ST.

EDWARD THE MARTYR, KING OF

ENGLAND
Vladimir E. Moss
Vernost, 32, 2006
In 1976, two Orthodox Christians of the Orthodox Parish of St. Michael the
rchan!el, "#ildford, S#rre$, En!land %&#ssian Orthodox Ch#rch 'road(
made contact with Mr. ). *ilson+Clarid!e, an amate#r archaeolo!ist and the
owner of the wonder+wor,in! relics of Mart$r+-in! Edward of En!land, who
was ,illed o.er a tho#sand $ears a!o, on March 1/011, 979. Mr. *ilson+
Clarid!e was loo,in! for a worth$ reli2#ar$ for the relics of the ,in!+mart$r,
and was not satisfied '$ the offers to ho#se them made '$ the Catholic and
n!lican Ch#rches. In res3onse to the offer of the Orthodox Christians to
!i.e the En!lish Orthodox ,in! a worth$ restin!+3lace, Mr *ilson+Clarid!e
decided to !i.e his relics to the &#ssian Orthodox Ch#rch 'road %&OC(4
and on Se3tem'er 1016, 19/5, the$ were formall$ acce3ted on 'ehalf of the
&OC '$ 6isho3 "re!or$ %"ra''e( of *ashin!ton and Eastern merica, and
3laced in a 'ea#tif#l reli2#ar$ in the Orthodox Ch#rch of St. Edward,
6roo,wood, near "#ildford, S#rre$, En!land.
It ma$ therefore 'e of interest to &#ssian readers to learn of the life of this
!reat saint of the n!lo+Saxon Orthodox Ch#rch 'efore the schism 'etween
the East and *est, whose relics ha.e now 'ecome the 3ossession of the
&#ssian Ch#rch.
7he hol$ Mart$r+-in! Edward was the son of -in! Ed!ar the Peacea'le of
En!land and his first wife, 8#een Ethelfleda, who died not lon! after his
'irth in 961 or 965. lread$ 'efore St. Edward9s 'irth, his father had had a
dream. :e told this to his mother, the a''ess St. El!i.a, who was !reatl$
!ifted for her !ift of 3ro3hec$ and wonder+wor,in!. She inter3reted the
dream as follows;+ fter $o#r death the Ch#rch of "od will 'e attac,ed. <o#
will ha.e two sons. 7he s#33orters of the second will ,ill the first, and while
the second will r#le on earth the first will r#le in hea.en.
=ow -in! Ed!ar had 'een anointed twice on the model of -in! >a.id; first
in 96? or 961, when he 'ecame -in! of En!land, and a!ain in 971, when his
dominion ex3anded to the north and west and he 'ecame @Em3eror of
6ritainA, recei.in! the tri'#te of ei!ht s#'+,in!s of the Celts and Vi,in!s. 6#t
'etween these two anointin!s he had married a!ain and fathered a second
son, Ethelred. *hen -in! Ed!ar died in 97B %his relics were disco.ered to 'e
incorr#3t in 1?BC(, Ethelred9s 3artisans, es3eciall$ his mother, ar!#ed that
Ethelred sho#ld 'e made ,in! in 3reference to his elder half+'rother
Edward, on the !ro#nds that Ed!ar had not 'een anointed when he 'e!at
Edward in 9B9 or 96?, and that his first wife, Edward9s mother,
had never 'een anointed, so that the throne sho#ld 3ass to the $o#n!er son,
Ethelred, who had 'een 'orn @in the 3#r3leA when 'oth his 3arents were
anointed so.erei!ns. 7he conflict was settled when the arch'isho3 of
Canter'#r$, St. >#nstan, seiDed the initiati.e and anointed St. Edward.
