|
 |
Holy Relics
The word “relic” comes from the Latin “reliquiae”
which means “remains”. It is used for objects, notably
parts of a human body or intimately associated objects, kept as
a memorial of a deceased person. Honoring relics seems to be universal
and quite instinctual. It has been practiced since ancient times
and is associated with many other religious systems besides Christianity.
The veneration of relics is based on the concept of "beneficent
contagion", according to which a person's virtue, holiness,
or protective healing powers, do not die with him or her but continue
to reside in the body and can be tapped by any believer who in some
way makes contact with the remains of or objects associated with
the person.
It is further believed that, if the body of one of these
holy persons is dismembered, the power within it is not diminished
and each part will be as full of potency as the whole. The same
thing applies to anything touched by the person while alive or anything
that touches him or her after death.
These containers of a supposedly animate force - whole bodies, bones,
hair and teeth, clothes, books, furniture, instruments of martyrdom,
winding-sheets, coffins and (if the body is cremated) the ashes
that are left - are dignified by the name of "relics"
and credited with the grace that once resided in their owners.
Buddha's tooth. Unearthed from
a collapsed pagoda in Mrauk-U, Myanmar.
|
|
There are many pre-Christian examples of relic-worship. In Athens,
during the Greek antiquity, the supposed remains of Oedipus and
Theseus were honored and the Greek historian Plutarch gives an account
of the translation of the bodies of Demetrius and Phocion, which
in many details anticipates the Christian practice of the Middle
Ages.
The relics of Buddha were distributed immediately after his death
in 480 BC. Parts of his body including teeth and hairs have since
been carefully preserved and enshrined in numerous domed, tower-like
shrines known as stupas or pagodas found throughout the Buddhist
world, where the faithful makes offerings of food and flowers while
meditating on the doctrines of Buddha.
Footprint of Mohammed.
|
|
And in the Far East, bones, hair and clothes supposedly worn by
Confucius have been venerated since 195 BC.
The relics of Mohammed, who died in 632 AD, are spread out all over
the Muslim world from Kabul to Jerusalem. Some of the most famous
relics of Mohammed are kept in the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey,
including his mantle, a tooth, his beard, soil from his grave, and
two footprints of the prophet.
The Christian Cult
of Relics
According to Christian beliefs a person’s material body plays
an essential role in his or hers salvation. In the words of St.
Peter, Man becomes a “partaker of the Divine Nature”
in both body and soul. The remains of a saint who has experienced
bodily glorification and transfiguration on earth is consequently
considered a member of the mystical Body of Christ and a temple
of the Holy Ghost. Power and healing are therefore bestowed to all
who honor this true channel of God’s grace.
It’s however important to note that Christians doesn’t
worship [Gk. latreia] relics, but only pay a relative honor and
veneration [dulia] to them. In his Letter to Riparius, St. Jerome
(d. 420) says that: "We do not worship, we do not adore, for
fear that we should bow down to the creature rather than to the
Creator, but we venerate the relics of the martyrs in order the
better to adore Him whose martyrs they are."
In the Old Testament the relics of the prophet Elisha are mentioned.
It is related that: Elisha died and was buried. At the time, bands
of Moabites used to raid the land each year. Once some people were
burying a man, when suddenly they spied such a raiding band. So
they cast the dead man into the grave of Elisha, and everyone went
off. But when the man came in contact with the bones of Elisha,
he came back to life and rose to his feet. [2 Kings 13:20-21]
In the New Testament, it’s told how people strive to touch
the clothes of Jesus and the Apostles to be healed [St. Matthew
xiv. 36]. In the Book of Acts St. Peter’s mere shadow healed
scores of sick people in the streets of Jerusalem. Likewise, handkerchiefs
and belts touched and blessed by St. Paul were distributed to heal
the sick and possessed: “...God worked extraordinary miracles
at the hands of Paul. When handkerchiefs or cloths which had touched
his skin were applied to the sick, their diseases were cured and
evil spirits departed from them.” [Acts 19:11-12]
Classes of Relics
The Christian cult of relics is closely connected with the tradition
of venerating martyrs and saints. According to the Catholic Church,
relics are divided into three categories:
Reliquary allegedly containing
bone particles of the Three Holy Kings, Balthasar, Gaspar,
and Melchior.
|
|
First-class relics are bodies of saints and martyrs or
parts of these (bones, hair, a limbs etc.)
And objects related to Christ, particularly instruments of the Passion
(the cross, nails, crown of thorns etc.)
Second-class relics are objects which have been owned
or in contact with Saints, such as articles of clothing, objects
used in life, or in the case of martyrs, the instruments of torture
used against them.
Third-class relics are something
that has been touched to a first- or second-class relic, including
the tomb or shrine of a Saint.
