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O CTOq H O XPIICT I,IAH C KI{ E
PEJIIIKBIIII
PeAarrop-cocrarnrem
A. M. JIIIAOB
ts| st
EASTERN
CHRISTIAN
RELICS
Edited by Alexei LIDOV
Michele Baccr
RELICS OF THE PTIAROS
CÍIAPEL:
A }TEW FROM THE I"{TIN WEST
A l l h o u g h l h e p r c c e n r p / p e r will folus on lhe most impoflanl s h r i n e o f c h d _ . r r s r o t o g r c a l m e m e n r o e s i n l h e C e n t m l V i d d J e A g e . .
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m i n a r y r e m " r k . j u s l i n o r d e r t o p o i n t o u t hov s;vetni c o l | e c Í o n s o t ( h s t o t o g i c d l r e l r c s c t d i m i n g r o r c p r o d u c e , m o r e o r t e s s c o n ! i n c . i n g l y . . l h e d u m ot rhe mo.r sacred \ h r i n e s i n Jerusatem a n a rne Hoty etaceì ' spr€ad throughout Europe from rhe late lOrh through the l3th century; rneaning_ t u l l y . l h e r r p u b t i c v e n e r a o n w . r s J l w d ) s s p o n s o r e d b y lh e leading i n ; r i r u t i o n 5 o f
^ .ln the first instance, this was caused by the far_ofgeogmphic location of P i l a e s t j n e . s hore-disrame w a \ undoubrediy e n t a r y e d b i i r s beìng i D r h e hand\ , . _ ' - ' j : : : l . l * r r c m Dorh r n t i d e t s . B y r h e end ofrhe t0,r,cenrury t h e numbef o t p i l s r i m s B j l r n r i u m and rhe West g o i n g t o r h e Hoty Land had decreased a n d ( r e l e s r rucrrons o t ( - h r i 5 t i a n b u r j d i n g s p r o m o l e d b ) r h e M"d Catiph a t _ H d k i m l l . " - 1 " " l . i ' . " " 0 r m p r e s s i o n o n Fu.ope \ p u b ic oprnion a n d p r o b a b t l s r i m u _
i l i . " " , l i l f , . ' " , . ' r . . ' e i n r e n c i , e t t o n r h e . N e w i e r u s a t e m s . à r o u , i n g i n r r e r r
The main sponsors ofthe sacrcd memenroes of Holy Scripture and evangelical
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c o u Í s . and lhe Krng\ themselte5. u s u a l l y r h r o L r g h l h e meansofroyat f o u n d d l i o ; s : r n r s w a 5 r n e cd\e. e . g . . o t A \ t u r ì d n K r n g r ' s p a r r o n a g e o i O v i e d o C a r h e d r a l a n d i l s p r e c r o u \ / r ' . r J d 4 l r . w h i L h $ a s p r o v i d e d . a s e a r l y a , l h e b e g i n n i n g s o t r h e l l . . c e n t u r y . o l a rich relic r r c r s u r c . i n c t u d i n g r r m p u a otrhe b i o ; d i,s;ed from Chri,;:s ì c o n In uerrul cnd seleral f m g j n e n t s o f t h e True Cro5s a n d the Seputchre, L h e c - o w - r o f r l , o î s . rh.5hrouo. r h e , u d r r i u m . r h e ru n i . . rh..t"rh"., Jel;,. ;;il":y, f J p c e s o l lt,e mrrrc o u s b r e a d j s $ ell a. rhr( or L.bl Supper a d atso . o m e l."n; Iirls of ground of Bethany and the Mounr of Olives. ri"* * .r".*rr.i", Jìrt-stological relìcs constituled thc most \,atuable group oflhe memenroes preserved r n t h c aÌtar retiquary a eredly a r e t ì c i i s e l i b e c o ì * oiit,.r,rr""ii* ú v ir,. lw€lve aposlles; they_were vene.ated, howevct in conjunclìon with equalty pre_ r , r o . - n r e î ( n r o c s o f r ì , e V i r t s r n - \ 4 i 1 { t , e r n , : \. t ì e r t r . r r r . c l c r . r t r e O r a f e . r a r r r e r r r , i n e A t o . L l c . . | d o r h c r . J , n . . I e . . r . o . l| e . h r i | e , w h i c . s . r s a . . o e \ D e c l e o r o
Relics aJ the Pharcs Chapet: a riew fi okt fhe L(rtin tvest 235 express ils rcyal suppoÍeis glory and power. bencfited from the addition ofet-Iftorr)inary nagnalia Dei, "cod's wonders"r.
Probablyalrcady Charlemagne had provided his,,Palatine Chapet'. in Aachen. C e r n a n y . u irh jome.acred ( o l l e c U o r ì o t .u c h krnd. a t r h o u g h u e r:e rro e r a c r w r r ness of its conlenîs r. ln any case, ihi s bu ilding was soon rcE rded as ^ repositotilm oî exceptionally holy objects and such monasreries as Charroux and Càssino claìmed to possess relics handed down by Carolingian Emperors; in the li'h and
l2'r'cenlurics, texls lìke the Iter hiensob)mitanun, tetting a fancifuljourney ofthe Emperor to the Holy hnd and his encounter.with the holy bishoD Daniel of N J b l u ' . a t r r i b u r e d r o him rhe I r a n . l a t i o n r o A r c h e n o f ' u c h p r e c i o - , c r i t r o b j e c r . a , the crown ofthoms aùd one ofthe nails (later handed down io the royal abbey of Saìnt Deni s near Pari s) , rhe chal ice, tlìe bowt and even rhe knjfe of the Làst Sup D e r . a s w e l l a . S L Perer', b e a r d a n d hJirr SLch l i l e r d r y q o r k s . l r e s € d r h e a s , o c i -tion of the Roman Emperor, both as a nlan and an insritu-tional subiect. wfth Chri st as the Saviou I of mankind and tulfilled rhat process of.rírrúìmrner6 which had got underway already underthe €arly Carolingian sovereigns.
