Crown of Thorns, other relics saved from Notre Dame fire
  • WORLD

  • 19:23 16 April 2019

Crown of Thorns, other relics saved from Notre Dame fire

In addition to the crown, the church's treasury includes a supposed piece of the True Cross and the tunic of Saint Louis which is thought to have belonged to Louis IX, the only canonised king of France, ONA reports citing Sputnik International. 

The catastrophic fire which engulfed Paris' cherished Notre Dame Cathedral on Monday put in jeopardy the future of Catholic relics preserved there — but authorities confirm they are being held in a safe place.

The Notre Dame housed artefacts believed to be the relics of the Passion, including the Crown of Thorns, a fragment of the cross which he is said to have been nailed on, and one of the nails of the crucifixion.

Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris, said that officials had relocated the relics from the burning church.

The Crown of Thorns is perhaps Notre Dame's most precious artefact. It is a woven wreath of thorns which Roman soldiers purportedly put on the head of Jesus Christ before his crucifixion.

The relic was brought to Paris by King Louis IX in the 13th century; it is preserved inside a crystal and gold tube and is presented to believers on the first Friday of each month.

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