Anthony of Padua. Credit: Veneranda Arca Di San Antonio.
Posted on 06/13/2014 5:26:46 AM PDT by NYer
.- The University of St. Anthony of Padua’s Anthropology Museum, together with a team of international forensic researchers, have attempted to reconstruct the face of St. Anthony using only a digital copy of his skull.
Using the latest 3D technology, the researchers worked to recreate the saint’s face, which they say is “one of the most faithful reconstructions of the face of St. Anthony.”
The face was presented on June 10 at a congress in Padua with archeologist Luca Bezzi, who created the three-dimensional image of the saint’s face, and the director of the Center for St. Anthony Studies, Franciscan Friar Luciano Bertazzo, who provided all of the relevant source material from the era.
3D designer Cicero Morales of the University of Sao Paolo, renowned for his work in archeological facial reconstruction, also took part in the presentation.
The Brazilian expert was asked to reconstruct the saint’s face knowing only that the skull belonged to a 36-year-old male.
“At each step I asked myself, who was that man? When I found out, I was speechless, literally amazed. Although I am not religious, I felt a huge responsibility. Millions of people in the world would be able to see the face of their saint!” Morales said.
The face of St. Anthony will be revealed to the public June 12-22 at the basilica dedicated to the saint in Padua, where his relics are also venerated.
Born in Lisbon on August 15, 1195, St. Anthony joined the Augustinians in 1210 but left to join the Franciscans 10 years later. He took part in the order’s general chapter in Assisi in 1221 and personally met St. Francis.
He died at the convent of Arcella in Padua, Italy, on June 13, 1231.
Believed to be the second fastest canonization in history, he was declared a saint just one year after his death, in May 1232.
In 1946, Pope Pius XII proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church.
St. Anthony of Padua is one of the Catholic Church’s most popular saints. Saint Anthony of Padua, patron saint of lost and stolen articles, was a powerful Franciscan preacher and teacher. He’s typically portrayed holding the child Jesus—or a lily—or a book—or all three—in his arms. Many people give alms to St. Anthony Bread in thanksgiving to God for blessings received through the prayers of St. Anthony.
About St. Anthony - Read More
Wait . . . he just looks like a regular Italian guy!
Well ... not really. Anthony was born in 1195 (13 years after St. Francis) in Lisbon, Portugal and given the name of Fernando at Baptism.
What a wonderful man he was. THANKS as always for posting.
Link (with pictures) to article pointing out how militant a saint he was. Saint Anthony, pray for us!
http://www.traditioninaction.org/SOD/j130sdAnthonyPadua_6-13.htm
“Text alone” version:
St. Anthony of Padua – June 13
Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira
Today is the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua, called “Ark of the Covenant” for his profound knowledge of Scriptures and “Hammer of Heretics” for his skill in applying that knowledge in polemics. It is customary in the churches of many Western nations to place the statue of St. Anthony in a special place of honor to be venerated by the faithful on his feast day.
Pictures:)
A close-up of St. Anthony in Giotto’s
The Apparition at Arles
When I visited Assisi in 1950, I admired a picture of the Saint painted by Giotto, which is said to be the image most closely resembling him that exists. It presents a strong man with a thick bull-like neck, a serious expression, an imperious gaze, and a majestic attitude that gives the impression of the Doctor of the Church he was later declared to be. I bought some reproductions of this picture by Giotto.
I also bought another picture that represented St. Anthony that was sold at the door of the church. This one was not by Giotto, but by some unknown author who portrayed the common picture of St. Anthony. It showed a young man with soft skin, pink cheeks, and the mindless and somewhat foolish air of one who does not understand anything. In his arms he is holding a Child Jesus, who appears to not understand what he is doing in the arms of that man. He has the air of someone who says: “I am sorry to be here, it probably happened by some mistake. But it seems that we will still have to bear this for a while.” In St. Anthony’s face, there is nothing that expresses the Doctor of the Church, the man who was considered the greatest expert in Scriptures of his time.