This well-known trend of Western royal ideology had ils deepef roots, as scholars have often pointed out, in ByzantiLrm and its conception ofDowersooft€n l a b e l l e d r s - c a e s d r o p d p i r m . T h e b a . i l e i r a.teged.rc-edne,,. r e t y r n g o n a n e a r l y explicit comparison wìth Chrisl as the Lord ofthe universe, as it was broughi out by both couft ritual and literature, consrituted the n€cessary premise and model fo. every other instìtution aiming ar asseiring an equivatent aurhority; and in the I l'rì and I 2rh centu ry such claims were most slrongly laid by a re ligious in stitùtìon, the Papacy, whìch longed forboth spiritualand politìcal prjmacy. The cr€gorìan Church, while promoting the Popes' rcle as l€gitimate holders ofpowerov€rWest e.n Europe, clashed more and more increasingly wjrh both the cerman Empìre and Byzantium overils lemporal cLaims, which were inevitably intermingted wìrh rtsgrowing ìndependency from the other Pat.ìarchal sees. ll was no accidenr that. ìnthe shapìng and refìning ofìts symbolic apparatus, the Papacyapproprìatedboth Impcrial habìts and religious models and reworked rhem, byconveying the ìdeaof Rome as the sole heir ofboth St. Peterand Constanrine.
T h e v e r y c e n t e r o f s u c h a s y m b o l i c c o n t a m i n a t i o n i s i o b e r e c o g z e d i n t h e b a -sìlica ofthe Holy Saviouron the Lateran. which was the rown cathedral and atso a 'palatine church', because
of its direct connection witìl ihe Ponlifical Palace n€aóy. Officiated byacongreSation ofcanons which was a sort ofvanguard army ofthe Gregorian Reformation, thechurch housed the mostsotemn papalceremo-nies and wrs more and more frequently descrìbcd by authors as "the mother ofall churches", "thc most holy shrine of the Divìne Roman ChLrrch,,, boasrjng irs " d o m i n a t ì o n a n d p r i m a c y o v e r a l l
l h e c h u . c h e s o n e à r t h , ' a D d i t s ti t t e o f . . A p o s t o l i c
On thc ,4/.2 ,tdrr, rclìcs, sc. esp de GaiJliet B. Le pìus rncicn car.logue der retiqucs d ' O r i c d o / / A n a l e c t ! B o l l a n d i a n a . 1 9 2 7 . V o Ì . 4 5 . p . 9 l 9 5 ; s c c a h o fm t o ù , . 1 . L a r c l ì q u e d e l a V r a i C r o i x . R e c h e r c h c s s r l e d é v e l o p p c m c n t d ' u n c u l î c . P a r ì s , 1 9 6 t , D . 2 7 7 2 7 8 , w j r h f ' " / . y . L r r c Ì i q u c . . . p 1 9 8 - 2 1 0 .
Cd.îr./\ n ltcr Hi.rosolynriliurùrn ou Vovagc dc Chartcmag.c à Jórusajcm et i Confarri ù o p l e / / R e l u c d c s l . n 8 ù r s r o n r N r c s . 1 N 9 2 S c r . l V . v o l . 6 . p . 4 l ? 4 S l , e s p . 4 5 2
h e r d and Romar Lmpire .rlllhe,e p r i \ i i e g e s h a d b e e n m o l r ! a r e d . a c c o r d i n g t o J o h n t h e D e a c o n . t 2 r h . e n l u r ) d e . L r i p r i o n o f l h e b d r i l i c r a , b y lh e d o n a t i o ; o l ! o i r s l a r r i n e . w h o !ris.rl5o l l ì e to u n d e r o f t h e church i l s e l l .
.As the Popes' influence became stronger, their cathedral had to be provided wrth more evident signs oftheir power, whose aim was to stress borh th; Roman See's aposîolic roots and the legacy ofthe Costantinian Empire. Majoremphasis wasgiven to the Ponriflas Christ,s vicar, white local attematives to ancient lilzan tine legends and rituals were worked our by the Lateran clergy, as iswitnessed, for example, bythe shift, already in the I tth century, from the commemomtion ofthe B€irut miracle on Novembergth to ìts substìtution with rhe feast ofthe dedicarion of the I:teran basilica on the same da1e5. Almost contemporaneouslf Rome claimed to poss€ssthe mostancient portrait ofChrist, by attriburingto Si. Luke,s hand the ancient acheiropoietic panel preserved in rhe S;ncta sanct;rum, rhe pat atrne chapel entitled to St. Lawrence6_ There as well as on the main altar ofthe Lateran church a great number ofrelics connected with the Saviour,s deeds anrl Passion were lì sted by the sources from the I l.h th rough the I 2rh century The basiF rca, whichboasted ofthe most important OldTestament relics (from theArkofthe Coven-an1 to Aaron's and Moses' rods), deserved pmise for preserving such m dg, r d i ? . D p i a s r h e t o w e l o f t h e W a s h i n g o f t h e feeL. l h e run i c . r h e p L r r p ì e c h J a m y s , r h e D r o o o . r h e s u d a f l u m . a s \ ell r\.everaJ o l h e t memombilia o t " t h e A p o s t t e s a n d rh e mafyrs. The PontifPs omlorium, instead, housed seveml particles of the True Cross, the Child's prepuce, the sandals, one bread and thirreen lentits ofthe Insr Supper, fragments of the reed, the sponge and Zacchaeus' sycamorc. Under Christ s,image were a lot of,'sacred stones',, sanctified by conb;t with Jesus, the Blessed V-irgin or the Ang€ls, aswell as manypìeces ofthe Cotumn ofrhe Flag;lla tion, the Sepulchre, the Holy Lance, some earth ofthe Lithos trotos and othe; holy places of Jerusalem and PalaestineT.