:owe.er, the defeated 3art$ of Ethelred did not !i.e #3 their o33osition to
"od9s chosen oneE
St. Edward, accordin! to an earl$ so#rce, @was a $o#n! man of !reat
de.otion and excellent cond#ct. :e was com3letel$ Orthodox, !ood and of
hol$ life. Moreo.er, he lo.ed a'o.e all thin!s "od and the Ch#rch. :e was
!enero#s to the 3oor, a ha.en to the !ood, a cham3ion of the Faith of Christ,
a .essel f#ll of e.er$ .irt#o#s !race.A
:owe.er, man$ tro#'les met the $o#n! ,in! on his accession to the
,in!dom. !reat famine was ra!in! thro#!h the land, and, 'e!innin! in the
*est and s3readin! to the East, a .iolent attac, was stirred #3 a!ainst the
hol$ monasteries '$ a 3rominent no'leman named Elfhere. Man$ of the
monasteries which -in! Ed!ar had esta'lished were destro$ed, and the
mon,s were forced to flee. 7h#s accordin! to a contem3orar$ monastic
writer; @7he whole ,in!dom was thrown into conf#sion, the 'isho3s were
a!itated, the no'lemen stirred #3, the mon,s sha,en with fear, the 3eo3le
terrified. 7he married cler!$ were !lad, for their time had come. ''ots,
with their mon,s, were ex3elled, and married cler!$, with their wi.es, were
introd#ced Gin their 3laceH.A
7he root of the tro#'le was that in the 3re.io#s rei!n the white cler!$ had
'een ex3elled from the monasteries in which the$ had 'een li.in!
#nlawf#ll$, had 'een re3laced '$ real mon,s, and were now see,in! to 'e re+
esta'lished in their former 3lace. lso, the no'les co.eted the lands which
-in! Ed!ar had !i.en to the monasteries. lread$ in the 3re.io#s rei!n there
had 'een a co#ncil to disc#ss this 2#estion, and when it was s#!!ested that
the white cler!$ 'e restored to their 3lace, a .oice was heard from a cross on
the wall; @Far 'e it from $o#I <o# ha.e done well; to chan!e a!ain wo#ld 'e
wron!.A
In s3ite of this, the 3ress#re contin#ed and er#3ted into .iolence at the
'e!innin! of the rei!n of -in! Edward. :owe.er, -in! Edward and
rch'isho3 >#nstan stood firm in a series of storm$ co#ncils attended '$ all
the leadin! men of Ch#rch and State. 7h#s at one co#ncil, which too, 3lace
at -irtlin!ton, Oxfordshire, after Pascha, 977, the tension was so !reat that
the ,in!9s t#tor, a 'isho3, died s#ddenl$ d#rin! the 3roceedin!s. 7hen, at
another co#ncil in Calne, *iltshire, when the white cler!$ were renewin!
their com3laints, St. >#nstan said; @Since in m$ old a!e $o# exert $o#rsel.es
to the stirrin! #3 of old 2#arrels, I confess that I ref#se to !i.e in, '#t
commit the ca#se of :is Ch#rch to Christ the )#d!e.A s he s3o,e the ho#se
was s#ddenl$ sha,en4 the floor of the #33er room in which the$ were
assem'led colla3sed, and the enemies of the Ch#rch were thrown to the
!ro#nd and cr#shed '$ the fallin! tim'er. Onl$ the 'eam on which the
arch'isho3 was sittin! on a 'eam did not mo.e.
In all this t#rmoil -in! Edward stood firm to!ether with the arch'isho3 in
defence of the Ch#rch and the monasteries. For this reason some of the
no'les decided to remo.e him and re3lace him with his wea,er $o#n!er
'rother. 7he$ seiDed their o33ort#nit$ on March 1/, 979.
On that da$ the ,in! was o#t h#ntin! with do!s and horsemen near
*areham in >orset. 7#rnin! awa$ from this 3#rs#it, the ,in! decided to
.isit his $o#n! 'rother Ethelred, who was 'ein! 'ro#!ht #3 in the ho#se of
his mother at Corfe Castle, near *areham. :e too, a small retin#e with him,
'#t s#ddenl$, as if 3la$in! a Jo,e on him, his retin#e 'ro,e #3 and went off
in all directions, lea.in! him to contin#e on his wa$ alone.
*hen Ethelred9s mother, 8#een Etheldritha, heard from her ser.ants that
the $o#n! ,in! was a33roachin!, she hid the e.il desi!n in her heart and
went o#t to meet him in an o3en and friendl$ manner, in.itin! him into her
ho#se. 6#t he declined, sa$in! that he onl$ wished to see his 'rother and tal,
to him. 7he 2#een then s#!!ested that while he was waitin! he sho#ld ha.e a
drin,. 7he ,in! acce3ted. t that moment one of the 2#een9s 3art$ went #3
to the ,in! and !a.e him a ,iss li,e )#das. For then, J#st as the ,in! was
liftin! the c#3 to his li3s, the man who had ,issed him lea3t at him from the
front and 3l#n!ed a ,nife in his 'od$. 7he ,in! sli33ed from the saddle of his
horse and was dra!!ed with one foot in the stirr#3 #ntil he fell lifeless into a
stream at the 'ase of the hill on which Corfe Castle stands.