History of Relics
The practice of venerating relics grew quite naturally out of the
persecutions during the early days of Christianity, which resulted
in the death of countless martyrs throughout the Roman Empire. Being
sufferers “unto death” for Christ, it was believed that
these martyrs were received directly into heaven and therefore could
act as intercessors for the living. The remains of these “imitators
of Christ” were therefore considered as instruments through
which the saints in heaven, in virtue of their connection with God,
wrought miracles of healing.
The earliest record of honoring relics after the apostolic times
is found in a letter written by the faithful of the Church in Smyrna
in the year 156. After the death of St. Polycarp, who had been burned
on the stake by the Romans, his disciples “…took up
his bones, which are more valuable than precious stones and finer
than refined gold, and laid them in a suitable place, where the
Lord will permit us to gather ourselves together, as we are able,
in gladness and joy and to celebrate the birthday of his martyrdom."
During the first centuries of Christianity, many martyrs were buried
in the secrecy of the catacombs beneath Rome. Christians celebrated
the memory of these heroes with feasts held at their tombs and small
shrines were erected over some these, for example that of Peter
on the Vatican hill near Rome. But it was only after the persecution
ended in 313 AD, following the legalization of Christianity by the
Emperor Constantine the Great, that the public cult of the saints
and their relics attained full acceptance and began its true growth.
Constantine the Great.
|
|
After Christianity had become the official religion, a council of
bishops meeting in Gangra (c. 340 AD) went so far as to decree excommunication
for any Christian who despised relics. Over the course of the fourth
century, large churches were built at the shrines of many martyrs.
Here, as in other aspects of Christianity, the newly-converted emperor
Constantine took the lead, building an influential shrine over the
tomb of Peter (on the site where St. Peter’s Basilica is situated
today). Constantine also sent his mother Helena to Jerusalem to
bring home some of the most famous Christian relics, including the
crown of thorns allegedly worn by Christ, parts of the cross on
which he had been crucified, the nails, and the sign mocking Jesus
as "king of the Jews". She also acquired the dress supposedly
worn by Christ during the Passion, an entire marble staircase said
to be from the palace of Pontius Pilate, and several other items.
Examples of relic holders.
|
|
Initially the Church forbade the removal of martyrs from their original
burial places, but over time both the removal (translation) and
dividing up (partition) of the bodies was allowed. St. Gregory of
Nyss (d. 400 AD), in writing about 40 martyrs, described how their
bodies were burned by persecutors and recorded that:
“... their ashes and all that the fire had spared have been
distributed throughout the world so that almost every province has
had its share of the blessing. I also myself have a portion of this
gift and I have laid the bodies of my parents beside the relics
of these warriors.”
Small fragments of relics were also carried around in small containers
often hung around the neck as amulets against disease and danger
of every kind.
The earthly remains of martyrs were often discovered by visions
and revelations, centuries after their death, and then borne in
solemn processions to the churches and chapels erected to their
memory where they were deposited. This gave rise to the practice
of having relics installed in churches before they could be properly
consecrated.
At the Council of Nicaea in 787, it was decided that every church
should have relics of martyrs enclosed in a flat stone directly
beneath the altar. During the 8th century, when much of northern
Europe was being converted to Christianity, the remains of numerous
martyrs were removed from their original tombs, often divided up
and enshrined in the many newly erected churches. This tradition
of saying Holy Mass over the relic of a saint continues today.
The Pantheon Temple.
|
|
In 607 Emperor Phocas presented to Pope Boniface IV the Pantheon
temple in Rome. Originally built in 27 BC in honor of Augustus'
victory at Actium and dedicated to Jupiter and the planetary divinities,
the Pantheon was one of the few remaining old heathen temples. The
Pope removed the statues of the pagan gods and consecrated the Pantheon
to "all saints" who had died from Roman persecutions in
the first three hundred years after Christ.
During the dedication on May 13 in the year 609 or 610, a procession
of twenty-eight carriages brought the bones of martyrs from the
various cemeteries to the church. In following years, a festival
of All Hallows or All Saints Day honoring all martyrs spread throughout
the western part of the Roman Empire. In the eighth century Pope
Gregory II moved the church festival of All Saints to November 1.
The move in part offered a substitute for the popular pagan celebration
of the Celtic New Year, which honored both the Sun god and Samhain,
Lord of the Dead.
The Celts believed at the New Year the dead came back to mingle
among the living. After feasting, masked and costumed villagers
representing the souls of the dead, paraded to the outskirts of
the town leading the ghosts away. "Hallow" in Old English
means "holy" or "sacred" (as in the Lord's Prayer,
"Hallowed by Thy Name"). "Hallow's Eve" or "Halloween"
simply means the "evening of holy persons" and refers
to the evening before All Saints Day. The holyday is still observed
in both Anglican and Roman Catholic countries.
