Unfortunately, few people realize that the spring feast of Saint Nicholas, according to the Gregorian liturgical calendar—whose legitimacy, incidentally, is not disputed by anyone—is celebrated on May 9. Thus, the saint most dear to the hearts of Russian Orthodox believers is celebrated—albeit only partially and not by everyone—on the day of the holiday most cherished by Russia: Victory Day over Nazism. And the saint’s very name, Nicholas—which literally translates as “Victory of the People,” sounds like good news, almost prophetic.
Translation of the relics of St Nicolas
Dr Augustin Sokolovski
In many churches, the feast of Saint Nicholas is the patronal feast. It would be a rewarding spiritual exercise to compile a sort of pilgrim’s guide to document the total number of shrines dedicated to this saint around the world.
Nicholas is a great and very revered saint. At the same time, he is a great yet little-known saint. After all, the historical part of his biography has not survived to the present day. The precious details that have come down to us are often distorted by misinterpretation. Such is the episode in which Saint Nicholas is described as striking the heretical presbyter Arius at a church council. This does not signify a blow at all, but rather a typical oratorical gesture, characteristic of an experienced teacher of rhetoric. Such were nearly all the most prominent Fathers of the Church—from Basil the Great to Augustine.
Thus, a teacher of rhetoric was permitted to tap his student on the cheek if it became apparent that the student was struggling with the subject of his own argument. This is precisely what Saint Nicholas did out of love, a gesture that attests to his genuine refinement and profound erudition, as well as his place among the intellectual elite of his time. But Nicholas’s gesture was not understood.
After all, Arius was not a cleric of his diocese, so Nicholas had no formal right to treat him as his subordinate; for this, he was—unjustly and disproportionately—canonically punished by being removed from ministry. But the Lord, through a special sign, delivered him from this punishment. This also testifies to Nicholas’s prophetic gift. It is quite possible, he foresaw, that a tragic death awaited Arius in Constantinople—most likely from a heart attack or poisoning—which indeed befell him in 336, just as he was, in effect, crossing the threshold of the church to be readmitted to the communion of the Church.
Another example of historical injustice toward Saint Nicholas is the erroneous title given to him. While he was indeed the bishop of the city of Myra in Lycia, a historical region in southern Asia Minor, he was not an archbishop. The title of archbishop was reserved for the heads of local churches, and under no circumstances for bishops of ordinary dioceses. Saint Nicholas has no need for such a fictitious reputation; it is much cuter to call him, as children do, “Father Christmas” or “Santa Claus.”
In contrast to his historical biography, which has not survived or has survived only in fragments, the history of his miracles is vast and detailed. It is a story that continues to this day. The transfer of the relics of Saint Nicholas from Myra in Lycia to the Italian city of Bari constitutes a separate hagiographic narrative. It recounts that, as confirmation of the righteousness of this act, Saint Nicholas performed 111 healings upon the arrival of his relics in Italy!
In ancient times, it was forbidden to sell or buy holy relics. That is why they were stolen, a practice generally referred to by the euphemism “translation.” It was believed that if a saint, or God himself, opposed such a transfer, he would inevitably prevent it. This is, of course, a strange custom that defies our understanding. But such were the customs of the time. The paradoxical beliefs of that medieval era tacitly condoned this sacred theft. Yet, surprisingly, these transfers laid the foundation for our entire civilization.
The relics of St. Nicholas were transferred to the Italian city of Bari, which contributed to its fame and prosperity. In ancient times, and even today, there were many cities with this or a similar name. But Bari in Italy is the most famous of all. In recent decades, thanks to the revival of the Russian Church after seventy years of atheistic persecution and the influx of pilgrims, this city has undergone a magnificent renewal and growth. Bari has expanded with an airport and is transforming into a major metropolitan area. It’s not the most striking example, but it’s the most up-to-date one.
The glorious city of Venice had Saint Theodore Tiron the Great Martyr as its patron saint but could not boast of an apostolic heritage. In 829, the relics of the Apostle Mark were transferred from Alexandria to Venice. From that moment on, the city began to flourish, so that centuries later, Venice became the only colonial empire of the Middle Ages.
In 1204, having launched a Crusade against the shores of the Bosporus, Venice—contrary to its original plan of using bribery—alas, contributed to the Latin conquest and destruction of Constantinople. Thus, for a couple of centuries, until its fall in 1453 and the subsequent grand imperial revival under the Ottomans, the New Rome turned into Little Venice—a fact that, for some reason, is rarely mentioned. This was linked to the transfer of the relics of the apostolic saint and the resulting reference to St. Mark’s legacy. Thus, like the holy water of time or the sacred myrrh of chronology, the “succession of relics” and the “apostolic succession” flowed into one another. On the altar of St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, where Mark’s relics rest, are inscribed the words of Peter’s Epistle: “Mark, my son, sends his greetings” (1 Peter 5:13).
Few people remember that the idea of the “Third Rome” took shape, among other things, from the Ottoman belief that the first Rome was pagan, the second—Constantinople—was Christian, and the third—again Constantinople, under the rule of the Ottoman Empire—would ultimately become Muslim, despite the fact that until the end of World War I, the majority of the city’s population was Christian. The very name “Istanbul” has existed for less than a century, as it was first adopted in 1930.
This tragic moment in history is remembered for the fact that, at the authorities’ behest, many letters were not delivered to their intended addresses because they still bore the address “Constantinople.” How can one not recall Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk and his novel *Istanbul: A City of Memories*, as well as the fact that in the Balkans, Istanbul is still called “Constantinople” in Greece, or “Tsargrad,” literally "City of the Emperor," in Slavic countries. Why shouldn’t Orthodox Christians continue this pious tradition of naming, as a personal vow? Let us imagine that, in our day, most flights to the homeland and to distant lands pass over Constantinople. Similarly, planes bound for Egypt fly over Alexandria, another ancient and great Orthodox city, which, incidentally, is called “El-Iskandariya” in the local language, whereas in other languages it has avoided being renamed. In 1968, a significant portion of the relics of Saint Mark was returned to the Church of Alexandria from Venice, following a mutual agreement between the two Churches. History is vast and ever-present; it is far closer to us than we realize. “Jesus is the story of the One who lives,” as one of the greatest theologians of the last century proclaimed.
13, Myra – Bari, Alexandria – Venice – these are just a few examples of the mysterious, providential transfers of saints and their relics, which are astonishing in their tectonic power. Perhaps the very rare example not of the theft of relics, but of their purchase—not from the Orthodox, but from the infidels—is the transfer of the relics of Saint Augustine from Sardinia, then under the rule of Arab conquerors, to Pavia, Italy. The Lombard king Liutprand performed this act in 723, thereby bringing glory and prosperity to the Lombard capital. Hope is found in the fact that for nearly ten years now, the tradition of celebrating the Divine Liturgy at the relics of Saint Augustine has continued, led by hierarchs and clergy bearing the name of this great Father of the Church.
There is a great warning in all this. The Church, as the Community of Believers, and the church, as each individual congregation, must be vigilant so that such a tectonic shift of sacred relocations does not occur within it. If we do not care for the Church as a whole, and for our local parish in particular, the Lord may deprive us of our sanctuary and remove its boundaries. “Repent and do the things you did at first; if not, I will come to you soon and remove your lampstand from its place,” says Jesus in the Apocalypse (Revelation 2:5) . How many sacred great cities, including Myra and Alexandria, have fallen into desolation! May Saint Nicholas do not drift away; may he not depart from us across the sea of earthly and spiritual realities to a place where there are those more worthy of him. But may He, by the grace of God, be with us and with the whole Church.