Lucia

Today is the feast of Lucia in Syracuse; a Greek city ruled from, I think, Milan at the time (d. AD 304). I find the evidence for her sanctity insufficient, and move this feast be abolished in favour of a saint better-attested.

Lucia Lightbringer is matron of the eye. Personally, I am happy to have a saint for that. Except that Lucia's life, to the extent it had meaning, is irrelevant to vision.

Over her short adult life Lucia decided she didn't want to marry. On AD 304, one of her gamma-tier suitors ratted her out. Diocletian was still Emperor, with Maximian as Augustus; those terrible twos would not resign until the next year.

I agree, the manboy who had Lucia killed must answer for his sin. I also agree that Lucia deserved better. However. Lucia also had motive. Which motive, matters.

The motive which the Catholics ascribe is that she had consecrated her virginity, in which case it wouldn't matter to whom she was betrothed. Alternatively - we are always warned for vulgar-Christianity that the source material isn't great - Lucia simply did not want to marry a pagan, especially not this pagan (and hoo boy did he ever prove her right). Her "consecration" was then a desire to hold out for a nice Catholic boy.

Is there enough evidence to say, which? I'd grant to Lucia the benefit-of-doubt; she was, after all, still young, and events would support her immediate decision. Unfortunately the Catholic sources make her out badly. They venerate Lucia for being a "virgin" as such. I am sorry but this reason is not pro-life.

Because we do not know, until we do know, we should not accept Lucia (admittedly misused in life) into the canon.

INSTEAD 6:40 PM MST: Robert of Lincoln, of the large testes. (My Latin might need work.)