Ten things you never knew about... St George

Today is St George’s Day, the feast day of England’s patron saint, so let’s have some patriotic facts.

1. St George is thought to have been a soldier in the Roman army who was born in the Roman province of Syria Palaestina around AD280.

2. He was put to death on April 23, 303 for refusing to give up his Christianity.

3. A fifth- century myth tells of him recovering three times after being killed, including once when he was chopped into many pieces and buried.

4. In 494, Pope Gelasius said he was among the saints “whose names are justly reverenced among men but whose actions are known only to God”.

5. The first tale of George killing a dragon came from 11th century Cappadocia, now in Turkey.

6. Cappadocia was the home of another Christian martyr named George with whom St George has long been confused.

7. St George is also patron saint of Georgia, Malta, Ethiopia, Bulgaria, Malta, Portugal and Slovenia…

8. … and also sufferers from plague, skin diseases, leprosy, syphilis and herpes.

9. Bulgarians celebrate St George’s Day on May 6 when it is traditional to roast a whole lamb.

10. Because of doubts about his history, Pope Paul VI demoted Saint George to ‘ optional worship’ in 1969. Pope John- Paul II reinstated him in 2000.