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Pope Francis gifts two shards from Jesus Christ's crucifixion cross to King Charles on his coronation

The small fragments of wood have been incorporated into the Cross of Wales which was gifted by King Charles to the Church in Wales to celebrate its centenary

BY JENNY ANNA MATHEW

UPDATED APR 19, 2023

Pope Francis gifted two shards of the True Cross to King Charles on his coronation (Sean Gallup/ Paul Edwards/Getty Images)

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Pope Francis has gifted King Charles two fragments from the True Cross which was used in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ to mark the monarch's coronation. The religious relics have been described as a “personal gift” from the head of the Catholic Church to his majesty, but Charles requested that the shards be incorporated into the 'Cross of Wales', which will be used to lead the coronation procession into Westminster Abbey on May 6.

The Cross of Wales is a gift from Charles to the Church in Wales to celebrate its centenary before becoming monarch. Both fragments are shaped as crosses, with one measuring 1cm and the other 5mm, and are now set into the larger silver cross behind a rose crystal gemstone. It will be blessed by the Archbishop of Wales Andrew John in a service at Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno, North Wales on Wednesday, April 19, before it heads to London.

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Pope Francis arrives at the National Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre to celebrate mass on July 28, 2022 in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre, Canada. Pope Francis is traveling across Canada on a “pilgrimage of penance,” meeting with and apologizing to Indigenous communities for the abuse at Catholic-run residential schools, where more than 150,000 indigenous children were forcibly enrolled for more than 100 years. Called a “cultural genocide” by the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the school system was created to isolate Indigenous children from their own native culture and religion in order to assimilate them into the dominant Christian culture. — Pope Francis arrives at the National Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre to celebrate mass on July 28, 2022, in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre, Canada (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

'Shards of Jesus Christ's crucified cross incorporated into the Cross of Wales '

The Cross of Wales, which Archbishop Andrew deemed as “both beautiful and symbolic”, was crafted from recycled silver bullion provided by the Royal Mint at Llantrisant South Wales. It also includes a shaft of Welsh windfall timber and a stand of Welsh slate. Upon its return, the cross will be shared between the Anglican and Catholic churches in Wales. On the back of the cross hold words inscribed from the last sermon of St David in Welsh, which read, "Byddwch lawen. Cadwch y ffydd. Gwnewch y Pethau Bychain" translated as "Be joyful. Keep the faith. Do the little things."

King Charles III visits the Goldsmiths' Centre on November 23, 2022 in London, England. — King Charles III visits the Goldsmiths' Centre on November 23, 2022, in London, England.
(Maja Smiejkowska - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The silver elements of the cross bear a full hallmark, including the “King’s Mark” - a leopard’s head which was applied by the King himself in November 2022 during his visit to The Goldsmiths' Centre in London. Archbishop Andrew said, "We are honored that His Majesty has chosen to mark our centenary with a cross that is both beautiful and symbolic. Its design speaks to our Christian faith, our heritage, our resources and our commitment to sustainability. We are delighted too that its first use will be to guide Their Majesties into Westminster Abbey at the Coronation Service."

What is the True Cross?

The True Cross, a Christian relic, is reputedly the cross upon which Jesus Christ was crucified. The cross was found by St Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, during her pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Syria Palaestina and Jerusalem in about 326 AD. In the mid-4th century occurred the earliest historical reference to the homage of the True Cross.

Adoration of the True Cross gave rise to the sale of its fragments, which were sought as relics. "French theologian John Calvin said that all the existing fragments, if put together, would fill a large ship, an objection regarded as invalid by some Roman Catholic theologians who claimed that the blood of Christ gave to the True Cross a kind of material indestructibility so that it could be divided indefinitely without being diminished," according to Encyclopædia Britannica.

This prompted the multiplication of relics of the True Cross wherever Christianity expanded in the medieval world, which led to the distribution of the fragments in many great cities and abbeys.

Further came a period when the desire to win back or obtain possession of the True Cross was claimed as justification for military expeditions, such as that of the Byzantine emperor Heraclius against the Persians (622–628) and the capture of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204, as per the source.

The Feast of the Finding of the Cross was celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church on May 3, until it was omitted from the church calendar in 1960 by Pope John XXIII.

'Will encourage us all to model our lives on the love given by our Saviour'

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cardiff and Bishop of Menevia, Mark O'Toole, said, "With a sense of deep joy we embrace this cross, kindly given by King Charles, and containing a relic of the True Cross, generously gifted by the Holy See," as per Daily Mail. "It is not only a sign of the deep Christian roots of our nation but will, I am sure, encourage us all to model our lives on the love given by our Saviour, Jesus Christ. We look forward to honoring it, not only in the various celebrations that are planned but also in the dignified setting in which it will find a permanent home," he added.

Designer and maker Michael Lloyd said, "The commission has allowed me to delve into the previous 1,000 years of faith and history. Now, with more than 267 thousand hammer blows, the cross has emerged from the inanimate sheets of silver, and I am delighted it will be used as part of the Coronation Service on 6th May."