Presented by tradition as the son of Emperor Philip, Quirinus was baptized by Pope Fabian before being martyred under Claudius II in 269. His body, thrown into the Tiber and later recovered, was transferred in the 8th century to Bavaria to found Tegernsee Abbey. A miraculous balm flowing from his tomb made it an important place of pilgrimage.
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SAINT QUIRINUS OF TEGERNSEE, MARTYR (269).
Origins and baptism
Quirin is presented as the son of Emperor Philip, the first Christian emperor, and baptized at the age of seven by Pope Fabian.
This Sain t Quir Quirin Roman martyr of the 3rd century whose relics are at Tegernsee. in is the same as Saint Cyrin or Cyrions, whom we mention in the acts of Saints Marius, Martha, Audifax, and Abachum, on January 19. According to his own acts, transmitted to the Bollandists by the Benedictines of Tegernsee, Quirin was the son of the Roman Emperor Phi lip, who Philippe Roman emperor who maintained a correspondence with Origen. is said to have been the first to embrace the Christian faith. After the assassination of this emperor by Decius, the Empress Severa was forced to hide with her son Qu irin. Pope pape Fabien Pope to whom Pontius entrusted his goods for the poor. Fabian baptized him at the age of seven; but twenty year s later, Claude II Roman emperor, relative of Mustiola. Claudius II, having learned that a descendant of the unfortunate Philip remained, had him apprehended and thrown into prison; it was there that he was visited b y th Rome Birthplace of Maximian. e Persian nobles who had come to Rome to place their gold and their charity at the service of the martyrs. Eight days after this visit, Claudius II had his prisoner slaughtered quietly and by night.
Martyrdom under Claudius II
Sought by Claudius II as a descendant of Philip, Quirinus is imprisoned, visited by Persians, and then executed secretly by night.
His body, which had been thrown into the Tiber, was buried by Christian hands in the crypt of Pontianus.
Translation to Tegernsee
In 746, Pope Zachary presented the relics to Count Albert of Bavaria, who founded the monastery of Tegernsee to house them.
In 746, Pope Zachary gave them to Albert, Count of Bavaria, who, in order to receive and honor these holy relics, had the monastery of Tegernsee built. A monastère de Tegernsee Site of the Bavarian monastery housing the saint's relics. ll the documents that the Bollandists have had in their hands make Quirin the son of the Emperor Philip, but without proof; it is to be supposed that the good German monks wished to ennoble their Saint to make him more recommendable. The tradition is respectable, but on one condition: that it can be linked to something, and its links followed from century to century. This pious invention, moreover, takes nothing away from the merit of Saint Quirin and the authenticity of his relics.
Critical analysis of sources
The author emphasizes that Quirin's imperial lineage lacks historical evidence and may be a monastic invention to ennoble the saint.
There have been several illustrious saints by the name of Quirinus, Cyrinus, or Quirin. We shall concern ourselves here only with the two martyrs of Rome, mentioned by Baronius on the 25th and 30th of March respectively.
Confusion between the two Quirins
The study distinguishes the martyr of March 25 (Tegernsee) from the one of March 30 (tribune under Hadrian), despite the confusion of certain authors such as Fr. Cahier.
Fr. Cahier, who enjoys well-deserved authority on hagiographical questions, nevertheless makes a confusion regarding the saints by the name of Quirin. The Roman Martyrology indeed cites two, one on March 25, and this is the one that must be distinguished by the surname of Tegernsee, and the other on March 30; the latter was a military tribune under Hadrian, jailer of Pope Saint Alexander, and father of Saint Balbina. His relics were sent to France by Pope Saint Leo IX, who presented them to his sister; the priory of Saint-Quirin in Lorraine was built to receive them. His head was given to the city of Neuss, in the Cologne region. But it is the relics of Saint Qui rin, martyred under Claudius, that saint Quirin, martyrisé sous Claude Roman martyr of the 3rd century whose relics are at Tegernsee. were given in the 8th century to the abbey of Tegernsee, in Bavaria. A medieval hymn, which Fr. Cahier himself cites, Vol. I, p. 368 of his *Caractéristiques*, bears witness to this, and the author from beyond the Rhine was right to speak of Saint Quirin, martyred under Claudius, instead of Saint Quirin, martyred under Hadrian. In his table of patronages, Fr. Cahier himself distinguishes the two saints, although he confuses them again in the hagionymic table at the end.
The torments endured also distinguish the two saints by the name of Quirin: the one of March 25 or of Tegernsee alone was beheaded and then thrown into the Tiber. It is undoubtedly from the tomb of Saint Quirin, at Tegernsee, that a miraculous balm flowed. Now, does this miracle of the miraculous balm flowing from the tomb of Saint Quirin not suffice to explain the presence of arms and legs placed as ex-votos before his altar at Tegernsee, without attributing to him the torture of severed legs, of which the Roman Martyrology and the Bollandists do not speak for the martyr of March 25, while they mention it regarding Saint Quirin of March 30?
The miracle of the balm
A miraculous balm flowing from the tomb of Tegernsee explains the ex-votos, thus differentiating his cult from that of the other Saint Quirin.
Cf. A.A. SS. — We shall return on May 3rd, in the *Acts of Saint Alexander*, to Saint Quirin, honored in Lorraine and Cologne.
Annexes & related entities
Structured data for exploration: events, miracles, quotes, places, attributes, patronages, and important entities cited in the text.
Key Events
- Baptized at the age of seven by Pope Fabian
- Arrested under Claudius II as a descendant of Emperor Philip
- Visited in prison by Persian nobles
- Nocturnal execution by throat-slitting
- Body thrown into the Tiber
- Translation of relics to Bavaria in 746
Miracles
- Miraculous balm flowing from the tomb