The Practice of Miracles and the Miraculous in the Context of the Formation of the Cult of Saints (From the Past to the Present)

The paper examines the practice of miracles and the miraculous in relation to the issue of the formation of the Cult of Saints in Europe (in its western and central parts). It notes the ambiguity and complexity of its solution both in the context of studying the history of Christianity and from the point of view of the further coexistence of Christian denominations. It is shown that ancient processes associated with the Cult of Saints, the custom and practice of venerating relics, their bringing/transfer to places exist today — both in the Orthodox and Catholic churches. On the story of Einhard (9th с.) about the transfer of the remains of saints Marcellinus and Peter from Rome to Francia (to Mulinheim [lat.]; now — Seligenstadt, Germany), the “mechanism” of the formation / spread of the Cult of Saints and their veneration in medieval Europe is reconstructed; the practice of miracles and the miraculous as a way of manipulating public consciousness is discussed.