.. Such a selection ofsacred mementoeswas probably meant to shade every other relìc collectìon in the West and competed with a powerful French ìnstituti;n, rhe ancient Carolingian abbey of Charroux, for the possession of the prepuce, rhe most celebrated item according to John the Deacon. Nonetheless, the imphasis accorded to the Passion relics reflected more clearly Rome's wi sh ofconfronìatìon with the most celebrated shrìne housing such a kind ofobjects, i.e. the church of the Theotokos oîthe Pharos, which was tocated in the very centre ofthe Great pat,
J a h t ù p D e o , ù . D ( , n p n o t d r c t u n e n \ r . c L ! t e s r a e , C o d ( c r o p o s r a f i c o d e a c l | l a d r R o m a / | d ratpnrni R. Zù.chp i C Roac taal. \ot t. p. t7b_jtJ.See dtso pptu\ Dontaat.
E p ì f u ì a I // PL 144. C o I . 2 5 3 .
S@ ,oai M. The Búardenga Anrcpcndium and the pajs/o yùa8ii6 Om.e / / loum t af !1c W . . b u r g a ù d C o u r t a u l d l n s i i t u l e s . t 9 9 S . V o Ì . 6 1 , p . I,16.
,a..i,t/. Il penncÌlo dcìt'Evangetjfa. Srorja dcllc immaeinj sacrc aftribric a san Lucr. P i s a . 1 9 9 8 , p . 2 5 0 - 2 5 4 .
O.lhe Lateran collcctionsscc Cr1ur //. Die ómische Krpc c Sancla Sancrorum und ìhr Schrrz. Freibùry am Arcisgar. tgÌs, and Lau?r ph. Lcp"tai, au r"r.an. Én,A" lisroriqu""i a r c l r é o l o g i q u c . P a i s , t9 1 l S e e a h o L r o l / c . L a c r a r c f i Ì i a S i o n . l c c e e g o v c Ì j o c l h a t J r r a ì r o i n medjo 1Ì'i, Imaecs ofCÌr risr Tran sfc rrc.l lo Rome frotn J erusalcm// Jcwish An. t997 1998. V o l . 2 l 2 4 , f . 4 1 9 429. c \ p 4 2 2 4 2 4 .
Relics ofthe Ph,ttos Chapel: a t,iewfon I1e Lutìn Wesf 237
ace ofConstantinople. ìnside the colnplex ofBoukoleon, andconstituted, already in the late 1otr century ihe private chapel ofthe Basileis, frequently involved in cour1 rituaiand feligious liturgy, cspeciall!,on Easte r time. It was contiguous with a series ofstructures peÍaìning to the Emperors' private apafments and other two small adjoin ìng bu ildings had bee n co n structed by Macedonian sovereìgn s ( Basil I and Leo VI) in honour ofSt. Demetrius and the Prophet Elijah: we are probably right io expect that they wete parekkletia direcfly communicating with the major
The treasure boused there'was often praised by Latin pilgrims and other au thors, alihough il is not clear iffree enîrywas allowed to everybody; in any case, ils renown waswidespread and contributed to shape the idea ofConstantinople as "a very safc palace" forthe most precious relicsoîEastern Christendom, as the histo-rian Robe( the Monk pur irto. Fo( rhe Anantnous oflhe TerrcBonensis 55 , writinq by îhe end ott h e I I rh ce ntury îhe town was 10 be prai sed " especially because ofthe sacred mementoes (rdxcrrdnz) oî our Lord Jesus Christ that are believed to be there more than in anyotherpadofthe world"ll. Moreover, one shouid remember that in the highly controveBrsial Lettet of Alexius Connenus to Robert of Flandels Passion relics played a key-role in stimulalingthe \ryeslerners' int€ rvention against the TurksD and two l2ù century historians ofthe Crusades, Hugh of l-echtenberg and Hugh ofFleury wrote that Pop€ Urban Il, in his specch pronounced at the Coun cil ofclermont in I 092, had expressly slated that it was a duty for all Chri stian s to fight for Constanîinople'ssafety, since the Grcat Town housed the column oîthe Flagella rion, rhe purple chlamys, the crcwn ofthoms, the whip, the reed andthe clothsrr
-3 C!t//ard n. L'églìsc dc la Vicrge du Phire // Byzanlinoslavica. 1951 . vol. 12,p.232-234i /der. Erudcs dc topognphic dc con sranl inoplc byzantine. B€rlin Amsterdam,1969. vol. l . p . 3 l l 3 l 4 a M n a r d d S . L c s p a l a i s d e s e m p e r e u r s b y z a n l j n s . M é x i c o , 1 9 6 5 . p . 1 0 4 - 1 0 7 ; ./ar,n 8. La géographic ccclésiastiquc de ì Empire Byzaniin.l. Lesiè8e dc Conrantinopìe ct lc parriarcar cuméniquc. Pans, 1969. Vol-111,p.231 236.