7he 2#een then ordered that the hol$ 'od$ 'e seiDed and hidden in a h#t
near'$. In o'edience to her command, the ser.ants too, the 'od$ '$ the feet
and threw it i!nominio#sl$ into the h#t, concealin! it with some mean
co.erin!s.
=ow there li.ed in that h#t a woman 'lind from 'irth whom the 2#een #sed
to s#33ort o#t of charit$. *hile she s3ent the ni!ht there alone with the hol$
'od$, s#ddenl$, in the middle of the ni!ht, a wonderf#l li!ht a33eared and
filled the whole h#t. Str#c, with awe, the 3oor woman cried o#t; @Kord, ha.e
merc$IA t this, she s#ddenl$ recei.ed her si!ht, which she had so lon!
desired. nd then, remo.in! the co.erin!, she disco.ered the dead 'od$ of
the hol$ ,in!. 7he 3resent ch#rch of St. Edward at Corfe stands on the site of
this miracle.
7he stream into which the hol$ ,in!9s 'od$ first fell was fo#nd to ha.e
healin! 3ro3erties. Man$ 3il!rims who washed their e$es in the water
reco.ered or im3ro.ed their si!ht. 7hese incl#de two re3orted cases in
modern times.
t dawn the next da$, when the 2#een learned of the miracle, she was
tro#'led and decided to conceal the 'od$ in a different wa$. She ordered her
ser.ants to ta,e it #3 and '#r$ it in a marsh$ 3lace. t the same time she
commanded that no one sho#ld !rie.e o.er the ,in!9s death, or e.en s3ea,
a'o#t it. 7hen she retired to a manor in her 3ossession called 6ere, a'o#t ten
miles from Corfe.
Meanwhile, s#ch !rief too, hold of Ethelred o.er his 'rother9s death that he
co#ld not sto3 wee3in!. 7his an!ered his mother, who too, some candles
and 'eat him with them .icio#sl$, ho3in! there'$ to stem the flow of his
tears. It is said that thereafter Ethelred so hated candles that he wo#ld ne.er
allow them to 'e lit in his 3resence.
*hen St. >#nstan, arch'isho3 of Canter'#r$, heard the news he was !reatl$
saddened '$ the death of his 'elo.ed s3irit#al son, and at the coronation of
his half+'rother, Ethelred, at -in!ston he 3ro3hesied !reat sorrow for the
En!lish 3eo3le in the comin! rei!n. 7he 3ro3hec$ was exactl$ f#lfilled after
>#nstan9s death in 9//, when the 3a!an >anes in.aded En!land and
e.ent#all$, in 1?16, after o.er twent$ $ears of 'lood$ war, con2#ered the
co#ntr$.
7he contem3orar$ n!lo+Saxon Chronicle ex3ressed the #ni.ersal horror
felt '$ the En!lish Orthodox 3eo3le at this time; @=o worse deed for the
En!lish was e.er done than this, since first the$ came to the land of 6ritain.
Men m#rdered him, '#t "od exalted him4 in life he was an earthl$ ,in!, '#t
after death he is now a hea.enl$ saint. :is earthl$ ,insmen wo#ld not
a.en!e him, $et his :ea.enl$ Father has am3l$ a.en!ed him. 7hose earthl$
sla$ers wo#ld ha.e destro$ed his memor$ #3on earth4 '#t the :ea.enl$
.en!er has s3read his fame a'road, in the hea.ens and #3on the earth.
