It shouldn't be forgotten that the Sanfermines is a festival of religious origins and that this aspect is still relived in huge demonstrations such as the Procession on the morning of the seventh. But the religious celebration is in perfect harmony with the cult of the bull -a symbolic animal- and with the cult of Bacchus, the god of wine -a drink which is no less symbolic. The Sanfermines are, in short, a total, absolute and radical festival in which the people of Pamplona play the leading part, but in which outsiders feel immediately at home -there's no question of being a mere onlooker- as for nine days Pamplona becomes the world capital of happiness.
SAN SATURNINO AND SAN FERMIN (FIRMINUS)
SAN SATURNINO (November 29 is his day) lived in the 3rd century. He came, it is said, from Rome and made his way among the Cauls by the Rhone Valley. At Arles he made innumerable conversions; at Nimes, as many again, and notab ly that of a farmer, Honestus, on whom he conferred the priesthood and who from that time became, with St. Papoul, his companion. All three went towards Carcassonne, where they were imprisoned by the prefect Rufinus and delivered by an angel, and finally arrived safely at Toulouse. Saturninus there met St. Martial, bishop of Limoges, and together they cured of an incurable illness the daughter of the town's governor. Saturninus was also called to the house of the wife of the president of the Senate, whom he likewise restored to health. We omit the other miracles which he worked in great numbers both in Toulouse and Auch and in the neighbouring districts.
Invited to Spain, St. Saturninus crossed the Pyrenees with St. Honestus, having left the care of communities in Gaul to St. Papoul. In Navarre he baptized St. Firminus, the future bishop of Amiens, pushed on as far as Toledo and into Galicia; then, learning of the martyrdom of St. Papoul, he went back to Toulouse, after consecrating Honestus bishop of Pamplona.
Wherever he appeared the devil suffered innumerable defeats. At the capitol of Toulouse the priests of the false gods found that they received no more oracles. They took counsel and said: "Our gods are silent, because they are angry that we tolerate the presence of their enemy Saturninus amongst us. Let him disappear and the tutelary deities will restore their favours to the city." Just at that moment the bishop was passing before the capitol. The priests pointed him out to the crowd, who wished to compel him to sacrifice; he refused, while the idols fell in pieces at his feet. Then the crowd tied him with a rope to a bull which was awaiting immolation; the animal fled wildly through the town; and so it was that, dragged over the cobbles, his head shattered and, his body in shreds, Saturninus met his death.
- ST. FIRMINUS (September 25). A rich and distinguished senator lived at Pamplona. His wife, Eugenia, was as famous for her beauty as for her virtues. As they were both on their way to the temple of Jupiter, they met a Christian priest called Honestus, who was railing against the gods. Interrupting his speech, they asked the preacher with what he proposed to replace the religion at which he mocked. Honestus then put before them the proofs of Christianity and called upon the authority of his master Saturninus, one of the seventy disciples of the Saviour. Study. Saturninus, who was later to found the church at Toulouse, was at that time evangelizing Spain. A week had barely passed when he arrived at Pamplona, and put the last touches to the conversion of the senator and his wife. Now these two had a son called Firminus. They confided him to Honestus, who trained him piously and made him his acolyte, and when he had grown old, with his last strength led him to Toulouse, to have him consecrated bishop. Later, Firminus evangelized Aquitaine, Agenais, and the country of the Arverni; then, turning northward, he settled at Amiens where he was martyred.
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