He knew everything in Scriptures and used to quote it by heart; he knew even its most arcane and difficult passages. He was not only able to quote such texts, but used to comment on them and draw concrete consequences from them to smash the heretics and to encourage the faithful.
Pictures:)
The militant character of St. Anthony has been distorted by soft, sentimental portrayals
He was also an extraordinary polemicist who would debate the heretics not have ecumenical dialogues with them, let me note in passing and destroy them by demolishing their arguments. God used to confirm His support for St. Anthony by working miracles while he was preaching. This twofold show of arms: a powerful debate followed by miracles was what earned him the title “Hammer of Heretics.” His life had nothing to do with the insipid and ecumenical St. Anthony presented on the holy cards that so many people have.
The militant St. Anthony is the authentic one, depicting the way he lived on earth in his times and the way he is now in Heaven. But today his true moral physiognomy, which the Church presents as a model, has almost completely disappeared. The figure that replaced him is a sentimental one only concerned about giving graces and favors. There is a fundamental difference in the physical figure, but most of all, there is a fundamental difference in the moral figure of St. Anthony.
In addition to being honored with the aforementioned titles “Ark of the Covenant and Hammer of the Heretics” St. Anthony is also the Patron of the Army. The reason for that is linked to two incidents where, from Heaven, he intervened in a militant way.
The first was when a Spanish fleet was besieging the Muslim city of Oram and facing a long and fruitless siege. In such circumstance, the Spanish Admiral went to a statue of St. Anthony to ask his intercession. He told St. Anthony that he, the Admiral, could do nothing more without some extraordinary help. Then he turned over his insignias of command to the statue and placed his Admiral’s hat on its head. Then he asked St. Anthony to take command of the siege against Oram and conquer the city.
Soon after this, the Moors suddenly left the city. Some who were captured and interrogated related that they had seen a Friar coming from Heaven with an Admiral’s hat on his head. He threatened the Moors that he would send fire from Heaven upon them unless they left the city. In face of this peril, the Muslims found it more prudent to leave.
The second incident took place in Rio de Janeiro when it was being attacked by the French Calvinist fleet. The Calvinists had a great advantage over the Brazilian Catholics, who could no longer offer an effective resistance. At that point, the Franciscan Friars took a statue of St. Anthony from their monastery to a central square in Rio and set it on a column.
Pictures:)
Above, St. Anthony threatening the enemies with heavenly fire - Painting by Benozzo Gozzoli
The simple presence of the statue began to provoke a general enthusiasm for the fight. Very soon a large number of young men entered the army. With this, it was possible to retake lost positions, reorganize the resistance and make an efficacious counter-attack. In a short time, the Calvinists were defeated and left the Brazilian shore. The fact that Brazil did not become a Calvinist country is due in no small part to that marvelous presence of a statue of St. Anthony.
The common devotion to St. Anthony normally does not mention things like this. He is presented as a sweet, foolish saint who only likes to arrange marriages and enjoy his feast day. This kind of sentimental piety distorted the physiognomy of the great St. Anthony to hide his militancy.
I think that we have the obligation to correct this false piety and help restore the true moral physiognomy of the saints. For it is easy to see that this distortion has been effected not only with St. Anthony, but also with many other saints.
Let us ask St. Anthony to give us the necessary graces to help extirpate this false piety and to become enthusiastic admirers of Catholic militancy, as he was.
What an amazing story! Other than at the above link, where is this story recorded? Your link provides no source.
My grandmother’s favorite Saint and my husband’s namesake.
My grandmother used to send dollars through the mail to her children and grandchildren. We would scold her and warn her of the dangers of sending cash through the mail. She pointed out that she always wrote S.A.G. on the envelope flap, or next to the stamp. S.A.G. stands for “St. Anthony Guide”. She claimed that nothing had ever been lost that way. She was taught that by the nuns in Pennsylvania as a child.
Here's the first:
Notes here: The True Face of St. Anthony
This one was done with actual modeling on the skull, not 3-D computer software as was the most recent.