7hose who 'efore wo#ld not 'ow in re.erence to his li.in! 'od$, now
h#m'l$ 'end the ,nee to his dead 'ones. =ow can we 3ercei.e that the
wisdom of men, their deli'erations and their 3lots, are as nothin! a!ainst
"od9s 3#r3ose.A
lmost a $ear 3assed, and it 3leased lmi!ht$ "od to ma,e ,nown the
hea.enl$ !lor$ of the mart$r+,in!. 3illar of fire was seen o.er the 3lace
where his 'od$ was hidden, li!htin! #3 the whole area. 7his was seen '$
some de.o#t inha'itants of *areham, who met to!ether and raised the 'od$
from the 3lace where it la$. Immediatel$ a sweet, clear s3rin! of healin!
water s3ran! #3 in that 3lace. 7hen, accom3anied '$ a h#!e crowd of
mo#rners, the 'od$ was ta,en to the ch#rch of the Most :ol$ Mother of "od
in *areham and '#ried at the east end of the ch#rch. 7his first translation of
the hol$ relics too, 3lace on Fe'r#ar$ 11, 9/?.
Meanwhile, the 2#een9s deceit and treacher$ were made ,nown thro#!ho#t
the co#ntr$, the fame of the innocent mart$r+,in! increased, and man$ si!ns
and miracles testified to his holiness. 7he no'leman Elfhere, dee3l$
re3entin! of his destr#ction of monasteries and o33osition to the ,in!,
decided to ha.e the 'od$ translated to a worthier restin!+3lace. 6isho3s and
a''ots were in.ited, to!ether with ''ess *#lfrida of *ilton and the n#ns
of *ilton monaster$, who incl#ded St. Edith, the ,in!+mart$r9s half+sister.
!reat n#m'er of la$men and women of >orset also con.er!ed on *areham.
7hen the hol$ 'od$ was disinterred in the 3resence of the whole 3eo3le and
was fo#nd to 'e com3letel$ incorr#3t. Seein! this, St. >#nstan and the other
'isho3s led the 3eo3le in h$mns of 3raise to "od, while St. Edith ran #3 to
her 'rother9s 'od$ and em'raced it with tears of Jo$ and sorrow com'ined.
7hen the 'od$ was lifted onto a 'ier and with a !reat 3rocession of cler!$
and lait$ was ta,en to Shaftes'#r$, to the women9s monaster$ fo#nded in the
ninth cent#r$ '$ St. Edward9s ancestor, -in! lfred the "reat, in hono#r of
the Most :ol$ Mother of "od. 7he 3rocession 'e!an on Fe'r#ar$ 11, 9/1
and arri.ed at Shaftes'#r$ se.en da$s later, on Fe'r#ar$ C?. 7here the hol$
'od$ was recei.ed with hono#r '$ the n#ns and was '#ried with !reat
ceremon$ on the north side of the altar.
On the wa$ from *areham to Shaftes'#r$, two 3oor men who were so 'ent
o.er and 3aral$Ded that the$ co#ld hardl$ crawl on their hands and ,nees
were 'ro#!ht close to the 'ier. 7hose carr$in! it then lowered the sacred
'od$ down to their le.el, and immediatel$ in the si!ht of all the$ were
restored to f#ll health. !reat sho#t rose to the hea.ens, and all to!ether
!lorified the hol$ mart$r.
On hearin! of the miracles wor,ed thro#!h the saint, 8#een Etheldritha was
o.ercome '$ remorse and decided to !o to him to as, for!i.eness. 6#t as she
was ridin! to Shaftes'#r$ with her ser.ants, her horse s#ddenl$ sto33ed and
ref#sed to !o f#rther, nor wo#ld he 'e mo.ed '$ 'lows of the whi3 and
threats. 7hen the 2#een realiDed that she was held 'ac, '$ the force of her
sins. )#m3in! off the horse, she 3re3ared to contin#e her Jo#rne$ on foot.
6#t a!ain she was h#rled 'ac, and co#ld ma,e no 3ro!ress. Kater, wee3in!
'itterl$ o.er her sins, the 2#een retired to a con.ent at *herwell, where @for
man$ $ears she clothed her 3am3ered 'od$ in hair+cloth, slee3in! at ni!ht
on the !ro#nd witho#t a 3illow, and mortif$in! her flesh with e.er$ ,ind of
3enanceA.
