Today is the feast of Saint Patrick, today
we celebrate his sainthood, and the ascendance to heaven of a British man, of
Roman heritage, who lived sometime between the fourth and fifth centuries CE.
Patrick
is the Patron Saint of Ireland, but he was not Irish at all, he was a Roman of
the Patrician class, from a family of rank, and privilege.
Patrick
(Patricius) is credited with converting the people of Erin to faith in
the Universal Church, the Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ, in so doing he separated
the Celtic people from their Gaelic traditions, and subordinated them to the
Catholic Church in Rome.
It
is no wonder that he was named a saint for this, Patricius.
He
won with the Word what could not be accomplished by through war, by sword and
spear, by fire and blood.
It
should be noted that Saint Patrick has never been canonized, or even beatified not
by any Pope. Therefore Patrick is not officially a Saint of the Catholic
Church, and nevertheless, he is recognized in the annals of the Saints of the
Church of England, I hope that all my Irish kinfolk appreciate the irony of
this.
It
is worthy of song.
History
tells us that Patrick was a humble man, a rare quality for those of rank.
History also tells us that he proofed the plan of spreading the faith by converting
Irish chieftains first. Patrick was a politician of great skill. Every
missionary who followed him, emulated this method.
He
spread the faith, he established churches and he earned the rank of Apostle, by
popular acclamation.
History
tells us that his mother was a relative of Saint Martin of Tours, the patron
Saint of Soldiers, Saint Martin of the Sword whose biography was written by
Pope Saint Gregory the Great, but we know that was a work of pure fiction. Saint
Martin never lived, even so, his story gave license for Christians to become
soldiers, to serve in the army, and as such it brought the Roman legions into
the fold.
Patrick
was said to have had “heroic piety,” praying day and night, in the mountains
and the woods, he prayed through the rain, and through storms of snow and ice,
he should be the patron saint of post men if this were true, but then again…all
hagiographies are lies.
His
story tells us that he spent six years as a captive and servant to a Celtic
Chieftain, the Druid named Milchu in Dalriada, where he mastered the language
of the common folk and learned all of their stories.
However,
if you appreciate history you will know that it is much more likely that he
fled his home to wander abroad in order to escape the duties that were expected
of him as the son of a nobleman. Such departures were common in his time, they
were referred to as the “flight of the curiales.” Patrick was no captive at
all, he was a boy running from his responsibilities.
Rather
than being taken captive it is more likely that he paid for asylum in Milchu’s
house, and that he paid for the services
of tutors to help him learn the language.
The
Druids were great teachers and oral historians that much is true.
The
story of his escape (if it was in fact an escape from servitude), and
subsequent journey were of his own account. He cast the entire experience in
dramatic, even biblical terms, they served both to cover up his crime of
abnegation, and also to establish his fame.
It
is said that Patrick escaped from Milchu and then fled to the mainland of Europe
where he entered the priesthood and became a missionary. On his return to
Ireland however, the first place he went was to his former home in Dalriada.
Where, after some period of conflict with his former captor (or patron) and the
affectation of some miracles on Patrick’s part, Milchu immolated himself to
make way for the upstart, throwing himself on a fire after burning the
collected scrolls and mysteries of his people.
This
event may be seen in metaphorical terms as Milchu offering himself as a human sacrifice,
at the foundation of the church in Ireland.
That’s
how Patrick wrote it.
In
reality. the whole episode denotes the ritual destruction of the Celtic people
in favor of the ascending Romano-British invaders.
On
Easter Sunday, 433 a conflict of will ensued between Patrick and the Celtic Arch-Druid
Lochru, historians mythologized it as a battle of divine forces like the
contest between Moses and the Egyptians, or Elijah and priests of Baal, and it ended
with Saint Patrick magically hurling Lochru into the air, and breaking him to
pieces on a sharp rock.
It
was another ritual murder at the foundation of the Irish Church, another human
sacrifice to be sure. There is no other way to read this, it was a good old-fashioned
Roman slaughter.
On
a side note, while speaking of his vaunted magic powers, not to be outdone by
Jesus, this same Patrick was said to have been able to raise the dead.
It
should be noted the Columbanus, who was the most significant representative of
the Irish Catholic Church after the Dark Ages, who lived and wrote and sent
missionaries from Ireland to Continental Europe, building Churches and founding
religious communities, makes no mention of Saint Patrick in his writing, not
once, not anywhere, Columbanus tells us that the Church in Ireland was founded
by a man named Palladius.
The
entire legend of Saint Patrick is little more than a myth designed to
subordinate the Irish heart to a British noble of Roman descent, and a
fictitious one at that.
Be
mindful when you celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day!
Revised
2020.03.17
Given
First 2018.03.17
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