The annual miracle of the liquefaction of the blood of St. Januarius took place again on Tuesday, December 16, in the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of St. Januarius in Naples, Italy. Monsignor Vincenzo De Gregorio announced that the blood appeared semi-liquid shortly after 9:13 a.m. and was completely liquefied by 10:05 a.m. local time. This date commemorates the saint's intervention during the devastating 1631 eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which threatened to engulf the city. While the event was celebrated, church leaders reminded the faithful that hope should rest in Jesus and acts of charity, rather than solely on the relic's liquefaction, which is sometimes viewed as an omen.
3 months ago
The miracle of St. Januarius's blood liquefying occurred on December 16, 2025, in Naples, Italy, during the feast of the saint's patronage.1 2 3
It happened after Mass in the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of St. Januarius.
The blood was semi-liquid at 9:13 a.m. local time and fully liquefied by 10:05 a.m.1 2 3
Monsignor Vincenzo De Gregorio, abbot of the chapel, announced the event, followed by a procession displaying the vial.1 2 3
December 16 marks the third annual celebration for St. Januarius, commemorating his intercession during the 1631 Mount Vesuvius eruption that spared Naples.1 2 3
The other dates are September 19, the saint's martyrdom anniversary, and the Saturday before the first Sunday of May, recalling his relics' transfer to Naples.1 2 3
St. Januarius, Naples' patron, is honored for these recurring phenomena with his dried blood relic.1 2 3
Neapolitans view non-liquefaction, like on December 16, 2020, as a bad omen.1 2 3
The Church urges focus beyond physical signs, emphasizing spiritual essentials.1 2 3
Cardinal Domenico Battaglia, in a September 2024 homily despite liquefaction there, stressed prioritizing Jesus' call to aid the vulnerable over relic phenomena.1 2 3
The cardinal implored: do not fixate on the relic's blood, but on "the blood of the dispossessed, the marginalized... flowing in our streets."1 2 3
He linked St. Januarius's blood to Christ's blood and that of the poor, where Christ resides.1 2 3
This underscores the miracle as pointing to deeper faith, not superstition.1 2 3
Examine Catholic doctrine on relics and miracles
Catholic doctrine affirms miracles as real interventions by God that transcend the natural order, serving primarily to manifest His glory and benefit humanity while secondarily confirming revelation, doctrines, and the sanctity of His servants. These divine acts are not contrary to nature but align with the universal order wherein creatures are subject to God's higher power. Rooted in Scripture, Tradition, and magisterial teaching, miracles provide exterior proofs of revelation alongside prophecies, knowable by reason and demanding faith's obedience. While relics—venerated physical remains or objects associated with saints—are linked to miracles in ecclesiastical history, doctrine emphasizes God's sole authorship, with any associated wonders requiring rigorous evidence.
In Catholic teaching, a miracle is an event wrought by divine power outside the usual order of nature, evoking wonder because its cause—God—is absolutely hidden from human comprehension in this life. St. Thomas Aquinas distinguishes three ranks:
The Catholic Encyclopedia echoes this, noting miracles' moral force as evidences: they compel rational assent without violating free will, attesting not the doctrines' internal truth directly but providing manifest reasons to accept them. Miracles are "evidenter credibilia" (clearly credible), not "evidenter vera" (clearly true in themselves), preserving the supernatural character of revelation.
"Those events then are properly to be styled miracles, which happen by divine power beyond the order commonly observed in nature."
This framework counters errors denying miracles' possibility or knowability, as condemned by the Church: "If anyone shall have said that miracles are not possible... let him be anathema."
Primarily, miracles glorify God and serve human good; secondarily, they confirm missions, doctrines of faith or morals, attest saints' holiness, confer benefits, and vindicate justice. Unlike some Protestant views requiring miracles strictly for revelation's attestation, Catholics see them as "most fitting" for Christ's mission but not absolutely necessary.
Aquinas clarifies that true miracles, even if seemingly worked through creatures like saints' relics, stem solely from God: "when miracles are apparently worked by some creature... they are wrought exclusively by divine power." This underscores God's uniqueness, using miracles to prove faith's divine origin. John Henry Newman, defending ecclesiastical miracles, notes Catholics expect them in contexts like saints' intercession or relics, unlike secular reports, yet demand "good evidence" to distinguish from providences, graces, or impostures.
"were it referred to a saint, or the relic of a saint, or the intercession of a saint, I should not be startled at it, though I might not at once believe it."
Newman affirms no "Age of Miracles" ended; true miracles persist amid false ones, with discernment left to individual judgment under opportunities and Church guidance.
Catholic sources provided here touch relics indirectly, framing them within miracles' ecclesiastical context. Doctrine venerates relics as connected to saints, where miracles may occur as signs of divine favor, but always attributing power to God. Newman illustrates Catholic openness: reports of wonders at relics do not "startle" believers, as miracles are historical facts treated like other events, assessed by testimony.
St. Augustine, cited by Newman, recounts healings at martyrs' bodies in Milan, affirming post-apostolic miracles without implying constant spectacles: "Nam ego ipse, quando istum ipsum librum scripsi, ad Mediolanensium corpora Martyrum... cæcum illuminatum fuisse jam noveram." Such events confirm sanctity, not relics' intrinsic power. No source details relic veneration's full doctrine (e.g., touch, incorruptibility), limiting analysis to their role in miracle attestation.
Miracles are known through personal observation or testimony, judged by narrators' knowledge and veracity, with their extraordinary nature demanding thorough investigation. Hume's skepticism is rebutted philosophically: science and history can recognize miracles via causality, induction, and proper methods. Vatican I insists miracles are rationally demonstrable proofs.
Catholics approach reports logically: "It may be" (miracles occur in all ages), but "must be clearly proved" against providences or frauds. Newman's essays note Augustine and others acknowledging fewer modern miracles, yet ongoing ones visible to "believing eyes," prioritizing charity as the greatest miracle.
"Persons who believe all this... will of necessity... be led to say, first, 'It may be,' and secondly, 'But I must have good evidence in order to believe it.'"
Scriptural and ecclesial miracles demand divine faith; later ones serve evidential purposes without requiring belief absent proof.
Sources address tensions: miracles are not "physical force" compelling assent but moral suasion. Distinguishing true from false requires caution, as Newman warns of "many occurrences... called miraculous, which... are not such." Aquinas rejects demonic "miracles" as natural effects or true ones via prayer. Recent emphasis (e.g., Vatican I) prioritizes miracles' rational knowability over earlier patristic views on their rarity.
In summary, Catholic doctrine presents miracles as God's transcendent acts confirming faith, with relics as potential loci for such signs under strict scrutiny. Rooted in reason and evidence, they invite belief without coercion, glorifying God across ages.