>#rin! the twent$ $ears after the translation of the relics of St. Edward to
Shaftes'#r$, man$ miracles were wor,ed thro#!h the intercession of the
hol$ mart$r+,in!. 7h#s there was a woman li.in! in a remote 3art of
En!land, who had an infirmit$ of her le!s and dail$ 3o#red forth 3ra$ers for
her health. One ni!ht St. Edward a33eared to her in a dream and said;
@*hen $o# rise at dawn, !o witho#t dela$ to the 3lace where I am '#ried, for
there $o# will recei.e new shoes that are necessar$ for $o#r infirmit$.A
*a,in! earl$, the woman re3orted the dream to her nei!h'o#r4 '#t she,
dis'elie.in! the .ision, declared that it was ima!ination. nd so the woman
diso'e$ed the command of the saint. 6#t he, a33earin! to her a second time,
said; @*h$ do $o# s3#rn m$ command and so !reatl$ ne!lect $o#r healthL
"o then to m$ tom' and there $o# will 'e deli.ered.A She reco.ered her
stren!th and said; @*ho are $o#, lordL *here shall I find $o#r tom'LA :e
re3lied; @I am -in! Edward, recentl$ ,illed '$ an #nJ#st death and '#ried at
Shaftes'#r$, in the ch#rch of Mar$, the 'lessed Mother of "od.A 7he woman
wo,e earl$, and thin,in! o.er what she had seen, too, was needed for her
Jo#rne$ and made her wa$ to the monaster$. 7here she 3ra$ed for some time
with h#m'le heart to "od and St. Edward, and was restored to health.
"reat miracles contin#ed to 'e wor,ed at the tom' of the ro$al mart$r, and
in 1??1 his 'rother Ethelred, who had s#cceeded him on the throne, !ranted
the town of 6radford+on+.on @to Christ and :is saint, m$ 'rother Edward,
whom, co.ered in his own 'lood, the Kord :imself has dei!ned to ma!nif$
'$ man$ si!ns of 3ower.A
t a'o#t the same time the tom' in which the saint la$ 'e!an to rise from
the !ro#nd, indicatin! that he wished his remains to 'e raised from the
earth. In confirmation of this he a33eared in a .ision to a mon, and said;
@"o to the con.ent called '$ the famo#s name of Shaftes'#r$ and ta,e
commands to the n#n Ethelfreda who is in char!e of the other ser.ants of
"od there. <o# will sa$ to her that I do not wish to remain an$ lon!er in the
3lace where I now lie, and command her on m$ 'ehalf to re3ort this to m$
'rother witho#t dela$.A &isin! earl$, and 3ercei.in! that the .ision he had
seen was from "od, the mon, 2#ic,l$ made his wa$ to the a''ess as he had
'een commanded and told her in order all that had 'een re.ealed to him.
7hen the a''ess, !i.in! than,s to "od, immediatel$ told the whole stor$ to
-in! Ethelred, at the same time ma,in! ,nown to him the ele.ation of the
tom'. 7he ,in! was filled with Jo$ and wo#ld ha.e 'een 3resent at the
ele.ation if he had 'een a'le. 6#t, 'ein! 3re.ented '$ the in.asions of the
>anes, he sent messen!ers to the hol$ 'isho3s *#lsin of Sher'orne and
Elfsin of >orchester+on+7hames, as well as to other men of res3ected life,
instr#ctin! them to raise his 'rother9s tom' from the !ro#nd and re3lace it
in a fittin! 3lace. Followin! the ,in!9s command, those men Jo$f#ll$
assem'led at the monaster$ with a .ast crowd of la$men and women. 7he
tom' was o3ened with the #tmost re.erence, and s#ch a wonderf#l fra!rance
iss#ed from it that all 3resent tho#!ht that the$ were standin! amidst the
deli!hts of Paradise. 7hen the hol$ 'isho3s drew near, 'ore awa$ the sacred
relics from the tom', and, 3lacin! them in a cas,et caref#ll$ 3re3ared for
this, carried it in 3rocession to the hol$ 3lace of the Saints to!ether with
other hol$ relics. 7his ele.ation of the relics of St. Edward too, 3lace on
)#ne C?, 1??1.
St. Edward was officiall$ !lorified '$ an act of the ll+En!lish Co#ncil of
1??/, 3resided o.er '$ St. l3he!e, arch'isho3 of Canter'#r$ %who was
mart$red '$ the >anes in 1?1C(. -in! Ethelred ordered that the saint9s three
feastda$s %March 1/, Fe'r#ar$ 11 and )#ne C?( sho#ld 'e cele'rated
thro#!ho#t En!land. 7he ch#rch in which St. Edward9s relics rested was
rededicated to the Mother of "od and St. Edward, and that 3art of the town
was renamed @EdwardstoweA in hono#r of the saint. 7he town ,e3t this
name thro#!ho#t the Middle !es; onl$ after the Protestant &eformation
was the ori!inal name of Shaftes'#r$ restored.
