St. William of Norwich (f.d. March 26)
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When the mutilated body of a 12 year old boy was found in a wood outside Norwich in mid-10th century England, it was alleged that the boy had been a victim of ritual murder by the
perfidious Jews, as the Liturgy of Good Friday once referred to them. There was no real evidence to support the theory, except the outrage of peasants, which soon developed into a local cultus of veneration for the youthful martyr, as well as the persecution of local Jews. Historians have referred to the incident as being
one of history's most heinous lies. Such ridiculous stories became popular and widespread throughout Europe, and endure to this day amongst a few very traditionalist Catholics and Eastern Europeans. Nazi propaganda sprang (in part) from such legends, evoking ancient fears amongst the sanctimonious, as well as ordinary under educated believers.
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Another child martyr is known as Little St. Hugh of Lincoln (1255). His mutilated body was found in a well, resulting in the torture and death of several Jews accused of crucifying the child during Passover.
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Moving south to Trent in northern Italy: It was there, in the year 1475 that the precociously pious infant Simon (f.d. 24 March), only two and half years old, was said to have been murdered by a Jewish physician and accomplices. It was told the child, left unattended outside his home, was kidnapped and tortured at midnight on Holy Thursday in mockery of Christ's passion. Testimony claimed,
"The Hebrews killed the little boy Simon, in order to obey a rabbinical religious law; their motive being to serve a most wicked piety and devotion by obtaining Christian blood for the celebration of Passover." His body was later found in the river. (To my knowledge, there never was, nor is there any such rabbinical law demanding human sacrifice.)
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The cult of St Simon was suppressed in 1965.
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Perchance a Jewish man killed one of these saints. However, if it was true, the offender would have been acting contrary to Jewish Law and the Commandments, and he and his followers would have acted on their own. Their Jewishness would have been incidental. That children were killed, there is no doubt, but the real perpetrators likely were never brought to justice. Just so today, we hear of children that have been abducted, most always sexually molested, and very often killed - after mutilation and torture - only to be cast into a river, or buried in a wood. It is a horrible crime. Nevertheless, in our day it is popular to accuse Satanic cults, yet more commonly law enforcement identifies the perpetrators as homosexual or heterosexual pedophiles, and/or pathological serial killers. I'm quite sure that was most likely the case in medieval times as well.
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Are the kids saints and martyrs? The ancient cults were supported by miracles, so I expect they are. Common sense suggests their legend is probably grossly exaggerated if not inaccurate, and I would insist one simply may not claim that Jewish people as a group were responsible for such murders, much less claim such horrible crimes are part of Jewish religious cult. (Although, as stated, some traditionalists believe otherwise. Unfortunately irrational antisemitism lives on.)
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Art: St William, from a rood screen of the medieval church of St. James, now at
St. Mary Magdalen's in Norwich..
