Saint Louis (d. 1270) and the relics of the Passion

Summary:

The veneration of the instruments of the Passion, representing eminent relics of the Redemption, began in the very first centuries of our era. The churches of Jerusalem displayed them for the pilgrims, especially in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The initial collection comprised that people called: the Holy Crown, the Holy Nails, the Holy Lance, the Holy Sponge, the Holy Blood, the Holy Stone, etc.

Between the 7th and 10th centuries, because of Persian and Arab attacks on Jerusalem, these relics were gradually transferred to Constantinople, where they were safe from looting. There, they were carefully preserved by the emperors, first in the Blachernae church, then in the  Church of the Virgin of the Pharos. The diversion of the Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople led to the disappearance of certain relics, which later resurfaced in the West, one of them being the famous Holy Shroud (still preserved in Turin). Nevertheless, the new Latin emperors of Constantinople still had many relics. Surrounded by many enemies and needing money, they borrowed from Venetian and Genoese merchants a sum of money on the security of the Crown of Thorns.

In 1238, Baldwin II of Courtenay, the Latin emperor of Byzantium, traded the Crown of Thorns to Louis IX in exchange for the repayment of a loan. Saint Louis pledged half the annual treasury of the Kingdom of France. A very devout monarch, like his mother Blanche of Castile, the holy king was delighted to receive those relics. He was already considered by his contemporaries as the embodiment of the Christian king, representing Christianity in his person, and on several occasions chosen as an arbiter in quarrels among the rulers of Europe (the Pope and the German Emperor). With the arrival of those precious relics in France, Paris became a new Jerusalm. On August 19, 1239, after the seals and documents attesting its authenticity were examined, the relics arrived in Paris in a solemn procession amid a brilliant escort and enthusiastic populace, chanting hymns and litanies. For this procession, the king stripped off his royal finery, donned a simple tunic and, barefoot, carried the crown of thorns himself to Notre-Dame Cathedral. To provide a fitting shrine for these memorials of the Passion, the king built the Sainte- Chapelle.

As Emperor Baldwin's had need for more money, Louis IX later bought other Passion relics from him at great expense: in 1241, he acquired a large part of the True Cross, the Holy Sponge and the iron of the Holy Lance, for 135,000 pounds, and thus managed to constitute what became known as the "Holy Collection".

Since then, some of these relics have disappeared, particularly during French Revolution. Today, the crown of thorns, a fragment of the wood of the Cross and a nail still remain in the treasury of Notre-Dame. The Notre-Dame de Paris website describes the three relics as follows:

"The crown of thorns is the most precious and revered of the relics kept at Notre-Dame. In accordance with Saint Louis' wish, it was only shown to the faithful at Easter. This crown is made of a 21 cm circle of rushes held together by gold threads. The thorns were scattered over the centuries through various donations. Seventy thorns are known to have come from this crown. Since 1896, the crown is protected by a tube of crystal and gilt leaves of bronze.

The fragment of the wood of the Cross comes from the treasury of the Sainte-Chapelle. Taken when the reliquary was destroyed during the Revolution, a member of the Temporary Arts Commission rescued the wood and gave it to the archbishop of Paris in 1805. Preserved in a glass case, this fragment measures 24 cm. It contains a mortise at one end to be fitted into, most likely for the crosspiece of the Cross.  

The nail measuring 9 cm, comes from the treasure of the Holy Sepulchre. The Patriarch of Jerusalem presented it, along with other relics of the Crucifixion, to the Emperor Charlemagne in 799.  King Charles II removed it from Aachen and gave it to the abbey of Saint-Denis. During the French Revolution, a member of the Temporary Arts Commission rescued this nail, along with the wooden fragment. It is preserved in a reliquary in the shape of a nail, a simple crystal tube adorned with a gilded silver head and spike."

Beyond reasons to believe:

The Sainte-Chapelle remains an architectural gem and Gothic masterpiece, famous the world over. It suffered considerable damage as a result of the French Revolution, and was fully restored, but all its relics are now gone. While some were never found again, others are kept in the treasure of Notre-Dame Cathedral and at the National Library. And thanks to Saint Louis, France still boasts the most numerous and prestigious relics of the Passion of Christ.

Going further:

Witnesses to Mystery: Investigations into Christ's Relics, by Grzegorz Gorny and Janusz Rosikon, Ignatius Press; Second edition (March 1, 2019)

More information:

• Relics of the Passion by J. Charles Wall, ‎ Legare Street Press (October 27, 2022)

• Relics from the Crucifixion by J. Charles Wall, Sophia Institute Press (January 19, 2016)

• Blog entry by George Ryan What Happened to the “True Cross” That Christ Was Crucified On?
• Official website of the Sainte-Chapelle: History
• Catholic Exchange "Article "How the Crown of Thorns Arrived at Paris" by J. Charles Wall