e See rhe mat€rial colìeded by Froloa Larelìquc... p.101 305, which lacked importani in foÍnation provided by the lexts subscqucntly publìshcd by Kinj€ CiSgaar and othe$ (C,gadr,(. ,V. Une descrìptìon anonyme de Constanrinoplc du XIle siècle // Rcvuc des étùdesbyzantines.l9T3. Vol.31, p.315 354.). Scc now l'lrrr r. Conrruire unc nouv€lle Jérusalem: Confantinople el les reliqucs // L'Oncnt dansl'hisloire reliSieuse de I'Europe-LinventiDn des o.igines. Ed. M. A. Amir-MoezziandJ. Scheid. Tumbout. ?000, p.5l-70; .Ideu, Lcsrcliqucsdcla Saintc Chapcuc ct lcur passé impé rìal à Con sîanlinoptc // Le lrésor de la Sajnte-Chapeìle. Exhibidon cataloeùe (Paris. Louvrc, 2001) / Ed. J. Dumnd and M.-P Lrìfine. Pans. 2001. D. 20 31.
t0 Rabeú the ltlÒhk. Historia hicrosolymitana, II, 20 ("De Constanlinopoìirana urbe") / Rccùeìldcs hiroricns dcs Crcisadcs. Hisloricns Occidentaux (heÈafter ffc, l/Àr Occ. ). P a r i s . 1 8 4 4 l8 9 5 . V o Ì . Il l . D 7 5 1 ) - 7 5 1 .
11 Ciggaar L N. Unc dcscriplion dc Consranlitupìe dans le Tarrasoncnsis 55 // Revue dcs d t u d c s b y z a n t i n c s . 1 9 9 5 . v o l . 5 1 . p . l l 7 - 1 4 0 , e s p . 1 2 0 : " 1 . . . 1 m a x i m e o b s a n c l u a r i a D o n ì n ì n o s r i I h c $ C h r i s t i q u e i b i n r a i o r . ì c s s e c r c d u n r u r q u a m i n o m n i b u s o r b i s p a d ' b u s . 'r Ter( edited by niznl 2 Exuviae sacrae Constantiiopolilanac. GéDùve, 1878. Vol. Il,
o.201- 210: on ns inrcmrdrrion see d? ,/zrd n/. La Ìcttrc d Alcxis I Comnàle à Robefi Ilc F s o n / / B ! z r n r i o n . 1 9 7 7 . v o 1 . 4 7 . p . l 1 l - i 2 5 .
tr Hush ol Lrtuheìf.tlt. ttrc\ia dLrm p.ssreiiiD Tcnrm Sanctam.2 // RHC, Hist. occ. voì. V. p.3EA 181: Hrkh of l-ltutt.llircds H ic rosoÌyDila n i compendiùm. Ì // lbidcm. p. 363.
ìeft.out the column, each retic was preseÍed in the pharos chapel. As we know, such treasures renlptedso much the Westemers, greed, thattheywere in great part clepredated and later bought by King Louis IX ofFrance for hisown palaiine cha_ pel 'q, wh ich retained the same appellation of ,sainre ChapelÌe' attributed by the C r u s a d e r h i . t o f l d n Robefl d e C l a r i . in hjs de.criprion o f t h e to$n conquesr r n
I 2 0 4 \. to the Pharos c h u r c h
In its double dedicarion !o rhe Saviour and the .VLgin Mary, Sr. Louis, ,ople/ kff e probably reflecred a rmdirion of coud archit€ctué going úack to the modeis of Aachen, Oviedo and othersl6; po6sibÌy, he also look into a;count the strict inteÉctìon of Marjan and chdstological symbols expressed by court rituals involving tlÉ pharos church. As-Fvelyne Pallagedn dnd Citbef Ddgron ha\e poinled ourr?. Lhe polrrical mea n rng ol the Palafi ne chdpe was em phdsied by its dmcr assocraLion wit h the mor pelsonal, pnvate moments ofthe Emperor's liÈ, as revealed, e.g., by its ìnvolvement in sucn occasrons as the engagement and maniage rit€s; moreovet it was credited to ex_ pr€ss the sovereìgnì special venemtion for both the Saviour. the EmDeror of Heaven-and His Molher thr specidl parron otlhe Blzanrine Empire. I should tike ro srre\s lunnersuctt a poinl. but fì\t it is necessary to lake a\lep bacl-\l?Ìrd.
. By the middle ofrhe tOth cenrury the creat patace;although ir did not lack reF Ics, was not yet conceived as a sacred shrine housing the most precious memora_ bilid of the tvangelic rimes. ahhough according to the Book of Cercnonies rhe ( r o s s a n d t n e L a n c e w e r e a h e a d l j n i r s r r e d s u r e r s . w d s m a i n j y a f ì e r t h e v i c l o n o u s Oriental campaigns ofthe second half of the century that, step by step, the most renowned objects were introduced inside the Boukoteon ìvalÌs. As th; .Nea,, the church founded by Basil I, was enriched with qolra of the Old Testament and Constantinian memoirs, the pharcs chapel started housing relics specificallycon, n e L l e d w r l h Chast. so rhar. , r e p by step. i r w a " mfanr ro be perceived a s a . N e w t r o r v I and - a me(aphor w h i c h w a 5 d t c o s l r e s s e d b y r h e J e r o s o l r m i r , n I i r u G y e m ploy€d lherere. The Edessan Mandytion arrived in 944, followed by iB c;;y on bfick, rhe Keranidion, in 96710; iÍ 97S John Tzimiskis added rhe s;ndah, ;hile Christ's letter to King Abgar was obrained in t0J2 and the crown ofrhor;s.
ac-'e fiú1o4 Relìques... p.427-430.
I Rab.n de Claù-l a úîtguerc de Con,lanrrnopte. 82_òJ // Hrsro ens er chroriqueurs du - M o J e n A g c . f d . P a L p n r t e r A . . P o r r o r t p d r i . . ta 5 2 , p . 7 2 . 7 4 .
