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Reader Question – Gleice,
Sao Paulo-SP
He was the chief of the Roman soldiers who, on the way to the crucifixion of Jesus, pierced his chest with a spear (which, incidentally, is the translation of his Latin name, Longinus). But a miracle made him review his faith: when the blood of Christ touched his skin, he healed him from a serious illness. Longinus then asked God for forgiveness and declared the biblical passage: «This man is indeed the Son of God».
He abandoned the army and fled to Cappadocia, but Pilate (prefect of Judea between AD 26 and 36) discovered his whereabouts and brought him in for trial as a deserter. He was tortured, killed and beheaded, but canonized around the 10th century by Pope Sylvester II. In his time in the army, Longinus was known for recovering stolen or lost objects – and the fame continues today, inspiring sympathy with jumping and screaming.
Consultancy Pastor Waldex Silva, CEO of the Brazilian Association of Theologians, Father Antônio S. Bogaz, from Paróquia Nossa Senhora da Saúde – Rio Claro (SP), and João Henrique Hansen, professor at the Institute of Theology of São Paulo and Universidade São Camilo