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Hello Father,

I read an article by a certain R. P. where he criticizes “the veneration” of St. Gennaro’s blood.

I report the words of the text in question: [tr] “Now we come to Jew Yehoshua ben Yosef, better known as Jesus, who clearly said about the fact of people going in search of “wonders”, therefore of “tangible signs”, such as St. Gennaro’s blood: “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.”

Again, Jesus so expressed about the false prophets who make propitiations: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves.” And he added: “There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known.”

Let us ask: what would Jesus, that wandering Rabbi in first century Palestine, have thought of St. Gennaro’s “melting blood”? The answer is that he would undoubtedly have considered completely sacrilegious and blasphemous that pagan rite. Yes, for a Jew like him, the “blood” represents the “vital spirit of God” (therefore it belongs exclusively to Him), and it is sacred and no way it ought and could become a ritual object. 

And just dealing with blood or touching blood or people who lose blood is a cause of repugnant impurity, which the Torah (the Bible) establishes as an interdiction to participate in religious rites and requires periods of purification. So, let us ask: what would Jesus have thought, hanged on the cross, of Cardinal Sepe, and even of the Popes, successors of Peter, prostrating before that shrine, waiting for the liquefaction of that impure blood (assuming it is blood) as capable to predict the future, true idolatry which is condemned by the 10 Commandments indeed, with no kind of remission? And what would Jesus have thought of that inestimable treasure, the most precious in the world, linked to that “saint”? I leave the answer to you”. 

I have many doubts about this article, but I would be happy to receive your answer.

The Priest’s answer

Dear,

1. I think the one who wrote that piece needs more knowledge.

About the signs by Jesus, I can tell you something.

First, about the sign: why did he not quote the whole sentence but he truncated it?

In fact, Jesus said: “An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet” (Mt 12:39).

Therefore, He gave a sign, and it is the most important, that of Jonah the prophet.

2. Immediately after having indicated the sign of Jonah, Jesus continued: “Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is someone greater than Jonah here.

At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is someone greater than Solomon here” (Mt 12:40-42).

3. But Jesus gave many signs besides that, which is undoubtedly the main sign, as St. Peter attests in his first sermon on the day of Pentecost: “You who are Israelites, hear these words. Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know” (Acts 2:22)

4. St. John calls signs all the deeds accomplished by Jesus and his Gospel reports that Jesus rebukes the people who are not able to read the given signs: ‘Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.” ‘ (Jn 6:26).

And later: ‘many of the crowd began to believe in him, and said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man has done?” ‘ (Jn 7:31).

5. Chapter 20 of the Gospel by John concludes: ‘Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of (his) disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may (come to) believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name’ (Jn 20:30-31)

6. Jesus also refers to signs about the end of the world: “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” (Lk 21:25-28).

7. I am answering you today, April 25th, the feast of St. Mark, and so he concludes his Gospel: ‘But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs’ (Mk 16:20).

8. About the blood: whoever wrote the rant you sent me, defining Jesus as a first century wandering rabbi… does he forget that Jesus even commanded to drink his blood? 

“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” (Jn 6:53).

9. Also, he did not understand that Jesus abolished the distinctions between pure and impure in the Old Testament: ‘Thus he declared all foods clean’ (Mk 7:19).

10. Likewise, he knows he is not telling the truth when he writes that popes and cardinals prostrated themselves afore St. Gennaro’s blood.

To prostrate means to lie down on the ground as a sign of adoration. Well, have you seen anyone in the hierarchy perform such a gesture?

11. It is not part of the faith that people interpret the punctuality of the liquefaction of St. Gennaro’s blood as a good omen or a premonition of sinister events.

Punctually every year the bishops of Naples, succeeding one another, continue to remind people of another meaning.

12. Finally, we must say that the Church regards the liquefaction of St. Gennaro’s blood with great respect. But it is not made a dogma of faith.

Everyone is surely free to think as they wish, but ridiculing or despising such a phenomenon is not a sign of intelligence.

Since not even science can give an explanation, at least silence would be more honest.

By these few notes, I confirm as more than legitimate the doubts arising in you about that article.

I am surprised it was published as it makes a bad impression about him.

I bless you

Father Angelo