A collection of saints' relics.
|
|
After some time the veneration of relics was extended to the remains
of saints who, without dying for the faith, had defended it and
suffered for it, called confessors of the faith as well as individuals
who had been outstanding for their exemplary Christian life, especially
in austerity and penitence, to those who excelled in Catholic doctrine
(doctors) and in apostolic zeal (bishops and missionaries).
During the first six centuries, popular fame was the only criterion
by which saints and martyrs were chosen. Towards the beginning of
the seventh century the Church began to take over the authority
of identifying and approving saints which gradually assumed a more
clear and definite form. According to these rules, the bodily remains
of all candidates for sainthood were exhumed before beatification.
Following a judgment of approval, the bodies were either divided
or transferred as a whole to the Churches where they were to be
venerated. These exhumations were done to establish the identity
of the candidates and also to ascertain the condition of the candidate’s
mortal remains.
A number of these bodies were found miraculously preserved even
after hundreds of years. This was seen as tangible proof of the
sacredness and purity of a saint. The bodies of these seemingly
incorruptible saints were not buried but placed into sumptuous reliquaries
and exposed above or behind the altar for everyone to see and touch.
Churches that had one of these incorruptible saints became especially
popular among pilgrims. (Read more about the phenomenon of incorruptible
saints here).
The incorruptible body of St. Bernadette, 1844-1879, on display
in a crystal coffin in the Church of St. Gildard in Nevers, France.
As a result of the popularity, great value was placed on relics
by influential collectors all over Europe. And owning a large
number of these treasures became a symbol of status and power
for both private collectors and kingdoms. An example is the Emperor
Charlemagne (742-814) with his massive collection of relics that
later monarchs of Europe tried to follow.
The craze to collect relics even gave rise to national rivalries.
When in 1244, Westminster Abbey received a vase supposedly containing
the blood of Christ, the Bishop of Norwich made a direct and unfavorable
comparison to the recent purchase of part of the True Cross by
the King of France, Louis IX.
Another example is the Popes' private chapels in Rome, which in
the 11th century, included the umbilical cord and foreskin of Christ
in a gold and jewelled crucifix and preserved in oil, along with
the following impressive list of relics: a piece of the true cross,
the heads of the saints Peter and Paul, the ark of the covenant,
the tablets of Moses, the rod of Aaron, a golden urn of manna, the
tunic of the Virgin Mary, various pieces of clothing worn by John
the Baptist including his hair shirt, the five loaves and two fishes
which fed the five thousand and the table used at the Last Supper.
After the church had allowed the partition and translation of relics,
the business of trading in relics began to flourish. Since it was
extremely hard to verify the authenticity of the relics this trade
soon became a goldmine for all fakers and forgers. This was particularly
the case after 1204, when the fourth Crusade captured Constantinople,
and seized perhaps the largest collection of relics in Christendom,
which found its way into churches all over Europe.
St. Augustine (d. 430) denounced impostors who dressed as monks
selling spurious relics of saints. Pope St. Gregory (d. 604) forbade
the selling of relics and the disruption of tombs in the catacombs.
But in reality the church authorities were powerless in trying to
control the translation of relics or prevent forgeries.
The many forgeries really became a problem when two or more shrines
claimed to have the same relic (in the 11th century, there were
at least three heads of John the Baptist in circulation) or when
a church claimed to have a relic of obviously questionable validity.
The latter was particularly the case with bodily relics of Christ.
Although the adult body of Jesus was believed to have been resurrected
to heaven, leaving no bones for collectors to hoard, some bodily
parts did remain on earth. And there were multiple copies of everything
imaginable, from umbilical cords, to milk teeth, all over Europe.
In 1215, The Fourth Lateran Council addressed various abuses of
relics, false relics and exaggerations and decreed that ancient
relics were not to be sold and all newly discovered relics had to
be approved by the authority of the Pope. In an attempt to minimize
theft, it was decided that relics should be stored and displayed
in a special box called a 'reliquary'. In 1255, it was further decided
that under no account should relics be removed from these reliquaries.
Reliquary casket with scenes from
the Martyrdom of St. Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury
(1118-1170)
Ca. 1173-1180.
New York's Metropolitan Museum. |
Reliquary
Relics in churches, chapels or shrines are usually kept
in one of two places: in a cavity (sepulchre) inside
the Altar or in a reliquary. These precious objects
are often crafted of or covered by gold, silver, ivory,
gems, and enamel and was a major form of artistic production
across Europe and Byzantium throughout the Middle Ages.
