For centuries, pilgrims in Rome have come to Santa Maria Maggiore to pray before a relic traditionally venerated as part of the manger where the Virgin Mary laid the newborn Jesus. Now, that ancient connection to Bethlehem is coming closer to the faithful.
Beginning October 15, the Holy Cradle will temporarily leave the monumental Confessio before the Papal Altar and be placed in a side altar near the Sistine Chapel. The move will allow pilgrims to venerate the relic at a much closer distance while its historic setting undergoes restoration.
A RARE CHANCE TO DRAW CLOSER TO THE MYSTERY OF CHRISTMAS
The Holy Cradle consists of five thin pieces of sycamore wood, traditionally identified as fragments of Christ’s manger. According to the basilica’s tradition, they arrived in Rome around the seventh century and were given to Pope Theodore I around 644 by Patriarch Saint Sophronius. For centuries, Santa Maria Maggiore was known as Sancta Maria ad Praesepe — “Saint Mary at the Manger” — becoming a kind of Bethlehem of the West.
The early-19th-century cradle-shaped reliquary was created by Giuseppe Valadier. Now, its setting will receive a new protective structure with improved security, stability and microclimate control, together with a blue-and-gold mosaic evoking Bethlehem’s sky. The temporary display will also visually connect the relic with Pompeo Batoni’s Annunciation.
On December 24, the Holy Cradle will return beside the Papal Altar for Christmas, before returning to its restored historic niche after Epiphany. And perhaps its greatest message remains simple: the God of heaven chose to come close to us — as a child, in a manger, in Bethlehem.
Leave a Reply