [[Celtic Christianity|Celtic Church]] felt that Columba had been "outranked" by Peter and that Peter's older brother would make a higher ranking patron. The 1320 [[Declaration of Arbroath]] cites Scotland's conversion to Christianity by Saint Andrew, "the first to be an Apostle."<ref>[http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/home/scotland/arbroath.html The Declaration of Arbroath] Retrieved May 16, 2007.</ref>
 
 
Andrew's connection with Scotland may have been reinforced following the [[Synod of Whitby]], when the [[Celtic Christianity|Celtic Church]] felt that Columba had been "outranked" by Peter and that Peter's older brother would make a higher ranking patron. The 1320 [[Declaration of Arbroath]] cites Scotland's conversion to Christianity by Saint Andrew, "the first to be an Apostle".'''(ref needed)'''
 
  
 
Numerous parish churches in the [[Church of Scotland]] and congregations of other Christian churches in Scotland are named after Saint Andrew.
 
Numerous parish churches in the [[Church of Scotland]] and congregations of other Christian churches in Scotland are named after Saint Andrew.
  
==Saint Andrew and the Parish of Luqa (Malta)==
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====Relics====
The earliest reference that we come across regarding the first small Chapel dedicated to Saint Andrew dates back to 1497. According the Pastoral Visit of Mgr. Pietro Dusina, we know that this Chapel consisted of three altars, one of them dedicated to Saint Andrew. The titular painting showing Mary with  Saints Andrew and Paul was made by the Maltese artist Filippo Dingli.
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The purported relics of Andrew are kept at Saint Andrew Basilica, Patras, [[Greece]]; Sant'Andrea Dome, Amalfi, [[Italy]]; Saint Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, [[Scotland]];<ref>[http://www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/standrew.html National Shrine of Saint Andrew.] St Mary's RC Cathedral, Edinburgh. Retrieved May 16, 2007.</ref> and St. Andrew and St. Albert Church, Warsaw, [[Poland]].
  
At one time, many fishermen lived in the village of Luqa, and this may be the main reason behind choosing Saint Andrew as patron saint of Luqa. The titular statue of Saint Andrew was sculpted in wood by Giuseppe Scolaro in 1779. This statue underwent several restoration works including that of 1913 performed by the Maltese renowned artist Abraham Gatt.
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==Legacy==
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Today, Saint Andrew continues to be the [[patron saint]] of [[Scotland]], [[Russia]], [[Romania]], [[Amalfi]], and Luqa ([[Malta]]). Many national [[flag]]s depict the cross on which he was crucified and thus bear a testament to him. For example, the flag of Scotland (and subsequently the [[Union Jack]] and the flag of [[Nova Scotia]]) feature a [[saltire]] in commemoration of the shape of Saint Andrew's cross. The saltire is also the flag of [[Tenerife]] and the naval jack of Russia.
  
The titular painting found on the main altar of the Church was painted by Mattia Preti in 1687.  This represents the martyrdom of Saint Andrew.
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The feast of Andrew is observed on November 30 in both the Eastern and Western churches, and is the national day of Scotland. In the traditional liturgical books of the Catholic church, the feast of St. Andrew is the first feast day in the Proper of Saints.
  
==Saint Andrew in Ukraine==
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Saint Andrew remains very important in the [[Greek Orthodox]] tradition since he is seen as the founder of the [[See of Constantinople]], and the source of [[apostolic succession]] in this church. He also remains a popular representation in [[icon]]s and is a common name for boys in various countries with predominately Christian populations.
[[History of Christianity in Ukraine#Early_history|Early Christian History in Ukraine]] holds that the apostle Saint Andrew is said to have preached on the southern borders of [[Ukraine]], along the [[Black Sea]]. Legend has it that he travelled up the [[Dnieper River]] and reached the future location of [[Kiev]], where he erected a cross on the site where the [[St. Andrew's Church of Kiev]] currently stands, and prophesied the foundation of a great Christian city.
 
 
 
==Conclusions==
 
Andrew is the [[patron saint]] of [[Scotland]], [[Russia]], [[Romania]], [[Amalfi]], and Luqa - Malta. He was also the patron saint of [[Prussia]]. The [[flag of Scotland]] (and consequently the [[Union Flag]] and the [[Coat of Arms of Nova Scotia|arms]] and [[Flag of Nova Scotia]]) feature a [[saltire]] in commemoration of the shape of St Andrew's cross. The saltire is also the [[Flag of Tenerife]] and the [[Russian Navy|naval jack of Russia]]. The [[Flags of the Confederate States of America|Confederate flag]] also features a saltire commonly referred to as a St Andrew's cross, although its designer, [[William Porcher Miles]], said he changed it from an upright cross to a saltire so that it would not be a religious symbol but merely a heraldic device.
 