Reliquaries take on a variety of shapes such as boxes,
Noah's Arks, caskets, or more complex containers in
the form of parts of the body, mimicking the relic it
enshrines (the shape of an arm, leg, head, etc.) They
are often covered with narrative scenes from the life
of the saint whose remains were held within. |
|
The veneration of relics increased during the middle ages, especially
as the crusaders brought back to Europe a variety of objects from
the Holy Land and many churches became known simply for the presence
of important relics contained within them. In the late medieval
period, the bodies of saints were no longer buried, but exposed
in sumptuous reliquaries above or behind the altar to be seen and
touched. Processions of relics through city streets gave rise to
new festivals and feasts, which further enhanced the cult of saints
and relics.
Unfortunately the abuses also increased during this period. In the
early 16th century the practice of selling indulgences for the commission
of sin had become widespread and the Church began raising funds
by exhibiting or carrying about relics in solemn procession, charging
a fee for touching them. In return people were promised indulgences
in order to release deceased loved ones from Purgatory, or at least
shorten the time spent there (According to Catholic theology, Purgatory
is a place where deceased persons undergo a purification process,
so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.)
In response to this corruption many religious reformers spread rapidly
throughout Europe, preaching new ideas about both religious theology
and practice. It started as attempts to reform the Catholic Church
from within. The critique, however, soon developed its own momentum,
and led to the founding of a number of new religious denominations.
The most important of these new reformers was Martin Luther (1483-1546)
a German Augustinian friar who launched the Protestant Reformation
when on 31 October 1517 he nailed on the church door in Wittenberg
a statement of ‘Ninety-five Theses’ attacking many of
the current religious practices, suggesting that religion was an
inward relationship with God.
Martin Luther. |
|
This eventually let to the division of the Christian Church into
a Catholic and a protestant part, which included most of the Northern
European countries. The veneration of saint and relics was considered
idolatry and abandoned in the new protestant countries, and numerous
shrines and relics were destroyed.
The Catholic countries launched a Counter-Reformation, which climaxed
in the Council of Trent between 1545 and 1563. Here the many abuses
were addressed but at the same time the cult of saints and relics
was strongly reaffirmed as spiritually vital.
Regarding abuses of relics, saints, and sacred images, the council
declared that "this holy council desires earnestly that they
be completely removed, so that no representation of false doctrines...
be exhibited." Furthermore, it mandated that all superstition
be removed, all filthy quest for gain eliminated, and all lasciviousness
avoided, so that the veneration of the saints not be perverted.
Finally, it strengthened the hands of the local bishops by giving
them authority over concrete expressions of piety, so that "nothing
may appear that is disorderly or unbecoming or confusedly arranged
nothing that is profane, nothing disrespectful, since holiness becometh
the house of God." From then on no new relics could be recognized
and venerated unless the bishop had approved them. The local bishops were
furthermore instructed to take council with theologians, other bishops
and the Vatican before allowing the veneration of new relics.
Four hundred years later, the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)
endorsed the decree of the Council of Trent, going on to urge all
concerned to "work hard to prevent or correct any abuses, excesses,
or defects which may have crept in here and there, and to restore
all things to a more ample praise of Christ and of God."
The Treatment of relics
Bone fragment of the martyr St. Philomena and the certificate
of origin for the relic. |
|
Today the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints is responsible
for the exhumation of candidates for sainthood and for verifying,
preserving and distributing their relics. Deviating from this tradition,
the Vatican in 2002 decided not to exhume the body of Mother Teresa.
The relics are enclosed in small metal cases that are lined with a
red string and sealed with wax accompanied by official papers warranting
their validity and authenticity.
It is strictly forbidden to sell first- and second-class relics. A contribution may be requested
merely to cover expenses such as for the relic case and mailing
charges. While selling relics is wrong, it is permissible to buy
them if they are marketed anyway and buying them would save
them from desecration. Distinguished relics, and others which are
held in great veneration by the people, may not be alienated or
transferred on a permanent basis, without the permission of the
Vatican.
The Remains of St. Calixtus (ca. 217- 222) in the castle chapel
of Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic
The Blood of St. Januarius
Remains of the blood of numerous saints are venerated around the world.
A small number of these samples become liquefied from their usual
clotted state on specific occasions. Italy has some 190 blood relics
and in the Naples region alone there are about 20 miraculous vials
of various saints' blood. The most famous of these is the alleged
blood of St. Januarius (San Gennaro), the patron saint of Naples.
According to tradition, Januarius was the bishop of Benevento (a
town near Naples) in first years of the fourth century. During Emperor
Diocletion’s persecution of the Christians in 304-5, Januarius
was imprisoned and thrown to the wild beasts. When the animals refused
to attack him and simply crouched in submission at his feet, he
was beheaded instead.
