The ancient and revered blood ritual of St. Januarius captivated crowds in Naples, Italy, on Tuesday, as Catholics eagerly anticipated witnessing a miracle.

The blood of St. Januarius, a martyr who died in 305 AD, is preserved in two sealed glass vials housed at the Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta. On specific feast days, a Catholic priest or bishop displays the vials to the faithful.

The liquefaction of the blood is considered a positive sign by the Church, while its failure to do so is often seen as a harbinger of trouble.

History records that the blood has remained solid during times of great turmoil, including the start of World War II in 1939, the Nazi occupation in 1943, the catastrophic earthquake in 1980, and more recently in 2016 and 2020.

“At 9:13 a.m. local time, the blood appeared semi-liquid. By 10:05 a.m., it had fully liquefied,” announced Archbishop Domenico Battaglia of Naples.

During the ‘miracle,’ the reddish dried blood clinging to one side of the vial suddenly transforms into a deep red liquid, spreading across the glass from edge to edge.

Scientists say the phenomenon may be caused by a substance in the blood that changes from solid to liquid when moved or warmed.

For the faithful, however, it remains a miraculous sign protecting Naples.

The first recording of the ritual dates to 1383. It sees a priest or bishop present the dried blood to see if it will liquify (STOCK)

St Januarius was beheaded, and his blood was ultimately brought to Naples, where locals revere him as the city of Napel’s protector

‘Every drop of this blood speaks to us of the love of God,’ Archbishop Battaglia said in his homily. ‘This blood is a sign of the blood of Christ, of his passion.’ 

The archbishop noted that September 19 marks the anniversary of St Januarius’ martyrdom more than 1,700 years ago, when the saint embraced death in ‘fidelity to the Gospel,’ demonstrating that the love of God is ‘stronger than death, violence or any earthly power. 

In his homily, Archbishop Battaglia cautioned against reducing the veneration of the city’s saint to mere superstition.

‘We do not have to worry if the blood of this relic does not liquefy, but we do have to worry if it is the blood of the downtrodden, the marginalized, and the poor that flows through our streets,’ he said.

Legend has it that Januarius and his companions were thrown to the bears in the amphitheater of Pozzuoli, but the animals failed to attack them. 

Januarius and his companions were then beheaded, and his blood was ultimately brought to Naples, where locals revere him as the city’s protector. 

The first recorded instance of the ritual dates to 1383, but Church officials believe it may have occurred much earlier. 

The blood liquified on Tuesday, which believers say is a good omen (STOCK). It has not liquified in the past, specifically during WWII

The liquefaction of the blood can be unpredictable, sometimes taking hours or even days to occur, and on rare occasions, it fails. 

Typically, within minutes to an hour, the solid dark mass turns a deep red and begins to bubble, signaling the start of the prodigy.

The two ampoules, or vials, each containing the dried substance, are kept in a gold-and-glass reliquary. 

During the ritual, a priest, or usually the Archbishop of Naples, holds the reliquary aloft and gently tilts it from side to side, allowing the crowd to see the blood fully liquefy as prayers fill the cathedral.

The reliquary containing the ampoules is kept on display for the faithful for eight days. 

During this period, worshippers can approach to kiss it while a priest carefully tilts the vials, proving the blood remains liquid. 

Afterward, the relic is returned to its secure vault inside the Chapel of the Treasury, where it is locked away until the next feast day.

The blood ritual takes place on three feast days each year, but experts are divided on whether the substance is genuine blood or a medieval concoction. 

Spectroscopic analyses in 1902 and 1989 detected signs of blood but were inconclusive, while a 1991 CICAP experiment recreated a red-brown thixotropic substance that liquefies when disturbed, suggesting a natural explanation.

A 2024 study by Giovanni Fazio of the University of Messina concluded there is no definitive proof that the vials contain blood, but noted that faith and tradition remain central to the ritual. 

Fazio suggested further study could be done if the Church allowed observation outside feast days or comparison of the recreated substance with past analyses, though uncertainties and controversy surrounding the relic persist.