Saint Longinus

Who is he?

Saint Longinus is the Roman soldier whom the Church’s tradition says was at the foot of the cross when Jesus died. His name is not in the Bible. Since ancient times, the Church has remembered him as an example of conversion: from a soldier carrying out an execution, he became someone who believed in Jesus.

Life story

The Gospels tell about the Roman soldiers on Calvary. Saint Mark tells that the centurion who stood facing Jesus, seeing how he breathed his last, said: “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mk 15:39). Saint John tells that after Jesus had died, “one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water” (Jn 19:34).

The Gospels do not tell us the names of these two men, or whether they were the same person. Later, some ancient books outside the Bible called the soldier with the spear Longinus. Tradition often takes him to be the same as the centurion who professed his faith.

According to legend, after these events he left the army, lived a life of prayer, preached about Jesus and was martyred in the region of Cappadocia. These details are not in the Bible, so we receive them only as stories handed down over many centuries.

Pictures and statues usually show him in a Roman soldier’s uniform, holding a spear, standing at the foot of the cross. In Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome there is a large statue of him.

Why is he a saint?

The most certain thing is the declaration of faith at the foot of the cross recorded in the Gospel: at the very moment Jesus died, a pagan soldier recognized him as the Son of God. The Church remembers Saint Longinus as a sign that God’s love on the cross can touch anyone’s heart.

A lesson for you

• Every time you look at a crucifix, remember that Jesus died out of love for you, and say thank you to him.
• No one is too far from God. If you do something wrong, you can always come back to him.
• Have the courage to speak about your faith, like the centurion at the foot of the cross.