A woman is said to have collected some of the blood from the stone
on which Januarius had been beheaded. This blood sample, together with the
body of the saint, was allegedly brought to Naples, and there honorably
interred in the Cathedral where they are still kept.
The reliquary containing the supposed
blood of St. Januarius.
|
|
The supposed blood is kept in a portable silver reliquary topped
by a crown and a cross. The reliquary encloses two hermetically
sealed vials. One is narrow and contains only a few drops of dark
substance. The other measures four inches in height, about two
and a quarter inches in diameter, and is about two-thirds full (approx.
60 ml) of a dark and solid mass. The substance is absolutely opaque when held up
to the light, and shows no displacement when the reliquary is
turned upside down.
The reliquary is stored inside a glass case in a guarded vault in
the Cathedral and is removed only for veneration on special occasions
The blood is exposed for veneration at three times during the year:
on the Saturday preceding the first Sunday in May (the feast of
Januarius's translation); on September 19 (the feast day that celebrates
his martyrdom); and on December 16 (the feast day honoring him as
patron saint of Naples).
During these celebrations a silver bust containing the supposed
skull of the saint is exposed upon the altar, and the reliquary
with his blood is brought out and held by the archbishop in view
of the assembly. Prayers are said by the crowd, begging that the
miracle may take place, while a group of fifteen poor women, known
as the "zie di San Gennaro" (aunts of St. Januarius),
sing religious songs in Neapolitan dialect in order to please the
Saint to do quickly his miracle. Being the saints ‘relatives’
the women are allowed to call Him names. They even go so far as
abandoning themselves to hysterical screaming and movements.
The bishop holds the reliquary by its extremities, without touching
the glass, and from time to time turns it upside down to note whether
any movement is perceptible in the dark mass enclosed in the vial.
After an interval of varying duration, usually not less than two
minutes or more than an hour, the mass is gradually seen to detach
itself from the sides of the vial, to become liquid and of a more
or less ruby tint, and in some instances to froth and bubble up, seemingly
increasing in volume.
At the moment the solid mass becomes liquid, the archbishop holds
the relic aloft, turning it so the crowd can see the liquid sloshing
around inside the vial. The bishop then announces, “The miracle
has happened!” He brings the blood to the altar rail and everyone
in the church surges forward to kiss the relic.
Ceremonies in honor of St. Januarius were instituted by archbishop
Orsini of Naples in 1337. The first written notation of the miracle
was recorded in 1389, more than 1000 years after St. Januarius'
death. There are at least 36 other independent accounts of the phenomenon
between 1389 and 1659.
The Neapolitans believe that if the blood fails to liquefy, disaster
will soon follow. It’s said that on at least five occasions
after the blood failed to liquefy there were terrible events such
as a plague in 1527 and an earthquake in southern Italy that killed
3,000 people in 1980.
Church officials in Naples have been adamant in their refusal to
permit scientists to break the seal on the vial and take a sample
of whatever is inside. Scientists who examined the vial of blood
in 1902 and in recent years were allowed to shine a light through
the vial and on the basis of a spectroscopic analysis concluded
that the substance is blood. |
|
| RELICS
OF CHRIST |
The most treasured Christian relics are objects directly associated with Jesus.
Among these are artifacts allegedly from Jesus' childhood, the Last Supper, the Passion, and the alleged burial
cloth of Christ, which have been venerated since the early days of Christianity. The history and authenticity
of most of these relics is however quite doubtful.
The Holy Grail
One of the most famous of all Christian relics is the cup or chalice
from which Christ drank at the Last Supper, known as the
Holy Grail. According to some legends the cup was also used
by Joseph of Arimathea to collect Jesus’ blood and sweat
when He hung on the cross.
Read more here.
The Lance of Longinus
Four European cities claim to posses the point of the spear which,
according to the Bible, was used by a Roman soldier to pierce
the side of Jesus during the crucifixion.
Read more here.
The Turin Shroud
The alleged burial cloth of Christ, kept in Turin, Italy.
Read more here.
The Veil of Veronica
Tradition has it that while Jesus was carrying his cross
along the way to Golgotha, a pious woman offered
Him a veil to wipe the sweat and blood from his bruised
face. When Jesus returned the cloth to her, it bore the
impression of His face.
Read more here.
The Holy Manger
The Santa Maria Maggiore church in Rome was founded by Pope
Liberius in the 4th century. The church is sometimes called,
St. Mary of the Snow, because a miraculous snow allegedly
fell upon the area in summer about the time a patrician named
John had a vision of the Virgin requesting the building of
the church.