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
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==References==
 
==References==
 
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* Attwater, Donald, and Catherine Rachel John. ''The Penguin Dictionary of Saints''. Penguin, 1996. ISBN 0140513124
*Hall, Ursula, 1994. ''St. Andrew and Scotland''
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* Lamont, Stewart. ''The Life of St Andrew: Apostle, Saint and Enigma.'' Hodder & Stoughton General Division, 1997. ISBN 978-0340678572
*Metzeger, Bruce M. and Michael D. Coogan (eds.). ''The Oxford Companion to the Bible.'' Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993. ISBN 0-19-504645-5
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* Metzeger, Bruce M., and Michael D. Coogan (eds.). ''The Oxford Companion to the Bible.'' Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993. ISBN 0195046455
*McOwan, Rennie. ''Saint Andrew for Beginners.'' Saint Andrew Press, 1996. ISBN 978-0715207253
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* McOwan, Rennie. ''Saint Andrew for Beginners.'' Saint Andrew Press, 1996. ISBN 978-0715207253
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
* [http://www.roadtoemmaus.net/Missionary_Journeys.pdf The Missionary Journeys of the Apostle Andrew]
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All links retrieved December 22, 2022.
* [http://www.gnosis.org/library/cac.htm Texts of ''The Acts of Andrew'' ''The Acts and Martyrdom of Andrew'' and ''The Acts of Andrew and Matthew'']
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*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01471a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia article]  
* [http://www.orthodoxcentral.com/saints/saintandrew.htm Saint Andrew in Orthodoxy]
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*[http://www.scotland.org/culture/festivals/st-andrews-day/ St Andrews Day in Scotland]
* [http://www.nas.gov.uk/about/051124.asp St. Andrew in the National Archives of Scotland]
 
* [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/15225 Andreas: The Legend of St. Andrew] translated by Robert Kilburn Root, 1899, from [[Project Gutenberg]]
 
* [http://www.freewebs.com/santandrea/ Paintings and Statues of Saint Andrew in Malta and around the world]
 
* [http://www.anchorite.org/blog/2006/07/17/biographical-study-on-st-andrew-the-apostle/ Biographical Study on St. Andrew the Apostle]
 
*[http://www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/standrew.html National Shrine to St Andrew in Edinburgh Scotland]
 
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01471a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia article]
 
 
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{{succession box|title=[[List of Ecumenical Patriarchs of Constantinople|Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople]]|before=&mdash;|after=[[Stachys the Apostle]]|years=before [[38]]}}
 
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[[Category: Philosophy and religion]]
 
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Revision as of 19:05, 22 December 2022

Saint Andrew
Apostol-Andrey-Pervozvannyj.jpg

Icon of the apostle Andrew
Apostle
Venerated in All Christianity
Major shrine Church of St. Andreas at Patras
Feast November 30
Attributes Old man with long (in the East often untidy) white hair and beard, holding the Gospel in right hand, sometimes leaning on a saltire cross
Patronage Scotland, Russia, Sicily, Greece, Romania, Malta (Amalfi and Luqa), and Prussia, Army Rangers, mariners, fishermen, fishmongers, rope-makers, singers, performers

Saint Andrew (first century C.E.) (Greek: Ανδρέας, Andreas, "manly, brave"), called Protocletos, or the First-called in the Orthodox tradition, was a Christian Apostle and the younger brother of Saint Peter. He was renowned for bringing Christianity to Romania, Ukraine, and Russia, and is said to have been crucified on a Saltire cross in Patras, Greece. Andrew is esteemed as an example of humility for the fact that he refused to be crucified on the same type of cross as Christ because he was not worthy.

Many countries venerate Andrew as their patron saint including Scotland, Russia, and Romania.[1] It is also held that Andrew founded the See of Byzantium in 38 C.E., where he installed Stachys as bishop. This See would later develop into the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, and Andrew is its patron saint. In both the Eastern and Western churches, the feast of Saint Andrew is observed on November 30 and it is the national day of Scotland.

Biography

According to Christian sources, Andrew was born at Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee (John 1:44). Later, he lived at Capernaum (Mark 1:29) where he was likely exposed to Greek influences.[2] Andrew and his elder brother Peter were fishermen by trade[3] and they were the first apostles to be appointed by Jesus. Consequently, Andrew is often called Protocletos, or the "first-called"; in the Eastern Orthodox tradition and he is described as being one of the disciples more closely attached to Jesus (Mark 13:3; John 6:8, 12:22).

