The latest congratulatory article for Pope Francis' saint, St. George, Martyr, which the liturgy celebrates on April 23, offers excellent information. It was published on this very day in 2024, one year ago, on Vatican News. Its author claims that devotion to St. George is very popular throughout Palestine and Israel.
The name 'George' is the most common name among Christians in the Holy Land. There is a Greek Orthodox church built on the ruins of his (St. George's) house and tomb in what was formerly known as Lydda, between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. A visit to Lod is an opportunity to pray for Pope Francis on his saint's day.
Congratulations from the Orthodox, the Custody, the Patriarchate
According to tradition, St. George was born in Cappadocia (central Anatolia, today Turkey), his father's homeland, around 280. His mother, Polikronia, was from Lydda, and the family lived here, in the Christian tradition. News about the life of St. George, who lived a few decades before Constantine, is rather uncertain. But in the crypt of the church is the sarcophagus containing his body, last opened two centuries ago.
The hospitable Archimandrite Markellos, of Greek origin and formerly a monk in the United States, is the pastor of the small Orthodox community composed mainly of immigrants. He said he was "very happy, together with my Latin brothers from the Custody, the Patriarchate and the Nunciature, who have come today from Jerusalem, to be able to say from the house of St. George: Congratulations Pope Francis!".
St. George, martyred for his faith in Christ
On the figure of St. George there are fanciful stories, as recognized by specialists. What is certain is that he joined Diocletian's army in Palestine. In 303, when the emperor issued the edict of persecution against Christians, George donated all his goods to the poor and, before Diocletian himself, he tore up the document and professed his faith in Christ. For this action he suffered terrible tortures and was beheaded.
Over the years, it seems that the figure of St. George the Martyr was transformed into a knight facing the dragon, symbol of faith who triumphs over the evil one. Richard the Lionheart invoked him as protector of all combatants. With the Normans, his cult was strongly rooted in England where in 1348, King Edward III instituted the Order of the Knights of St. George. He is also the patron saint of other countriesSlavs and Latin Americans, for example. In Spain, he is especially loved in Aragon, Catalonia (Sant Jordi), and Cáceres, in particular.
Fight against evil, the devil
On April 11, 2014, the Holy Father Francis explained that just as. the devil "tempted Jesus so many times, and Jesus felt in his life the temptations", so also men are tempted.
"We too are the object of the devil's attack," the Pope pointed out, "because the spirit of evil does not want our holiness, does not want Christian witness, does not want us to be disciples of Jesus (Homily, Holy Mass, Casa Santa Marta)." The Pope spoke of the devil on numerous occasions, for example at the Angelus on January 28, 2024: "You cannot dialogue with the devil," he recalled.