Above the altar there is a reliquary which holds five pieces
of wood, said to be from the Santa Culla, the Holy Manger
that Christ was laid in at Bethlehem. Pope Theodore (642-649)
is said to have brought them to Rome shortly after the fall
of Jerusalem in 638. The reliquary is made of gold and silver,
with a figure of the Holy Child on top. It has several crystal
windows through which the relics can be seen. They are displayed
on the 25th of each month.
Reliquary of the Holy Manger in Rome.
The Swaddling-clothes
A cloth believed to be the swaddling-clothes of the infant
Jesus are kept in the cathedral of Aix-la-Chapelle in Aachen,
Germany. The relic is a brownish yellow, loosely woven piece
of fabric folded thrice in double folds. It's exposed every
seven years from the 10th to the 24th of July and draws large
crowds of pilgrims.
The Holy Stairs
Adjacent to the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, there
is a staircase known as the Scala Sancta (holy stairway),
believed to be the actual steps that Jesus climbed the day
He was sentenced to death.
Tradition holds that the stairs were taken from Pilate’s
palace in Jerusalem and sent to Rome by St. Helena, mother
of the Emperor Constantine about 326 AD.
The staircase was first located in the Patriarchum, a complex
of palaces that was the ancient seat of popes. In 1589, Pope
Sixtus V had it transferred to its present location in front
of the ancient palatine chapel. Pope Pius IX (1846-1878) restored
the staircase, and promoted it's veneration as one of Christianity's
great relics.
The pope himself climbed the 28 steps on his knees many times;
an act of veneration which continues to this day. A prayer
related to the passion of Jesus Christ is recited upon each
of the 28 steps of white Marble.
The Scourging Post
According to John 19:1, Pilate "took Jesus and scourged
Him", a practice used by the Romans as pre-crucifixion
punishment, during which the victim’s arms was bound
above his head to the upper part of a column or whipping post.
This scourging column is said to have been kept at Jerusalem
with other holy relics on Mount Sion during the fourth century.
The column supposedly remained there until 1223, when it was
brought to Rome by Cardinal John Colonna. Here it was placed
in a small chapel in the church of St. Praxedes where it still
can be seen.
The pillar is made of oriental jasper. It’s 1,5 foot
long, one foot in diameter at the bottom, and eight inches
at the top, where an iron ring is attached to which the criminals
were tied. The base or socle of the column is said to be kept
in St Mark’s Cathedral in Rome.
The True Cross
Since the earliest days of Christianity, pieces of the cross
on which Jesus was crucified, has been one of the most highly
sought after relics and numerous churches still claim to possess
pieces of it.
According to medieval legend, the True Cross was built from
the Tree of Jesse (father of King David), which has been identified
with the Tree of Knowledge that had grown in the Garden of
Eden.
About the year 326 the first Christian Emperor, Constantine
the Great, sent his 80-year-old mother St. Helena to Jerusalem
to recover the True Cross and other relics of the passion
of Christ. It had been rumored that the cross was hidden at
the Holy Sepulchre (the tomb of Jesus). In an effort to discourage
Christian worship, the place had been covered with earth and
a temple of Venus had been built on top. According to legend,
only a few chosen Jews knew the exact location of the tomb.
One of these, a man named Judas, revealed the site to St.
Helena, who had the temple destroyed and the tomb uncovered.
During the excavation, an old cistern was discovered, in which
the early Christians had hidden three crosses, three or four
crucifixion nails and the sign that had been nailed to the
cross proclaiming Christ as King of the Jews (known as the
Title). In order to identify the True Cross, the three crosses
were in turn placed on a deathly ill woman. She recovered
at the touch of the third cross, which was taken as a sign
that this was the cross of Christ.
Helena discovering the cross.
A magnificent basilica was subsequently erected over the tomb
with the exact place of discovery situated beneath the atrium.
Helena brought a part of the Cross back to Europe; the rest
was enclosed in a silver reliquary and left at the Basilica
in care of the bishop of Jerusalem, who exhibited it periodically
to the faithful. Of the part, which St. Helena allegedly brought
back to Europe, a small piece was given to Constantine who
had it enclosed in a statue of himself.
Although modern historians consider most of this as legends,
it is certain that the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre was
completed by 335 and that relics of the Cross were being venerated
there by the 340s. In 614 Khosrau II of Persia captured Jerusalem
and removed the relic as a trophy. Thirteen years later Khosrau
was defeated and the relic was brought to Constantinople and
later back to Jerusalem.
From around 1009 to 1099, the piece of the cross was hidden
by Christians in Jerusalem. After the First Crusade it was
seized by Arnulf Malecorne, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and
soon became the most sacred relic of the Latin Kingdom of
Jerusalem. It remained in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
under the protection of the Latin Patriarch, who marched with
it ahead of the army before every battle. Finally the relic
was captured by Saladin during the Battle of Hattin in 1187
and subsequently disappeared.