Lo See.sp. tterbeekA. Dìe a.chickronjsche Nachfoìse derÀachener pfalzkapell€ // Kad der G_rosse. Lebenwùk und Nachlebcn / Ed. w. BraunicÌs. Dússctdo4 1967.-Vol.
ii p. I l3_ t7 Pattagean É. L'emrca ae h Sainte Face d.Édesse a Consranljnopre en 944 // La religion
civìquc à ì époqu€ médiévalc cr moderne (Ch.érienré et r.rom)7 ra. e Vaú"1"2. tà-" 1 9 9 5 . o . 2 i - : 1 5
tó Thiihht.l H. Kte[Z. Rctiquien und Biìdcrim Zercmonienbuch des Koùsranlins porphy.o_ , ù C ù ú c t o s / / B y a n l n r d r e F o r s c h u n g e n . l 9 9 2 . V o Ì . t 8 , p . l l 9 1 2 6 , e s p . 1 2 3 _ 1 2 4 _ '' As we ìcam f.om the Typikon ofrhe pantokmror monasrery i!ì Conranrinople, wìrere the
Jctosolún1r^r, okolÒuthiaiarc.tesc.ibed as a fcarure ofthe chu.ches insidc rhe c;ear palace: ^ n w n p s c , t ù I O t . , a . l r c r r r y p r r , . c \ r / \ o J k o n r . c i K - s . 8 9 < I t , c . ò 7 8 ò 7 q . " \ c noq /rr\i" B. Drd. .c,irc d. Con J In.rn Sritbè. r u r ' c \ 4 . , n d y t r o 1 p r . a . . . r n r e , u r t c \ B r l C
Relics ofthe Pharcs Chapel: a |iewfrom the I'aÍin Wetr 139 c o r d ì n g t o F r a n E o i s D e M é l y 1 r , i n 1 0 6 3 . S t i L l i n I 1 6 9 1 1 7 0 M a n u e j C o m D e n u s placedihere theilab where Christ's body was laid down duriDg the Deposition"' bul inthe meanwhile, probably already by th€ niddle ofthe I lih cenlurv, the cha pelhad acquiredalmost alltìle Passion relics, althoughw€ cannotascefain ifthey were identical with the original ones formerly venerated in Palaestìne or simply
reDlicated them.
The sources li sting relics in the Pharos church or, more geneÍcally, in rhe Pal_ ace are both Latin and Greek or Russian. lfwe compare all the witnesses (l con-siderhere agroup ofsixteen texts dating fronl the I Llh lhrough the 1l'r'cenlury), we oblain that îhe more widely kìrowlì cult objects in the €ollection were the Passion relics, although the buildìng housed also somc remains ofthe apostles (John the Baplist, St. And.ew, St. Philip, St. Paul, St Luke, etc ) and som€ Marian memen-toes: her sandals ard belt we.e often mentioned, while the veil and robe (usually known to be preserved in the Chalkoprateia and Blachernae churches) are re-cordedonlyby the Mercd li Ano rnou?3, nl\hon9h they maybe idcntified with the forehead band desc.ibed by Anthony of Novgorod2a lsee Appendi\ Al.
A m o n g C h r i s t ' s r e l i c s , a s m a l l g r o u p d r e w m o r e fr e q u e n t l y t h e v i s i t o r s ' a t -tention: usually, theywere those being mentioned explicitly in the Holy Scrìp-tore and playing a role of protagonisl in the history oî Salvation; the sk€-vophylax ofthe Pharos church Nikolaos Mesarites, writing short after 120 L, selècted ten such treasu.es in order to praise the richn€ss ofthe building, and labelled îhem as a òeKcí)'o, oq25. First ofall, he mentioned the crown ofthorns' b y f a r t h e m o s t tu e q u e n i l y c i t e d r € l i c in t h e p ì l g r i m s ' l i s t a n d t h e p r i m a r v o b j € c l of interest also in St. Louis' sacred collection in Paris; the bramble was still greeù and blooming, according to the rhetorical topos, going back to Sl Paul, ;fthe incorruptible crown ofVictory, ofChrist's and the Christians' sacrifice' Such atopos did affecl many laterdevotioÍal practices involving sacred thorns: 1r\ rhe Iler Hiercsotynilanrrr, thosc obtained by Charlemagne were descrìbed as periodically blossoming, as were ihose venerated, in the Later Middle Ages, in ihe cathedral of the Order of St. John in the citadel of Rhodes, which blos-somed every year on Holy Fridays' 6.
Moreover. there were a large pofion ofthe True Cross and the whip, qpoÉÀlLov, ofthe Flagellation. The latter, admittedly a fairly uncommon relic, isdescribed in Mesarites; ekphrasis as an ifon lool "open when it is held in one's hands, closed when it ispreser,red, beingrìntouched, ilside abox (0iKl)"; ratherthanasawhrp,
r1 de M t /i Exuviae sac.ac Constantinopolìúnae. Paris. 190'1. p- 174-175'
2: Mar'gó c. Norcs on gyzantine Monumenls // DoP 1969 1970 Yo|.23-24.p 272-2 7 5 .
2r Texi ed.by Cr&rrdl ^. lv. Unc.lcscription de conslrntrDoll.ltiduilc parrn pòlerii anslîis / / R c l u c d c s é l u d e s L r y z a n l i n e s . l 9 7 6 . V o l . 1 4 , p 2 l l - 2 6 7 , e s p 2 4 5 : v c s t i n Ù l l u m s n n c t a e M a d a c s e n ú r i c i s D c i . v c l a m e n e N .
)a fcxt\ra;sl.by Ehúar.l ll. Lc ìivrc du Pèlcrìn d ^ntoinc dc NovSorcd // Romania l9l2 V o l . 5 8 , p . 4 4 6 5 , c s p . 5 7 .
