Two churches are each claiming to hold the remains of the third century Bishop known as Saint Valentine, in whose name romance is being celebrated today. For many years, this has been a special day for Whitefriar Street Church on Aungier Street, in Dublin. The church is believed to house the remains of Saint Valentine. But this year, a dispute has broken out between the Dublin church and a church in Glasgow, which also claims that it has the original remains of the patron saint of romance. The Gorbals Franciscan Pastoral Centre in Glasgow, Scotland says they have Valentine's bones.
The casket in Dublin, which priests say contains the remains of Saint Valentine, has rested peacefully at Whitefriar Street Church for over 150 years. The remains were a gift from Pope Gregory XVI to an Irish priest. The casket has never been opened, but it does have a papal seal and comes complete with documents of authenticity. However, priests at the Gorbals Franciscan Pastoral Centre in Glasgow also say that wooden casket that has been stored on top of a cupboard there since 1868 contains the genuine bones of Saint Valentine.
Meanwhile, a similar claim is also being made by the Basilica at Terni, in Umbria, Italy.