By the end of the Middle Ages so many churches claimed to
possess a piece of the True Cross that critics said there
was enough wood in them to fill a ship.
Santo Toribio de Liébana in Spain presently holds the
largest piece of the cross. It is said to have been brought
from Jerusalem to Spain by St. Toribio who was the guardian
of the relics in Jerusalem, facing the threat of the Persian
invasion probably in 711. The first written evidence of the
relic is through an inventory made in 1316.
In the 16th century the Benedictine monks divided it in two,
arranging it in the shape of a cross and inserting glossed
a silver reliquary. Nowadays the pilgrims can kiss the relic
through an opening in the reliquary, which leaves out a wooden
piece. In 1938 an official measurement was carried out giving
the following resulting dimensions: 63 cm in its vertical
piece, 39 cm in the horizontal one and a width oscillating
between 4 and 9 cm.
The Holy Nails
According to tradition, nails were driven through the hands
and feet of Jesus during the crucifixion. The Bible doesn’t
provide any details about the crucifixion and the question
has long been debated whether Christ was crucified with three
or four nails.
The treatment of the Crucifixion in art during the earlier
Middle Ages strongly supports the tradition of four nails,
but in the thirteenth century, Western art began to represent
the feet of the Crucified Christ as placed one over the other
and pierced with a single nail. Recent archaeological criticism
has pointed out that the two earliest representations of the
Crucifixion shows no signs of nails in the feet, and that
early writers distinctly imply that there were only two nails.
Legend has it that the nails were found in Jerusalem by Helena,
mother of Constantine the Great, who brought them back to
Europe (see the “True Cross” story). Though the
details vary with the story, it is widely held that one nail
was made into a bridle for Constantine’s horse and one
was used to make a crown for the Emperor. According to some
sources Helena kept a third nail to herself, another version
says that two were cast into the Adriatic Sea. The bridle
of Constantine is believed to be identical with a relic of
this form which for several centuries has been preserved at
Carpentras, France.
The iron crown of Lombardy. |
There is however another claimant in Monza, Italy, known as
"the iron crown of Lombardy." (Corona Ferrea). Since
1311 this crown was used for the coronation of the Holy Roman
emperors and of Napoleon as the King of Italy in 1805. The
Iron Crown is so called because of a narrow band of iron within
it, said to be beaten out of one of the crucifixion nails.
Yet another legend tells that Helena sent the third nail along
with a portion of the Cross and part of the Title to the church
of Santa Croce in Rome where it’s still kept in a precious
reliquary.
Very little reliance can be placed upon the authenticity of
the thirty or more nails which are still venerated in France,
Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, Austria, etc. The majority
of these has probably been touched to or contains filings
from some other nail whose claim was more ancient. Without
conscious fraud, such imitations could have become reputed
as originals over time.
The seamless robe
According to the Gospel of John, the soldiers who crucified
Jesus did not divide his tunic after the crucifixion, but
cast lots to determine who would keep it because it was woven
in one piece, without seam. According to Medieval legend,
the garment was woven by the Virgin Mary for the Child
Jesus, who wore it His entire life as it miraculously grew with Him.
The tradition holds that St. Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor
Constantine, discovered the relic in Palestine and had it
sent to the city of Trier in Germany. It is not possible to
determine the exact historical path that the robe took to
arrive in Trier, and many hold it to be a medieval forgery.
The history of the seamless robe in Trier is certain only
from the 12th century. On May 1, 1196, Archbishop Johann I
of Trier consecrated an altar in which the seamless robe was
contained. It has since been known as the "Holy Coat
of Trier". The 1.5 yard long by 1 yard wide brown garment
is kept folded in special glass reliquary and cannot be directly
viewed by the faithful. There are normally two or three special
viewing periods in each century, the last being in 1959 and
1996.
The various attempts at preservation and restoration through
the centuries makes it difficult to determine how much of
the relic (if genuine) actually stems from the time of Jesus.
The possession of the seamless robe is also claimed by the
parish church of Argenteuil in Seine-et-Oise, a town near
Paris. Tradition holds that the garment was brought there
by Charlemagne. The earliest document relating to the existence
of this relic dates from 1156 in which Archbishop Hugh of
Rouen testifies that in the treasury of the church at Argenteuil
is preserved the seamless garment of Christ and that he himself,
in company with other bishops and abbots, had examined it
and found it genuine. Since 1866 the relic has been
enshrined in the Saint-Denis Basilica.
The Title
It was customary for the Romans to attach a small sign on
the crosses of criminals who had been sentenced to crucifixion,
stating the victim’s crime. The sign was carried at
the front of the procession and later hung around the neck
of the victim or nailed to the cross above his head.