Man$ miracles contin#ed to 'e wor,ed at the tom' of St. Edward. 7h#s
d#rin! the rei!n of his ne3hew, -in! Edward the Confessor %1?5C+1?66(, a
man named )ohn li.in! in north+west France, whose whole 'od$ had 'een
so 'ent '$ se.ere 3ain that his heels were to#chin! his loins and he was
#na'le to stand #3ri!ht, was told in a .ision at ni!ht to !o to En!land to the
monaster$ at Shaftes'#r$, where St. Edward la$, as there he wo#ld reco.er
hid health. :e told this .ision to his nei!h'o#rs and relati.es, and with their
hel3 and ad.ice he crossed the En!lish Channel and after man$ deto#rs at
last reached the monaster$. :a.in! 3ra$ed there for some time to "od and
St. Edward he reco.ered his health, and remained as a ser.ant at the
monaster$ for the rest of his life.
=ot lon! after, a le3er came to the tom' of the saint, and after in.o,in!
"od9s hel3 '$ 3ra$ers and .i!ils, he recei.ed com3lete cleansin! from his
infirmit$. nother man who had 'een 'o#nd in hea.$ chains for his sins was
s#ddenl$ freed from them as he was 3ra$in! earnestl$ at the tom'. !ain,
6isho3 :erman of Salis'#r$ was sta$in! at the monaster$, and a 3oor 'lind
man whom he s#33orted was with him. *hile the 'isho3 was dela$ed, the
'lind man decided to !o and 3ra$ at the tom', led '$ a 'o$ who !#ided his
ste3s. :e contin#ed 3ra$in! #ntil e.enin!, when the wardens who were
loo,in! after the ch#rch as,ed him to lea.e. :e ref#sed, and said that he
wo#ld wait on the merc$ of "od and St. Edward. Im3ressed '$ his faith, the$
let him sta$, while insistin! that the 'o$ ret#rn to his lod!in!s. fter sta$in!
at his 3lace for some time, the 'lind man was o.erwhelmed first '$ extreme
cold, then '$ extreme heat. nd then he reco.ered his si!ht. 7he next
mornin!, some wo#ld not 'elie.e the miracle4 '#t when witnesses came
forward who affirmed that he had 'een 'lind for a lon! time, 3raise was
!i.en to Christ *ho wor,s !reat wonders thro#!h :is Saints.
One of the miracles associated with St. Edward was the contin#al 2#i.erin!
of his incorr#3t l#n!. It is ,nown that this l#n! still 2#i.ered in the twelfth
cent#r$. :owe.er, in 19?5 an ele.enth+cent#r$ !lass .essel contained @a
shr#n,en n#t+li,e o'JectA was fo#nd 'eneath a small mar'le sla' in front of
the :i!h ltar. 7he .ase ma$ still 'e seen in *inchester Cathedral, '#t the
relic, which was 3ro'a'l$ St. Edward9s l#n!, was thrown awa$E
In 1911 Mr. *ilson+Clarid!e disco.ered some 'ones in a lead cas,et in the
north transe3t of Shaftes'#r$ ''e$. ltho#!h the archaeolo!ical e.idence
s#!!ested that these were indeed the relics of the saint, he decided to see,
the ad.ice of a 3rofessional osteolo!ist, >r. 7.E.. Stowell. :e examined the
'ones and in a lon! re3ort 3#'lished in 7he Criminolo!ist came to the
concl#sion that the$ were the 'ones of a $o#n! man of a'o#t C? %the saint
was a'o#t 17 when he was mart$red(, that he was a Saxon and not a Celt,
that certain 'ones were missin! %we ,now that 3arts of the relics were
remo.ed to Keominster and 'in!don in 1??/(, and that certain 'ones were
inJ#red. 7hese inJ#ries corres3onded to a 3erson 'ein! dra!!ed 'ac,wards
o.er the 3ommel of a saddle and ha.in! their le! twisted in a stirr#3. From
all this e.idence >r. Stowell concl#ded that these were indeed the 'ones of
the mart$red -in! Edward.
