For this injustice of the
decree, the young priest St.
Valentine was furious and defied Claudius by continuing to perform marriages
for young lovers and
other Christian couples in secretly. Once upon the
Claudius eventually find out Valentine's actions. For the refusal to repudiate Christianity
and reason to unite lovers with holy vows of marriage ceremony,
Valentine was arrested and sentenced him
in prison. But
yet
then, he continued to preach his
cause in there.
The young
Roman priest St. Valentine was condemned to death for his activities. He was
beaten with stoned, clubs and finally beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate.
After his death, this gate was known as “Porta Valentini”, later being renamed
“Porta Popolo”.
There is a legend that says, during the
awaiting of his execution; St. Valentine struck
up a friendship with his jailer's blind daughter whose sight he
restored to her. He also
exchanged love letters of his own with the
jailer's daughter.
Furthermore, legend states that on the day of his execution in February 14th,
269 A.D. he sent a
final letter to the girl
for his love and signed it "From your Valentine". . He
also received notes from many of the
couples he married.
Moreover
legend, the jailer was Asteroids, one of the Emperor's lieutenants and he
visited the priest Valentine in prison regularly. The jailer and his family
were converted to Christianity by St. Valentine and they also were condemned to
death by Claudius II.
The legend of Valentine that, in 496
A.D,
Pope Gelasius declared “14th
February” of every year a day
to honor Valentine. From that time,
Valentine grew in Italy, Europe and now over the entire world, the priest
Valentine was honored with sainthood and his day of martyrdom became a “day for
lovers” to celebrate his work. And this is how “Valentine’s Day”
evolved.