After the crucifixion and Pentecost, Andrew allegedly preached in Asia Minor and in Scythia, along the Black Sea as far as the Volga and Kyiv. Due to his travels in these lands, he subsequently became known as the patron saint of Romania and Russia. Additionally, it is held that Andrew founded the See of Byzantium in 38 C.E., which would later develop into the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Andrew is still its patron saint.

Did you know?
It is said that Saint Andrew, refusing to be crucified on the same type of cross as Christ because he was not worthy, was martyred on an X-shaped cross.

It is said that Andrew was martyred by crucifixion at Patras in Greece (c. 60-70 C.E.), on a cross of the form called Crux decussata (X-shaped cross) and commonly known as "St. Andrew's cross," at his own request, as he deemed himself unworthy to be crucified on the same type of cross on which Christ was crucified. According to tradition his relics were removed from Patras to Constantinople, and thence to St. Andrews. Local legends say that the relics were sold to the Romans by the local priests in exchange for the Romans constructing a water reservoir for the city. The head of the Saint Andrew, considered as one of the treasures of St. Peter's Basilica, was given by the Byzantine despot Thomas Palaeologus to Pope Pius II in 1461. In recent years, the relics were kept in the Vatican City, but were sent back to Patras by decision of the Pope Paul VI in 1964. The relics, which consist of the small finger and part of the top of the cranium of Saint Andrew, have since that time been kept in the Church of St. Andrew at Patras in a special tomb, and are reverenced in a special ceremony every November 30.

St. Andrew Basilica at Patras, Greece, where the saint's relics are kept, is said to be erected over the place of his martyrdom

Saint Jerome (c. 342 –419) wrote that the relics of Andrew were taken from Patras to Constantinople by order of the Roman emperor Constantius II in 357. In 1208, the relics were taken to Amalfi, Italy, by Pietro, cardinal of Capua, a native of Amalfi. In the fifteenth century, the skull of Andrew was brought to Rome, where it became enshrined in one of the four central piers of Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. In September 1964, as a gesture of good will toward the Greek Orthodox Church, Pope Paul VI returned a finger and part of the head to the church in Patras. The Amalfi cathedral, dedicated to Andrew (as is the town itself), contains a tomb in its crypt that it maintains still contains the rest of the relics of the apostle.

The apocryphal “Acts of Andrew,” as well as a “Gospel of St. Andrew,” appear among rejected books in the Decretum Gelasianum connected with the name of Pope Gelasius I. The Acts of Andrew was edited and published by Constantin von Tischendorf in the Acta Apostolorum apocrypha (Leipzig, 1821), putting it for the first time into the hands of a critical professional readership.

His Role as an apostle

Andrew was selected by Jesus to be an apostle. In Christianity, an apostle (Greek: Ἀπόστολος apostolos; meaning "messenger") designates an individual commissioned by God to spread the "Good News" of the Christian message to the world. Normally, the term applies to one of the Twelve Apostles ... listed in the New Testament, who were chosen by Jesus to heal the sick, drive out demons, raise the dead (Mark 6:7-13, cf. Matthew 10:5-42, Luke 9:1-6), and to spread his message.[4] The status of the apostles in the early church was penultimate to Jesus himself, for Jesus had given them power to teach in his name. Many Christian churches still base their authority on the premise of Apostolic Succession (ecclesiastical authority derived from being founded by an apostle).

According to Eastern Orthodoxy, Andrew founded the See of Byzantium in 38 C.E., which would later develop into the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Saint Andrew in Ukraine

Early Christian history in Ukraine holds that the apostle Saint Andrew is said to have preached on the southern borders of Ukraine, along the Black Sea. Legend has it that he traveled up the Dnieper River and reached the future location of Kiev, where he erected a cross on the site where the Saint Andrew's Church of Kiev currently stands, and prophesied the foundation of a great Christian city.

Romanian tradition

Romanians believe that Saint Andrew (named Sfântul Apostol Andrei) was the first who preached Christianity in Scythia Minor, modern Dobrogea, to the native people of the Dacians (ancestors of the Romanians). This is the official standpoint of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Hippolyte of Antioch, (died c. 250 C.E.) in his On Apostles, Origen in the third book of his Commentaries on the Genesis (254 C.E.), Eusebius of Caesarea in his Church History (340 C.E.), and other different sources, like the Usaard's Martyrdom written between 845-865,[5] Jacobus de Voragine in Golden Legend (c. 1260),[6] mention that Saint Andrew preached in Scythia Minor. There are toponyms and numerous very old traditions (like carols) related to Saint Andrew, many of them having probably a pre-Christian substratum. There exists a cave where he supposedly preached.

Scottish legends

The Saltire (or "Saint Andrew's Cross") is the national flag of Scotland

About the middle of the tenth century, Andrew became the patron saint of Scotland. Several legends state that the relics of Andrew were brought under supernatural guidance from Constantinople to the place where the modern town of St. Andrews stands.