15 -frxl cd. bt, //.de,à?ì8,'1. Nrkolios Mcsarilcs. Dlc Palafrevohrlion des Johantts Com-n e Com-n u s . w ú r b u r y , 1 9 0 7 , p . 2 9 - 3 1 .
it is conccived as a ring or collar, xl,oròq Ènnu1évrcq, i.e. "a yoke wejghjng on the sholrlders", which now, in a soft of retaìiarion, bends the haughry devil\ neck ilr side its ci.cular Íorm: oq Kpíxov xcípryn6 tóv rpci1lLov roú úroúXtvoq tcrrsvd, an expression borrowed from Isaiah (58:5). This is not only a rhetorical d€vice aimingat mixingdifferent Biblicalpassages, since we find itscountercheck in Western pilg.ìms'texts, where the term employed is both fagelfu ^nd col lariumt rhe A o ymous ofcd. 1/5, speaks of " an irorÌ collar, by wh ich h is fChri sr'sl neck was bent while being whipped, fastened ro the column"27. Such d€raìt is also confirmed by the Latin Emperor Baldwin ll's 1247 leÍer ro Louis lX, concernjng t h e relicshandeddowntotheKingofFrance;amongthese i s . e c o r d e d ' . a c h a i n o r ìron bond, made as a sot ofring, by which it is said that our Lord was bound,' ("calhenam etiam, sive vinculum feÍeum, qùasi in modum annulli factum, quo creditur idem Dominus noster fuisse ligatus")23.
The sepulchral bands or sindonswere the linen cloths, still scenting ofbalms, employed by John of Arimathaea to bury Christ's bodyj then there .was the ) , É \ t î r o v , o r l i n l h e u n i r L a t i n t e x t s , i . e . th e to w e l o f r h e W a s h i n g o f t h e F e e t , s t i ì l preserving the dampnessofthe wiped apostles. The holy lance, on its side, had the appearance of a double edged swo.d, in rhe sciìeme of a c.oss: this was credited by the Byzantines and also by many Westernersto be the original onc, although a new one had been found by the Crusaders in Artioch as a conse-quence ofthe very suspect revelation ofa visionary named Peter Bartholomew In the same way, the purple himation \vhich, as well as other relics, constituted one ofthe nlain treasures preserved in the Lateran, was also one ofthe most holy objects venerated in the Pharos chapeÌ. Moreover, differently fiom the reeds growing in Greecc, the Kcí]"opoq ofJesus' mockery had a great size, lik ened by Mesarites to thc "arm of a man wìth great hands" (rnXùq ònoîoq c i v ò p ó q î 1 v o q D p L o p ó t € r p o S p p o l í r ù v èoî í), while the Saviour's s a n d a t s w e r e absolute ly we Il- propoftionaled.
Apart ffom the sacred mementoes me ntioned in the skevophylax's ,ecdlogre, the Pharos treasure prese rved olher important and fascinating reljcs. There isno agreement betw€en medieval authors as regards the number ofholy nails vene rated in the skevophylakion:some spoke ofonlyone c/ayír, others ofmore./ayi. A reason ofsùch a disagreement among the Latin writers may have been due to their knowledge oîothef nails venerared in the West; since th€se could not be more than three, the autllof oî the Descriptio sanctuaii Consîanfinapolitani . \IiI-ing, according to Paul de Riànt, towards I190, made it clear that the.e \dere two nails, butone ofthem had been deprived of its poinr wh ich wasactLrally prese.ved i n t h e rcyal a b b e y o f S a i n t Denis near P a r i s , w h i l e t h e th i r d one constituted t h e m a i n cult object i n t h e chapel o f t h e Kings o f J e r u s a l e m 2 e i a s known f r c m o t h e r
À i a r l , E x ù v i a c . . . p 2 l Ì : ( c o l Ì a d u r n f e r r t u m . q u o a s t r i c r u m f ù ì r c o t t u m c r u s d u m t h g c l lareluL ad columnam ljgatus'.
ì b i d e n , p . 1 3 4 l l 5
l b i d . m , p . 2 1 7 : " C l a l i . ad miÌNs duo. absci\a ! r î n s c u s p i d c ù n l u s . q ù o d in C a t ì i a , a p u d SanclÌrm Diorvsilun. cx dono K.ìroÌj rcsjs, rcvcrchrìssimc habcturi rcrcius, inquan, cum lcnaliì! qnibus dcloljsnùc NichodcDùrs, cùin Ioseph, corpus Domini Ihesù awhir de ì j s n o , l n . r p c l l i r e g i s l c r u s a l ù n , c u m c o e o r c ip s i u r I o s c p h . h { b c L u r ' , .
Relics afthe Phdtos Chapel: a \)iew fron the Laîin Wesî 241
s o u r c e s , i h i s r e l i c . a s w e Ì l a s J o s e p h o f A r i m a t h a e a ' s b o d y a n d N i c h o d e m u s p j n -ccrs. had been found short beforc 1130 in Ramleh (whìchwas currently identifìed wilh Joseph's biÍlìplace)ro.
The Pharoschu.ch alsoprese.Y€dan ampulla of holy blood from Christ's side' wlrile the Beirut blood was honoured in the Chalke chapel: such differentkindsof holy liquids were assembled togetheronly in Palaeologan times, in the treasure of St. John the Baptist in Pet.a, aswitnessed bv Clavjjorr'
Oth€rmemorabìlia, moreover, were the marble basìn (pelvr) ofihe Washing of the Feet. Christ's belt and laces, a pofion of lhe bread ofthe l-ast Supper, the Child's hairand clolhs (maybe the latte.being fragments ofthe relicspreserved in Hagia Sophia), the tunic, the sponge, and the sudarium; the stone where Chdst's head was leant afterthe Deposition cannot be ideltified with the slab iransfened irom Ephesus lo Constantinople by Manuel Comnemìs in 1169- 1170, since it is witnessed bywritten sources well before that date.