:owe.er, at the time when the hol$ relics were a'o#t to 'e transferred to the
&#ssian Ch#rch O#tside &#ssia, o33osition s#ddenl$ arose. nother %two+
3a!e( re3ort on the relics was commissioned which challen!ed the findin!s
of >r. Stowell, ar!#in! that the 'ones were of an older man. 7hen the
'rother of Mr. *ilson+Clarid!e so#!ht a hi!h+co#rt inJ#nction 3re.entin!
the &#ssian Ch#rch from recei.in! the relics. E.en some mem'ers of the
&OC s#33orted the 'rother of Mr. *ilson+Clarid!e, claimin! that he had a
half share ri!ht in the relics. 7he citiDens of Shaftes'#r$ also ar!#ed that the
relics sho#ld sta$ in Shaftes'#r$.
One &OC hierarch, rch'isho3 Mar, of "erman$, 2#estioned whether St.
Edward was a tr#e saint 'eca#se, as he claimed, the heres$ of
the Filio2#e was entrenched in En!land at the time. :owe.er, a S$nodical
decision declared in fa.o#r of St. Edward, and the do#'tin! hierarch Ma!reed
with the former decision after ha.in! 'een ac2#ainted with the historical
information com3iled '$ :is "race, 6isho3 "re!or$, who cited a list of
names of *estern saints of the same 3eriod who ha.e lon! 'een incl#ded in
o#r list of saints %amon! whom are St. K#dmilla, St. *encesla#s of CDechia,
and others(.M
7he 3resent writer has ar!#ed that it is far from clear whether
the Filio2#e was in !eneral #se in En!land at the time of St. Edward %late
tenth cent#r$(, and that in an$ case no less ri!oro#s a theolo!ian than St.
Maxim#s the Confessor had declared, when the &oman Ch#rch first ado3ted
the Filio2#e, that she did not in fact #nderstood in a heretical sense at that
time. 7h#s the 3ossi'ilit$ exists of a heres$ 'ein! acce3ted at an earl$ sta!e
o#t of i!norance, while those who hold it remain Orthodox.
In En!land, meanwhile, a lon! le!al 'attle 'e!an, d#rin! which the hol$
relics were ,e3t in a 'an, .a#lt. t one 3oint the ttorne$ "eneral decided
that the relics 'elon!ed to the 8#een of En!land. 7hen he chan!ed his mind,
'#t insisted that the relics sho#ld 'e ,e3t es3eciall$ sec#re N 3ro'a'l$
'eca#se the$ were the relics of a ,in!. Finall$, on March 1/011, 199B, the
3rinci3al feastda$ of St. Edward, the case a!ainst the &OC was dismissed
and the relics were ret#rned to the Ch#rch.
Miracles contin#e to 'e wor,ed thro#!h St. Edward to the 3resent da$. 7h#s
the En!lish Orthodox Christian @S.P.A writes; @I was .er$ ha33$ to 'e
3re!nant a!ain '#t saddened to learn that I had ca#!ht the rare disease of
toxo3lasmosis. 7he doctors ad.ised me to a'ort at once; OCome thro#!h to
this room,9 the$ said, Oand it will 'e o.er in a few min#tes.9 s an Orthodox
Christian, I ref#sed to ha.e an$ tr#c, with this. 7he$ 3romised me, a
mallea'le %so the$ tho#!ht( $o#n! woman of C1, a child with no le!s and no
arms. I 3#t m$ faith in "od. Kater, six months 3re!nant, I ret#rned to the
clinic for a scan. 7his time the doctors came o#t with a sli!htl$ more
reass#rin! stor$; m$ child, for the$ co#ld see him now, wo#ld ha.e arms and
le!s, '#t he wo#ld 'e 'orn 'lind.