The oldest surviving manuscripts are two: one is among the manuscripts collected by Jean-Baptiste Colbert and willed to Louis XIV, now in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, the other is in the Harleian Miscellany in the British Library, London. They state that the relics of Andrew were brought by one Regulus to the Pictish king Óengus mac Fergusa (729–761). The only historical Regulus (Riagail or Rule)—the name is preserved by the tower of St. Rule—was an Irish monk expelled from Ireland with Saint Columba; his date, however, is c. 573–600. There are good reasons for supposing that the relics were originally in the collection of Acca, bishop of Hexham, who took them into Pictish country when he was driven from Hexham (c. 732), and founded a See, not, according to tradition, in Galloway, but on the site of St. Andrews. The connection made with Regulus is, therefore, due in all probability to the desire to date the foundation of the church at St. Andrews as early as possible.

Another legend says that in the late eighth century, during a joint battle with the English, King Ungus (either the Óengus mac Fergusa mentioned previously or Óengus II of the Picts (820–834)) saw a cloud shaped like a saltire, and declared Andrew was watching over them, and if they won by his grace, then he would be their patron saint. However, there is evidence Andrew was venerated in Scotland even before this time.

Andrew's connection with Scotland may have been reinforced following the Synod of Whitby, when the Celtic Church felt that Columba had been "outranked" by Peter and that Peter's older brother would make a higher ranking patron. The 1320 Declaration of Arbroath cites Scotland's conversion to Christianity by Saint Andrew, "the first to be an Apostle."[7]

Numerous parish churches in the Church of Scotland and congregations of other Christian churches in Scotland are named after Saint Andrew.

Relics

The purported relics of Andrew are kept at Saint Andrew Basilica, Patras, Greece; Sant'Andrea Dome, Amalfi, Italy; Saint Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, Scotland;[8] and St. Andrew and St. Albert Church, Warsaw, Poland.

Legacy

Today, Saint Andrew continues to be the patron saint of Scotland, Russia, Romania, Amalfi, and Luqa (Malta). Many national flags depict the cross on which he was crucified and thus bear a testament to him. For example, the flag of Scotland (and subsequently the Union Jack and the flag of Nova Scotia) feature a saltire in commemoration of the shape of Saint Andrew's cross. The saltire is also the flag of Tenerife and the naval jack of Russia.

The feast of Andrew is observed on November 30 in both the Eastern and Western churches, and is the national day of Scotland. In the traditional liturgical books of the Catholic church, the feast of St. Andrew is the first feast day in the Proper of Saints.

Saint Andrew remains very important in the Greek Orthodox tradition since he is seen as the founder of the See of Constantinople, and the source of apostolic succession in this church. He also remains a popular representation in icons and is a common name for boys in various countries with predominately Christian populations.

Notes

  1. Historically, Saint Andrew was also the patron saint of Prussia when it existed as an independent entity.
  2. Andrew (or Andreas) is itself a Greek name. He likely had another Hebrew or Aramaic name but none is recorded for him in the Bible.
  3. Hence the tradition that Jesus called them to be his disciples by saying that He will make them "fishers of men" (Greek: αλιείς ανθρώπων, halieis anthropon). Bruce Metzger and Michael D. Coogan (eds.), The Oxford Companion to the Bible, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993), p. 27.
  4. Some scholars read this more metaphorically as instructions to heal the spiritually sick and thus to drive away wicked behavior.
  5. cf. Nicolae Dură, Christianism in Pontic Dacia in Revue Roumain d'Histoire, XLII, no. 1-4, pp. 5-17, Publishing House of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, 2003.
  6. cf. Rebeka Ceravolo, An Iconographic analysis of the retable of saints Andrew and Antonin of Pamier, University of Toledo, Ohio, 2003, p. 20 (pdf). Retrieved June 19, 2007.
  7. The Declaration of Arbroath Retrieved May 16, 2007.
  8. National Shrine of Saint Andrew. St Mary's RC Cathedral, Edinburgh. Retrieved May 16, 2007.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Attwater, Donald, and Catherine Rachel John. The Penguin Dictionary of Saints. Penguin, 1996. ISBN 0140513124
  • Lamont, Stewart. The Life of St Andrew: Apostle, Saint and Enigma. Hodder & Stoughton General Division, 1997. ISBN 978-0340678572
  • Metzeger, Bruce M., and Michael D. Coogan (eds.). The Oxford Companion to the Bible. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993. ISBN 0195046455
  • McOwan, Rennie. Saint Andrew for Beginners. Saint Andrew Press, 1996. ISBN 978-0715207253

External links

All links retrieved December 22, 2022.

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