St. Alban slays St. George

[Woody]

From a Radio 4 poll yesterday - and not before time.

 

 

 

St Alban slays St George to be our favourite saint

By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent.

(Filed: 06/05/2003)

 

 

St George should be ousted as England's patron saint and replaced by St Alban, a poll suggested yesterday.

 

The mythical slayer of dragons was beaten by the more indigenous third-century martyr in a survey of listeners to BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

 

The programme said St Alban had triumphed by "a wide margin", with St Cuthbert, who spread Christianity in the North, ranked third. The results follow a modest revival in the fortunes of St George.

 

Not only is his flag in increasing evidence at national sporting events, but the Church of England has elevated his day, April 23, to a full festival.

 

Nevertheless, the saint has suffered many indignities since he was adopted by the English in the 14th century: scholars have doubted his existence, sceptics have ridiculed his dragon slaying exploits and the public has largely ignored him.

 

Many remain unconvinced of St George's suitability as England's patron saint because so little is known about him. He is not thought to have visited Britain and he is the national saint of several other countries. According to Butler's Lives of the Saints, he was martyred in Palestine by Emperor Diocletian in the third century for defending Christians.

 

By contrast, St Alban, a Romano-Briton who lived in the Roman city of Verulamium, near what is now St Albans in Hertfordshire, is known as Britain's first Christian martyr. According to Venerable Bede, he sheltered a Christian priest fleeing the Roman authorities, converted and was beheaded for refusing to acknowledge the divinity of the emperor. At his trial, Alban defended his faith in words still used as a prayer: "I worship and adore the true and living God, who created all things."

 

Legend has it that at the site of his beheading, a spring of water miraculously appeared, and that his executioners' eyes dropped out. St Albans Cathedral was built on the site.

 

The Dean of the Cathedral, the Very Rev Christopher Lewis, welcomed the poll results. "We are over the moon," he said. "There will be flags out today."

 

 

[GHA EFM]

Quote:

sceptics have ridiculed his dragon slaying exploits

I wonder why that is???

Indeed, St. Alban for King!! Or whatever.

[The Invisible Man]

He was a bloody Roman!

 

I hate Romans. Fascists in skirts.

[Rob_the_Saint]

Crucifixion?

 

Good. Out of the door. Line on the left. One cross each. Next.

[The Invisible Man]

The crack suicide squad is coming to getcha...

[ESG]

Quote:

He was a bloody Roman!

I hate Romans. Fascists in skirts.

trouble is the people have spoken and power to the people

christianity
mmm an interesting concept

[EFM The Firm, The Voice]

We've been championing St.Alban's cause for a while now!

 

St.George is also the patron saint of about 35 other countries, in Spain it's a national holiday.

 

June 22nd is St.Albans Day, what a nice time of the year to have a public holiday, just between May Day and August bank holiday

[Halifax Lass]

Shakespeare would have to be re written and Henry V saying "Cry, God for Harry, England and St Alban!" would not have the same ring to it.

 

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

[The Invisible Man]

Why not have Boadicca as patron saint? OK she'll have to be saintified first, but she was a bit of a girl.

 

Killed thousands of Romans. And Brits that liked Romans.

 

Ideal patron saint material.