The blood of St Januarius has failed to liquefy at the expected time prompting concerns about what it might signify.
St Januarius was a Bishop of Naples who is believed to have been martyred around the year 305 during the Diocletian persecution.
His blood is kept in a sealed glass ampoule in Naples Cathedral and traditionally liquefies three times a year: on September 19, December 16 and the Saturday before the first Sunday of May.
But during Mass at the Royal Chapel at Naples Cathedral on Friday, the Abbot of the Chapel, Monsignor Vincenzo De Gregorio, revealed that the blood had failed to become liquid, according to reports.