What is absolutely irreconcilable is the length of the face brow-to-jawline and the height and width of the cranium. As an old-fashioned forensics person, I'm inclined to go with the hands-on crowd rather than the computer. The first group obviously knew who their subject was, but on the other hand the reconstruction does not reflect the most contemporary portrait of St. Anthony. So, who knows?
They didn't call him "Hammer of the Heretics" for nuthin'.
Likewise his father St. Francis:
64. The Victorious AdmiralLooks like the location changed in the telling, but it's obviously the same story.The very reverend Father Provincial Kuck, of the Franciscan province of Bavaria,heard, himself, the following incident related by Admiral Don Mondemar,during his visit to Spain, when convoked to the General Chapter, held at Murcia. The then reigning King of Spain, Philip IV, determined to send a fleet to recapture Oran from the Moors. Several attempts had already been made, all of which had failed, and the fortress was considered impregnable. In spite of everything the admiral could say, the king persisted in his determination, and,consequently, nothing remained but to obey. On reaching Alicant, Don Mondemar allowed his troops to disembark, and availed himself of this opportunity to visit the church of the Franciscans, dedicated to St. Anthony,where he placed the whole business in his hands. With this intention, after spending some time in prayer, he called upon the superior, begging of him to have the office of St. Anthony said. This being ended, he, in the presence of a great many people, asked the Father Superior's permission to have a ladder placed before the high altar, over which a life-size statue of the saint stood. This granted, he mounted the ladder and clothed the statue with all the insignia of a Spanish admiral in active service, and thus addressed the saint: "You, St. Anthony, must capture Oran, for I am unable to do so;" and laying his hand on the head of the statue, continued: "You are now the admiral, and I am only your humble servant and soldier, ready to obey your orders, for after God,I place my whole trust in you." This ceremony concluded, he came down from the ladder and returned with his men to the fleet, where they embarked. As the squadron drew near Oran, all waited anxiously for the enemy to begin the attack. Seeing no notice was taken of them, the admiral ordered his men to fire. Again no response from the citadel. At a loss to understand what this meant, the command was given to land the troops, and, to the great astonishment of every one, the city gates were wide open. Thinking this was a stratagem of the enemy, they proceeded very cautiously through the empty streets, which, like the fortress, were completely deserted. Here an old Moor was discovered, concealed in his house, and was immediately brought before the admiral, who demanded an explanation of this extraordinary behavior on the part of the garrison and inhabitants. "As soon," replied the old man, "as the Christian squadron appeared in sight, a legion of soldiers was seen in the air, led by a Franciscan monk, wearing all the insignia of an admiral on duty, who threatened to destroy every one of us if we did not at once leave the city. Terrified beyond description at this unexpected apparition, both citizens and garrison had fled in the greatest disorder.It was in this way that, thanks to the assistance of St. Anthony, Mondemar captured the city of Oran, without shedding a drop of blood. He at once sent a dispatch to the king, informing him of all that had taken place. The statue,clothed with an admiral's insignia, is still to be seen at Alicant, but the miracle was only confirmed in Rome in 1770.
My dad landed at Oran in 1942 . . . apparently St. Anthony was not involved at that time :-)
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She prayed....guess who had to do the finding. Clue....It wasn't Tony!!
I think they should have made him thinner. I doubt he indulged.
“...Your link provides no source.”
A brief search and I could find no additional sources or citations, unfortunately.
However, such miraculous incidences with great saints have not been uncommon and many citations of such can readily be uncovered, so let your faith grow through the account regardless.
There are a variety books on Saint Anthony’s life that would be well worth the read. His popularity is very high on the historical list.
“They didn’t call him “Hammer of the Heretics” for nuthin’.”
Great cartoon!
Anthony would’ve been martyred by the Muslims had he not been shipwrecked. His goal had been to follow in the footsteps of other martyrs in preaching the gospel to the Muslims.
Holy Spirit, please produce men of such courage and charity today!
**Holy Spirit, please produce men of such courage and charity today!**
Amen!
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