ST LAWRENCE Patron Saint of McDonalds. San Lorenzo in Lucina KALLE LUNDAHL MAR2014

This video illustrates the grim death of the saint Lawrence who was put to death during the persecutions of the Christians by the Emperor Valerian (reign: 253-259).

As deacon in Rome around 257-258, Lawrence was charged with the responsibility for material goods of the Church, and distribution of alms to the poor. St. Ambrose of Milan relates that when St. Lawrence was asked for the treasures of the Church he brought forward the poor, among whom he had divided the treasure as alms. "Behold in these poor persons the treasures which I promised to show you; to which I will add pearls and precious stones, those widows and consecrated virgins, which are the church's crown." The prefect was so angry that he had a great gridiron prepared, with coals beneath it, and had Lawrence's body placed on it (hence St. Lawrence's association with the gridiron). After the martyr had suffered the pain for a long time, the legend concludes, he made his famous cheerful remark, "I'm well done. Turn me over!" From this derives his patronage of cooks and chefs.

Some historians, such as Patrick Healy, view the traditions of how Lawrence was martyred as "not worthy of credence", as the slow lingering death cannot be reconciled "with the express command contained in the edict regarding bishops, priests, and deacons (animadvertantur) which ordinarily meant decapitation." A theory of how the tradition arose is put forward by Pio Franchi de' Cavalieri. He postulates that it was the result of a mistaken transcription, the accidental omission of the letter "p" -- "by which the customary and solemn formula for announcing the death of a martyr -- passus est ["he suffered," that is, was martyred] -- was made to read assus est [he was roasted]." The Liber Pontificalis, which is held to draw from sources independent of the existing traditions and Acta regarding Lawrence, uses passus est concerning him, the same term it uses for Pope Sixtus II (martyred by beheading during the same persecution).

My note: The information above is an extract from Wikipedia.
My commentary upon the inscription from 1130 is based upon one publication by Anna Blennow on San Lorenzo in Lucina.

(Chapel of St. Lawrence)

Welcome to Rome. We are now in Basilica San Lorenzo in Lucina.

Emperor Valerian who reigned from 253 to 259 persecuted Christians

And put to death several of them. One of them was San Lorenzo - "Lawrence" in English

Here is he being sentenced to death

and he suffered a very grim death

you see it here in this other painting

he is being roasted like a hamburger on a gridiron

You see the gridiron there in the heavens.

Lawrence is holding it - symbol of his passion

You also have it here - inside the box below the altar.

We are now going out of the Basilica San Lorenzo in Lucina

That street over there is Via Frattina

which leads to the famous McDonalds at Piazza di Spagna

And speaking about hamburgers

we are going to speak more about Saint Lawrence

who was roasted like a hamburger

We are going to see an important inscription where the cult of Lawrence is attested

According to some historians Lawrence was not actually roasted

An ancient source gives "assus est" "he was roasted"

According to a modern historian we have here a scribal error for "passus est" "he suffered."

In any case, this inscription attests the cult of Lawrence as believed during the Middle ages.

This inscription is from 1130.

This inscription was made during the "Dopmini" - corresponding to "Domini" in Classical Latin, i.e. "Lord"

"Pape" corresponds to the classical "Papae" singular genitive.

"During the Lord Pope Anacletus II."

"PRIMO ANNO" "During his first year"

Then you have the word "vero" "truly" but you can eliminate it in a translation. It separates this from the preceding phrase

It was made during "indictio" - a period of 15 years to count taxes.

You have the same word in this other inscription "indictione" - ablative from "indictio"

It was the eighth year of "indictio"

"In the month of May"

"MADIO" is "Maius" in classical Latin

"Maggio" in modern Italian

"25th day." In the word "quinta" "fifth" you have a ligature (binding multiple letters)

The subject is over here: "This church"

"was dedicated."

The phrase ends there.

The subject of the next phrase is:

"CORPORA SANTORUM MARTYRUM"

"Bodies of holy martyrs"

This is a list or an inventory of things inside the church

"These bodies of holy martyrs were put back (i.e. buried) by the hands of the same pope" i.e. Anacletus II

"(to be venerated) on the main altar"

Then there is an inventory of things inside the church

A "vestis" "clothing"

"of Saint Sixtus who was both martyr and pope"

"Sixtus" is "Sisto" in modern Italian

The name means that he was the "sixth" pope after Peter, the apostle of Christ

The inventory continues

with "two ampoules"

"of glass"

"containing blood and grease"

"ADIPE" means "grease" or "body fat"

These liquids came from the "Most holy and glorious martyr St. Lawrence"

Then you have an ornament here but theologically speaking the preceding genitives belongs also to the next phrase

because it relates to the cult of Lawrence

"FURCULA" is a "small fork"

"CRATICULE" in English with "G" "Graticule" "grid" or rather a "gridiron" or "grill" - almost like this one here.

Where he was being roasted

he told one of the solders (who was there roasting him) :

"Please, turn me also to the other side"

The soldier probably used a "fork" mentioned here in order to turn him onto the other side

just as you would also do with a hamburger

The gridiron was of iron

there was also shackles attached

There is a "GAUSAPE" "clothing of wool." This is a Greek word. The Latin one is "VESTIS"

Then "PINGUIDO" "grease". You have actually two synonyms for "dripping" in this text:

"ADIPE" and "PINGUIDO"

The last line "CUNCTA" "all"

"All these things are in the church"

This is a very precious document for the cult of St. Lawrence during the Middle ages (1130). It is important because he is the patron saint of chefs.