W€ know very little about the location ofthe rÈlics among the fumishings of the church, which was for its pat an absohìtely 'de Iuxe' building, full ofgolden and sìlver omaments hanging from the ceiling, and displayed a rict y decorated Iloor, agolden and silver remplon and cibodum, as well as sumpluous mosaics on its walls, apse and
dome-Mesarit€swriles that the gpcrÉÀhov was preserved inside a noble melal box, and, after the conquestofConstantinople, NikolaosofOtranto informs us that the bread ofthe Last Supperwas includ€d in a rich golden reliquary embelli shcd wìth pearls and precious stones and displaying aD ìnscription which declared the au-thenticity of its contentr' .
The Holy Mandylion, as we learn from the Emperor Baldwin ll's letter to Louis lX. was included inside a 'rabula', i.e. a panel or, more probably. a metal-work icon: rdncla,n Toeltan tabute insetan , in hi s own words3r- Such an object was probably intended to screen and completclyconceal lhe image "not made by hlÌman hands". since itwas commonlv believed that nobody could stare back at it. According to the ,4ro ynous ofthe TataSonensis 55, ÎreÎ even the Emperor himself was allowed to open the vdr, i.e. the 'reliquary', ofthe Edessan image, since. when in the past it had been displayed to people, a terrible earthquake had devastated the town14.
Probably an almost identical container housed also the Mandylion'sP€,r/d'?r' the Holy Keramidio n: Robe rt de CIa ri records th al, \Ît flle Sainte Chapele of lhe Boukoleon.
r0 ì.ldlef í. '' Die Hofl(apclle der Kònig von Jerusale,!// Deutschcs Archiv fiir die E'foF schungdcs MnlehlleN. 1988. Vol.,14, p.489-509, esp 49'1 495
rr Jrrir. Les églìscs... p.426;cl aho C,ra..t Tres monasreriosde Constantìnopìa visitadospor E s p a i i o ì c s c n e l ! ì l o 1 4 0 3 / / R c n t c d c s é l u . l e s b y z À n i i n c s l 9 6 l V o l l 9 , p . 3 5 8 3 8 1 , e s p 3 7 2 ì Rrdrr, Exu!iae... p. 233-234. According ro thc samc texl, thc rclic Ùas dcslrovcd bv ihe
Crusade$sincc it dcmonfratedlhal the Latin usasc of unleavcncd brcad h the lituryvicl Papatlat)outos Keranek\ A.Docùmentspoùrscnjrà I'hisÎoirc de la IVc croisàde// Rene d c l O r È n r l a r i n . 1 8 9 3 . V o l . 1 , p . 5 5 1 5 5 i .
! Ridrt, E\trvilc. p. ll5.
]a Ed. C,s{rdr d' N. Une dcscriplion anonvmc de Consl.nlìroplc du xlìc siÙcle // Rene dcs é t ù d e s b v z . n Ì i n e s . Ì 9 7 1 . v o | . 3 ì , p . 1 2 0 l 2 l .
142
there were two rich golden reliquarìes (var$edrr) hanging by two great silver chains in the middie ofthe chapet.Inside the former ther€ was atile lrrile). in, side the latter a cloth l loel€)...35
k is quite notewofhy that sìrch a location was attrib ù\edto the fwo acheiroDoietoi. ' i n c e rr possibl) i m aled r h e c a n o n i c a t d i s p l a v o t s o m e o f r h e m o , r p r e c i o u s p a . -sion relics in the churches ofJerusalem. Before the destruction ofthe Holy Sion building by al- Hakim in I 009, rhe crown ofthorn s hanged over the iconosrasis. as we lea.n from the 9rh century pilgrim Bemardthe Monk andby a t0uìcenturyt€xt q u o t e d b y r h e A r m f n i a n s f l t r r Movse. D a x s u r a n c i ù : lhe rasîe f o r hangirU r e t i -quanes, rn any case, was still alive in Crusadertimes. since some l2rh centurvau-t h o n recorded s ith some a m a z e m e n t l h a r '. a ìdr ofgolden b r i g h l n e s s a n d .k i l l . hanged by achain fastenedtothe dome ofthe T€mplum Domìniand possiblycon-tained agold€n um or Christ'sblood or also the holy manna37.
The l]ara containing the Mandylion and rhe Keramidion had undoubtedly a prom inent position in the Pharos chrrch and their mutual associatio n and int; r-action were stre ngthened by theh involvement in the same ceremonial moments. Aswe learn from Leo Tuscus38, a pisan authorwriting in Constantinople under the reign ofManuel Comnenus, both were covered with cloths durins the entire p e r i o d o f L e n t lsee A p p e n d i Ì B l . a n d s u c h a c u \ t o m w a s d i s r i n c t r v e o f d s p e c i t r c kind of cult objects in the chapel, i. e. mimcte working images As I have p;inrcd out elsewherere, another icon was involved in such Lent rituals. rhat of the Motherofcod which, according again ro Leo Tuscus, was usuallypresefled on the backsìde ofth€ aftarand was given the title of donha donus,i.e.,Lady ot the House', coresponding to Mesadtes' term OìKoKupct. This image, whictrplayed a role ofprotagonìst in a sort offertilitypractice sponsored by the court, wasven-erated as the eponymous cu lt object of the church and as the special patton ofthe
L m p e r o r s p r i v a r e I i f e a n d residence;as s u c h , c o n s r i r u r e d o i e ofrire d o m i n a n r symbols inside the skevophylakion and stressed the symbolical meaning ofsrri-ctiy associated Marian and christological mementoes in the most holy shrine of Byzantine empire.