@It was at this .er$ time that I first came to read the little 'roch#re, 7he
&ecorded Miracles of St. Edward the Mart$r. I had alwa$s 'een attracted '$
St. Edward9s icon and when I read that his first miracle had 'een to heal a
'lind woman, I was o.erwhelmed with the tho#!ht that m$ son sho#ld 'e
called Edward. *e decided to 'a3tise him so, des3ite o#r rch'isho3 who
ref#sed to reco!nise the Saint and tried to force m$ h#s'and into chan!in!
the name. nd when Edward was 'orn, he was not 'lind, '#t a !ood, ha33$
'a'$, 3erfectl$ normal and so stron! and health$I Ima!ine o#r Jo$I 7he
doctors were .er$ s#r3rised, and 3erha3s a little ashamed of themsel.es, '#t
the$ did show me and m$ h#s'and the #m'ilical cord and 3lacenta. It was
astonishin!, for we co#ld clearl$ see how the to3 half of the cord had 'een
discolo#red an #!l$ 'lac, '$ an infection. 7he discoloration had sto33ed
exactl$ half+wa$ down the cord. I am so than,f#l to "od and St. Edward. 7he
Kord is tr#l$ wonderf#l in :is Saints.A
S. Mc>onnell, an Orthodox Christian from #stralia, writes; @On "reat
Frida$ this $ear I met #3 with Edward, a 6#l!arian friend, in )er#salem. :e
related the followin! to me while we were at the :ol$ Se3#lchre.
@s a child, he had not 'een 'a3tised. &ecentl$ he had as,ed to recei.e the
sacrament of hol$ 'a3tism in )er#salem. 7he 3riest, Fr. Ia,o.os, a!reed '#t
informed Edward that he wo#ld ha.e to chan!e his name 'eca#se it Owas not
Orthodox9. M#ch saddened, Edward a!reed, '#t went home with a !rief+
stric,en heart 'eca#se he was fond of his name. 7hat ni!ht while he sle3t, a
$o#n! man wearin! a cloa, of 3#r3le and a s2#are sha3ed crown of !old
a33eared and said; OI am Edward, -in! of the En!lish. <o# 'ear m$ name.
6e 'a3tised.9 7hat was all. %I later fo#nd o#t from Fr. =i3hon of St. Edward9s
6rotherhood that the Saxon crown was a s2#are one.(
@I was s#r3rised and showed m$ friend Edward a 3a3er icon of St. Edward
that I carr$ with me. I as,ed if this was the one. Shoc,ed, he stammered o#t
$es, noticin! 3artic#larl$ that St. Edward9s crown was s2#are and his cloa,
3#r3le for a -in!. <o# can ima!ine how sha,en I was '$ this, m$ mo#th was
o3en, I J#st co#ldn9t 'elie.e it.A
%Sources: 7he n!lo+Saxon Chronicle4 non$mo#s, @Vita OswaldiA, in ).
&aine, :istorians of the Ch#rch of <or,, &olls Series, 1/75, .ol. I4 @Passio et
Mirac#la Sancti Edwardis &e!is et Mart$risA %11
th
cent#r$(, in Christine
Fell, Edward -in! and Mart$r, Pni.ersit$ of Keeds, 19714 *illiam of
Malmes'#r$, "esta &e!#m n!lor#m4 ).M. -em'le, Codex >i3lomatic#s
e.i Saxoni, 1/5B+/, no. 7?64 >.).V. Fisher, @7he nti+Monastic &eaction in
the &ei!n of Edward the Mart$rA, Cam'rid!e :istorical )o#rnal, 19BC, Q, 33.
CB5+C7?4 7heodoric Pa#l#s, 2#oted in Orthodox$ merica, Ma$+)#ne,
19/14 Ki.in! Orthodox$, .ol#me IV, no. 5, )#l$+#!#st, 19/C, 3. 164 V. Moss,
M*estern Saints and the Filio2#eM, Ki.in! Orthodox$, .ol#me IV, no. 1,
)an#ar$+Fe'r#ar$, 19/C, 3. C94 ). *ilson+Clarid!e, 7he &ecorded Miracles
of St. Edward the Mart$r, 6roo,wood; -in! Edward Orthodox 7r#st, 19/54
V. Moss, 7he Saints of n!lo+Saxon En!land, Seattle; St. =ectarios Press,
.ol#me C, 19914 rchimandrite lexis %Po'Jo$(, @7he St. Edward
6rotherhoodA, =ecro3olis =ews, 6roo,wood, S#rre$, .ol. C, no. 1, 3ril,
19964 @S.P.A, @ Miracle of St. Edward the Mart$rA, Orthodox En!land, .ol. 1,
no. 5, )#ne, 199/, 3. 154 @ :ol$ =ame; Miracle of St. EdwardA, Orthodox
En!land, .ol. C, no. 1, March, 1999, 3. 11(