ASSISI – For the first time in history, the skeletal remains of St. Francis of Assisi have been unveiled for public viewing. This event, which took place on Sunday, marks the culmination of an 800-year journey concerning the saint’s bodily legacy and underscores the lasting fascination Christians have with venerating holy relics.
Enthusiasm for the event was evident as nearly 400,000 individuals preregistered to glimpse these sacred bone fragments. The relics are displayed in a sleek, bulletproof Plexiglas case within the lower Basilica of St. Francis, nestled in the picturesque Umbrian town that owes much of its fame to the medieval friar.
The Franciscans decided to present the relics for a month-long exhibition ending on March 22, commemorating the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’s passing in 1226. This exhibition aims to rekindle the saint’s cherished teachings of peace and brotherhood, which have resonated through the ages and prompted Pope Francis to adopt his name—the first pontiff to do so.
Showcasing his remains is particularly noteworthy, given the tumultuous history surrounding St. Francis’s body. Born in 1182 as the son of a prosperous merchant, he famously renounced his wealth to embrace a life of poverty and devotion as a mendicant friar.
Towards the end of his earthly journey, St. Francis is believed to have received the stigmata, becoming the first recorded saint to bear the wounds of Christ’s crucifixion.
After his death, his remains vanished for centuries, hidden away by a devoted follower. This follower feared the body would be stolen amidst the Medieval Christian fervor for acquiring sacred relics. Such practices were not uncommon during that era.
That history is recounted in an exhibition mounted in the Franciscan convent, adjacent to the basilica, which pilgrims can visit as part of their appointment to pass by the bones.
A fascination with relics that isn’t gruesome
Brother Giulio Cesareo, spokesman for the Franciscans in Assisi, said the exposition wasn’t a macabre celebration of the dead. Rather, he said, it was part of the long tradition of Christians venerating the physical remains of saints to experience the spirit that lived in them.
“It is not so much about venerating Francis, but rather encountering Francis by venerating the Holy Spirit who filled that humanity and made it capable of giving itself,” he said. “And it is, at least for a believer, a way to renew oneself in this one life.”
Over centuries, the fascination with relics has of course led to abuses, with thefts, forgeries and now online sales all part of their history. But that doesn’t diminish their hold on the faithful, said Sean Pilcher, who runs Sacra: Relics of the Saints, which provides consulting and authentication services to the Catholic Church.
If the saints are our brothers and sisters in heaven, “then it makes sense that we’re going to have things that we hold on to,” he said. “And what the church does is just take this natural desire that we all have for connection and belonging and direct it in a way that leads us toward Christ.”
For Fiorella Farina, a resident of northern Reggio Emilia who is so devoted to St. Francis that she bought a country house in Assisi and named her children Francesco and Francesca, the exposition is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“Just talking about it gives me goosebumps,” she said outside the basilica. “It’s an event I couldn’t miss.”
St. Francis, she said, went against all societal norms to live out the Gospel message of peace, care for the poor and the environment.
“In this historic moment, we need him,” she said.
Security significant but discreet to protect bones
Security was tight but discreet on Sunday morning as the first pilgrims passed through metal detectors before filing into the basilica. Police declined to provide details, but said extra officers, sniffer dogs, plain-clothed police, television cameras and other measures were being used to protect the relics.
Given the history of St. Francis’ body, such measures seem only appropriate.
Even before he died, St. Francis had gained such a reputation for sanctity that he traveled with an armed escort when he made his final return to Assisi, said Brother William Short, professor of Christian spirituality at the Franciscan School of Theology at the University of San Diego.
There are also references in contemporary accounts of people reaching up to try to grab parts of his tunic as he went by on horseback, believing that his relics could help heal the sick or prevent calamity, Short said in an interview at the Franciscan residence in Rome, where he directs an international Franciscan study center.
When St. Francis died Oct. 3, 1226, he was initially buried in a small Assisi church, San Giorgio. Within two years, Pope Gregory IX had canonized him and laid the cornerstone for a basilica to house his tomb.
But on the eve of the transfer, St. Francis’ trusted aide, Brother Elias, took the body and secretly buried it in the basilica, fearing it could be stolen, said Short. The body remained there, hidden in a column but unmarked, until 1818. That’s when excavations discovered the remains and Pope Pius VII confirmed the bones belonged to St. Francis.
“It was a matter of safety and economics,” Short explained. “If you have a big saint, a new saint — and this guy had the potential to be a really big saint — whoever gets the body gets the pilgrims.”
And Assisi now has them, in spades.
Some people signed up to visit the relics when the exposition was first announced in October, and they were slotted into 10-minute increments starting Sunday morning.
Silvanella Tamos traveled to Assisi from Pordenone, north of Venice, with a group of 54 people from her diocese. They had had one of the earliest slots Sunday, at 9:30 a.m.
“It’s a body that’s alive,” she said. “It’s not a dead body. He still has a lot to tell us today,” she said.
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Winfield reported from Rome.
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