Today marks the last matchup of a full week of saintly action! Raymond Nonnatus, a 13th century Spaniard, takes on John of Nepomuk, the 14th century patron saint of Czechoslovakia.
Yesterday, in the closest vote of Lent Madness 2017 to date, Odo of Cluny held off Theodore the Studite 52% to 48%. Odo will advance to the Saintly Sixteen where he'll face Mechtild of Magdeburg.
One point we want to stress before you start pulling levers for Raymond or John. You should know that our fabulous Celebrity Bloggers are kept to strict word counts on their write-ups. Of course so much more could be said about each saint presented in Lent Madness. If you're curious about learning more about a particular holy soul, we encourage you to dive deeper! Often additional information gleaned by participants is shared in the comments sections below each post. Feel free to share tidbits and resources with your fellow Lent Madness pilgrims. In the next round, the Saintly Sixteen, we get into Quirks and Quotes (either by or about said saint). So fear not. The further a saint advances, the more information you'll be given. [Here endeth the Lent Madness lesson].
Those of you who read the comments will be very familiar with Oliver--Nine Years Old. Well, we are pleased to report that Oliver's mom sent us this picture of the boy himself, posing in front of the pictorial bracket he created for his home church, St. John's in Stamford, CT.
We'll see everybody bright and early on Monday morning for the Battle of the Augustines™ as Augustine of Canterbury squares off against Augustine of Hippo.
Raymond Nonnatus
Raymond Nonnatus lived in thirteenth-century Spain, and his nickname “Nonnatus” refers to his birth. Traditions agree he was delivered via Caesarean section, and so was “not born” (according to the scientific understanding of medieval Europe).
We don’t know much for certain but gather that Nonnatus was either the rebellious son of a local count or a local shepherd’s child. Either way, tradition says he spent his childhood tending sheep and liked to spend his spare time praying in his local church.
According to one story, Nonnatus convinced his father to let him join a group of monks in Barcelona. Called the Mercedarian order, these men were devoted to freeing Christians from slavery around the world.
After emancipating 140 slaves in Valencia, then another 250 slaves in Algiers, Nonnatus ran into trouble in Tunis—or rather, the ransom money ran out. So, Nonnatus surrendered himself as payment, winning the freedom of 28 captives. His captors, according to legend, bored a hole through his lips with a red-hot poker and padlocked his mouth shut to prevent Nonnatus from preaching. His Mercedarian brothers came to his aid and paid his ransom so that he could return to Spain. Impressively, he clung to life for several more months before dying in 1240 in Castle Cordona, near Barcelona.
After his death, Nonnatus’s popularity flourished—literally, everyone wanted a piece of him, with the count and the townsfolk of Castle Cordona and the Mercedarians all laying claim to his body. To settle the dispute, it was decided to put his body on the back of a blind mule, let the mule wander loose, and see where the mule decided Nonnatus should be laid to rest. The mule proceeded to the chapel where Nonnatus had spent so many of his childhood hours in prayer—and there he was buried. Nonnatus is celebrated as the patron saint of midwives, expectant mothers, and newborn babies—which is why the Anglican order in the novel and popular television program Call the Midwife is named Nonnatus House. Nonnatus and his locked lips remind us of the seal of the confessional, the falsely accused, and those wounded by gossip.
Collect for Raymond Nonnatus
God of all light and life, you knit together birth and death in beautiful mystery: Grant us, through the example of your servant Raymond, whose death was punishment for the lifegiving ministry he proclaimed as an emancipator, the courage to be reconciled to you and the world, through Jesus Christ our only Mediator and Advocate, who dwells with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
John of Nepomuk
John of Nepomuk (also called John Nepomucene) was born around 1345 in Bohemia, part of the modern-day Czech Republic. He studied at the University of Prague and later at the University of Padua, eventually becoming the vicar-general of St. Gilles Cathedral (St. Gilles Church) in Prague.
It is believed that King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia (not the Good King Wenceslas—this Wenceslaus was definitely not good) engaged in a feud with John over the appointment of a new abbot. John appointed an abbot to the abbey at Kladruby whom the king opposed. On the night of March 20, 1393, John was thrown into the Vltava River and drowned.
Eventually the story was told like this: King Wenceslaus suspected that his wife had a lover. Because John of Nepomuk was her confessor, the king ordered him to reveal the name of her lover, but to no avail. As punishment, the king ordered John to be drowned. Because of this legend, John of Nepomuk is considered the first martyr of the seal of the confessional and a patron against slanderers. Because of the way he died, he’s also considered a protector from floods and drowning.
John of Nepomuk is typically represented with a halo of five stars, commemorating the stars that hovered over the Vltava River on the night of his martyrdom. Sometimes his figure is accompanied by an angel indicating silence with a finger placed over the lips.
Collect for John of Nepomuk
Merciful and forgiving God, we thank you for the gifts of confession, absolution, and reconciliation; for without them, we are without remedy and solace in our sin and shame. Thank you for the life of your servant John of Nepomuk, who upheld the seal of the confessional even unto death, for the sake of your love. Grant that we might have such zeal and conviction in our own day, to the honor and glory of our only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ. Amen.
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301 comments on “Raymond Nonnatus vs. John of Nepomuk”
Mother of an expectant mother - Raymond it is!
Gave himself to save 28 more?! Wow. Slam dunk.
I have watched Call the Midwife, but I'm not a huge fan. I voted for Nonnatus not because he was born by C-section, but because he freed slaves, even by offering up himself. There is no greater love.
Not as difficult as yesterday for me. Freeing the slaves, to the point of sacrifice of self won me over.