According to the Bible, Pilate had the inscription: “Jesus
of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” written in Hebrew,
Latin, and Greek on the headboard of Jesus’ cross (the
Four Evangelists do not agree on the exact words).
A part of this sign, known as the “Title” or "Titulus
Crucis", is allegedly kept as a precious relic at the
church of “Santa Croce in Gerusalemme” (Holy Cross
in Jerusalem) in Rome, Italy. The church, whose floor is said
to have been packed with soil from the Holy Land, was built
about 325, to house a number of relics recovered in Jerusalem
by St. Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great.
About 455, the relic is said to have been hidden, to protect
it from the attacking Visigoths. The board was apparently
forgotten until February 1492, when it was rediscovered by
some workmen in a sealed lead coffer built into a wall of
the basilica behind a mosaic that was being repaired. The
brick which covered it was inscribed 'TITULUS CRUCIS'.
The board is made of walnut wood, 25x14 cm in size, 2.6 cm
thick and has a weight of 687 g. It is inscribed on one side
with three lines, of which the first one is mostly destroyed.
The second line is written in Greek letters and reversed script,
the third in Latin letters, also with reversed script.
The Crown of Thorns
During the crucifixion, Christ was mockingly crowned with
thorns because he had claimed to be king of the Jews. According
to tradition, this crown of thorns was piously protected and
venerated. The relic was first mentioned by pilgrims to Jerusalem
in the 4th century. According to several sources the crown
of thorns was exhibited in a church on Mount Sion, Jerusalem
in the sixth century, where it remained for several hundred
years.
About 1063, the relic was transferred to Constantinople and
kept in the Byzantine Emperors treasury, although it seems
that most of the thorns was detached at an earlier date and
presented to the Eastern emperors.
In 1238, the Emperor of Constantinople offered the crown of thorns to St. Louis, King
of France, who built the Sainte-Chapelle (completed 1248)
for its reception. The relic remained there until the French
Revolution, during which it was kept in the French national
library. In 1806 it was transferred to the Cathedral of Notre
Dame where it remains.
The crown consists only of a circlet of rushes, without any
trace of thorns. It seems that all sixty or seventy thorns had
been separated from the band of rushes long before the relic was
brought to Paris. Many reliquaries today claim to possess one or
more of these thorns. The two thorns in the picture below are kept at
the church of Santa Croce in Rome, Italy.
The Crown is presented for veneration in the Sainte-Chapelle cathedral during
Lent Fridays and on Good Friday, as well as the first Friday
of each month.
Today over 700 alleged thorns exists around the world
of which most obvious must be forgeries or second-class relics
touched by one of the original thorns (assuming that a genuine
crown of thorns has existed).
Tradition suggests that the crown was made from a bush botanically
known as Zizyphus spina Christi, more popularly, the jujube-tree,
which is found growing in abundance by the wayside around
Jerusalem.
The Blood of Christ
Many cities claim to possess a portion of the actual blood
of Christ. Among these are the church of St. John Lateran
in Rome, the Imperial Monastery at Weingarten in Germany,
a church in Mantua, and the Chapel of the Precious Blood in
Bruges, Belgium. The two latter are considered the best authenticated.
The relic of Mantua reposes in a silver shrine attributed
to Benvenuto Cellini. The blood is said to have been collected
from the wounds by Joseph of Arimathea, when the body of Christ
was taken down from the cross. Tradition has it that Derrick
of Alsace, Count of Flanders, brought the relic from Jerusalem
in 1150 after the second crusade.
In 1203 Constantinople fell into the hands of the crusaders
and the imperial city was sacked. Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders,
was chosen as the new emperor. Presumably he sent looted relics
to Flanders and particularly to Bruges. It is likely that
this is the way Bruges came into possession of the relic.
Legend has it that only a few weeks after the relic arrived
in Bruges it was found to be dry but then it miraculously
liquefied every Friday at 6pm until 1325. Although the blood
has not turned into liquid since, it is still venerated every
Friday in the upper chapel and every day from the 3rd to the
17th of May.
The blood is contained in a small bottle of rock crystal,
closed at each end by a golden crown: when the relic is exposed,
this cylinder is fastened to a silver chain hanging round
a priest's neck. According to recent investigations, the bottle
dates back to the 11th or 12th century. It is almost certain
that it was made in the area of Constantinople and that it
was meant to contain perfume.
In 1311, the ecclesiastical and civil authorities instituted
a solemn procession in which the relic was borne in the streets
of the city. These ceremonies have been continued up to the
present day.
Every year on Asuncion day the citizens of Bruges, dressed
in historical costumes, thus re-enact the arrival of the Count
of Flanders bringing the Holy relic to Bruges.
 | |