Had to vote for Nonnatus and not just because of 'Call the Midwife.' He gave his life to free slaves and that's the living Gospel. Oliver -- you have such a group of admirers here at Lent Madness. Thanks to your mom for your picture.
Whether the facts surrounding St John's demise are exaggerated ( and of course they are from that era), the importance of his sainthood is the example it sets for those of us here to do God's work. It is a right and good thing that we remember the sanctity of the confessional, and our responsibility to refrain from hurtful speech.
Lookin' good, Oliver!
I'm a journalist and really believe in protecting your sources as John. But I'm also mother of quite a few so had to go with Raymond. Wish I could have voted twice (no, no, no SEC, I didn't. Honest.)
Raymond gets my vote because he freed so many slaves. Doesn't hurt that he is the patron saint of midwives either, though, I confess, I used a doctor and all meds available for my two precious births.
I absolutely had to vote for Raymond! Felt a bit sorry for John,knowing he was the underdog, and his history re the seal of the confessional so vitally important, but, let's face it, it couldn't stand up to Raymond's compassionate life, freeing all those slaves and sacrificing his own freedom! What a wonderful way to spend one's life, in service to others! I was horrified by he torture he endured...wow! Glad he is in Heaven now...and happy!
Oliver! You do exist!! I secretly thought you were one of the Supreme Executive Committee members posing as a 9-year old... You rock!
I voted for Raymond because he freed slaves.
For the freeing of slaves my vote goes to Raymond.
John would have impressed me more if he had not drowned.
I have to go with Nonatus, not because of his birth but because of his life. To me, the act of offering himself for the lives of 28 slaves beats out getting tossed into the river and drowned for your saintly actions. Both were silenced speaking and acting of Truth.
Two powerful stories of people courageous about their faith! It's a hard choice. The red-hot poker through his lips and padlock to keep Raymond from preaching vs John's protection of the seal of the confessional. I've finally gone with Raymond, because he worked so hard to free slaves.
Raymond Nonnatus for me. Talk about walking the walk. Not only did he dedicate his life's work to freeing slaves, he GAVE his life to free slaves. I admire John Nepomuk for standing up to political power for what he believed, but the story about his keeping secret the queen's confession didn't show up until 66 years after he died. Since it's unlikely from the votes so far that Nepomuk will advance to the next stage, I hereby share this fountain sculpture of the saint being enveloped by those famous Bohemian freshwater octopuses. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kranj_-_vodnjak_Janeza_Nepomuka_(Berneker).jpg
Link didn't come through in my original post:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kranj_-_vodnjak_Janeza_Nepomuka_(Berneker).jpg
Well shoot! The essential part of the link - the jpg suffix - won't read. To see St. John and the Octopi, go to the Wikipedia page and scroll down looking the right-hand side.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_of_Nepomuk
Oh, I know it's a runaway for the patron of midwives. But I'll throw one toward the necessity we all have for someone we can trust to keep our secrets.
We debated this one because my son was from my womb untimely ripped. He is also half-Czech. But we decided on Nonnatus because he didn't just "protect a source" but gave his life for the slaves. Much like the example of Jesus dying in our place.
I had a feeling this was going to be a blow-out and we get to vote for someone who freed so may slaves. Call the midwife is an awesome show too.
Almost voted for John, partly because I think Bad King Wenceslas's true motive for murder was that John appointed an abbot the king didn't want--a political murder--and partly because John kept the confidentiality of the confessional, even if that, too, was a set-up. And partly because he's so far behind (at 3:30 Eastern time).
But Raymond's freeing of the slaves started tipping the scales, and that he was loved enough by his fellow monks that they paid his ransom finished the job..
I guess I should start calling my triplet siblings, delivered by C-section, nonnati! Admittedly, I voted for Nonnatus almost entirely because of "Call the Midwife!"
As a hospital chaplain (and a fan of "Call the Midwife"), I'm voting for Raymond.
Another thing is that his Mercedarian order's role in freeing slaves focused upon negotiating for the freedom of those held as slaves in Muslim lands. So, St. Ray could also be seen as a (very early!!!) pioneer of interfaith dialogue.
With all the chittering about midwifery and the fabulosity of "Call the Midwife," why not just give the golden halo to St. Raymond today? I mean, really, has no one anything good to say about keeping the sanctity of the confessional?
I think several of us have affirmed the sanctity of the confessional as part of our reasoning.
Keeping the sanctity of the confessional falls under "doing your job" for the clergy, it is something that is expected of all priests. Giving your life in ransom for 28 others, that's going above and beyond to a higher calling.
IOW
• Keeping confidentiality is thou shalt territory for clergy.
• Self-as-sacrifice is all can, some should, none must territory for all followers of Christ, lay or ordained.
• • • • • • •
A side note for the good of the order
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Mark me down as another Call the Midwife fan voting for Nonnatus; though the beauty of Prague & St.Giles nearly persuaded me to go with John Nepomuk, whose story demonstrates that while Loose Lips Sink Ships, Tight Lips Sink Confessors
This one was hard! I'm going with the seal of the confessional. John of Nepomuk!
I agree with Marlene. If he appeared in Call the Midwife, well, worthy of a vote!
Nonnatus all the way. His work of freeing Christian slaves was admirable. He even gave up his freedom, to rescue a further 28. We need some like him in Africa, where warlords are kidnapping girls and children.
Raymond for anti slavery
Lent Madness is nothing if not educational. Shakespeare! Poetry! Obstetrical history! Roman history! The real origin of the term caesarean! All in today's comments. Not to mention biographical essays on two interesting saints. I had to cast my vote for Raymond. Not for anything to do with midwifery or PBS dramas but because he gave his life to free slaves. Whether or not he changed the system, he did what he could to the point of death.
Nice to see a photo of the famous Oliver!