r) Robefl de Clali.lÀ .onquere de Con sranrinopte, 82-8j / Ed. pauphjter. po8non, p. 7j: (... czr jl avoiî deux nches vaisseaus d,or qui pcndoienr en mi la chapele a deux groses chaines d'argent. En I'unde ces vaissiaus si avoir un€ lùile et en I'aur.e une toile.._,. On the imDor_ l d n c c o f , u c n a Io L a r r o n i n r h e B y , , a n r i n e r m o . U o n , s e e l i d o v , a . R c t i L . a . l c o n s r n rh c S r ; r e d Space ofByzantine Church// RelicsìnîheAltand Cutrure oflhe Eafem ChrisÌianWo.tdl t d A . l r d o v . M o j c o s . 2 0 0 0 . p . 2 8 2s.l/dor 4. The Mandyt,on a n d K e m m r o i s . à n t m -^_ age-AIchctwe ofSacred Spacc, in the presenr book.
'a Rehar.t the Mahk.Irinenrìtrm lc. 8701, 12 / Ed. Tobler T., Motjnier A. hincm Hiero_ solymfana cl descrjprioncs Terra Sancrè bcuis sacris anreriora. parìs. 1879. Vot. L o. jl5: Mo$es Dasurun.i. Hìstot\ ofrhe AÌbanìans,2,5l /Transì. byWitkinson J. Jcrusaim pit_ -_ Srims Beforeîhe Crusadcs. Wannjnsrc., 1977.p.200 201.
it Alberîus alAachek. Hlstoria Hierosolymirana, 6, 24l/RHC, Hisr. Occ.VÒl. 2, p.4t0. rò /@ 7Ì?yzr De hrcssìbuseî pmevaricationibusGftecorum//pc 140. Cot.544-550, csp.54S. rv Ba..i,41. in Veryinc Oìkokyru, Signora deìcrande palazzo. Lelura diun Dasso diLeonc
L h r o . . l e c a I r \ c r a v c J c r C r c ( ' . A r r 2 ] d e . . a \ . J o t r \ o r n . a t c s u o c r i o r e o p r \ d _ 9 9 b . S e r . I V v o l . I . D . 2 6 1 2 7 9 .
Relics afthe Pharas ChapeL a vfuN fion the Latìh wesl 243
Appendix A. The Holy Relics of fbe Pharos Chapcl in the Great Palace ofConstantinople according to fhe Mcdicval Soùrces
L ì s t o f s o u r c e s
1. Anonrmous ofthe Taffaganensk 55 11075 10991/Ed. Ciggadl À: N Unede-scriplion de Conslantinople dans le Taffagonensis 55 // Rcvue des études b y z a n t i n e s . 1 9 9 5 . V o l . 5 3 . p . I I 7 1 4 0 .
2. Mercati Anonynous 2th century, based on a previous Greek sourcel /Ed CigSaar K. N. Une description de Constantinople traduite par un pèlerin anglai s // Rewe des études byzantìnes. l976.vol34,p.2ll 267.
3. Alexius Connenus. Lctter to Count Rober! of Flanders !0921 / Ed. rRidrf P Exuviae sacrae Constantinopolitanae. Génòve, 1878. Vol. II, p. 203-210 (al though the text speaks ofconstaniinopolitan relics in g€ ne ral words, it€mpha sizes the chrisiological relics known to be preserved in thc Pharos Chapel). 4. ^rin6rq riq KovqîdvflvoDnó).eoiq Ll136-ll43l /Ed. Cisaat K N. Une
description anonyme de Constantinople du XIIe siècle 1973. vol. 3 I , p. 338 341 5 . A n o n i n o L s o f 1 1 5 0 / E d . X d n r , 1 8 7 8 . V o l . If , p . 2 l L 2 1 3 .
6. Nikolaus,abbot of Munkathwru in lcela d. C^ralogus reliquianìm C. P [1 1571 / E d . -R i d r l , 1 8 7 8 . V o L . l l , p . 2 l 3 2 1 6 (h e s p e a k s o f r e l i c s h o u s e d ì n " a n c i e n t palaces").
1. M\riam ofT)ru! Chronicon u 1711,20,23 / Ed. R. B. C. Huygens. Turnhout, i986, p. 944-945 ('Corpus Chrislianorum Continualio Mediaevalis' 63a) 8. Leo TuscLts. Dehaeresibus e! pnevaricatjonibus Graecorum l77 ca.l // PG
140, col. 544 550.
9. DescnptioConsta ti opolir llate l2rhcenturyl/Ed. Ct&lddr',1973,p 335-354 10. Descriplio sancluarii Constanti nopolitani I l 190 ca.l / Ed. Ridrl, I 87 8 Vol l l ,
p . 2 1 6 217.
ll. Anthony of Novgorod. Pilgrim Book 02001/ Ed.,7ordpe6,{ KHItm nanoMHrrK. CKa3aHtre Mecr cBsrBrx Bo llaperpaAe ArroHuq ApxuenxcKonà HoBropoÀ cKoroB 1200roÀy//npaBocnasHrii fla,'IecruHcKxii C6opHuK. 1899. Vol. 51, p. l l11,esp. 18-19; French translation by frlrdrd M Le livre du Pèlerin d'Antoine de Novgorod // Romaùia. 1912. Vol. 58, p. 44 65.
12. Nikolaos Mesorites. John Comnenus' Palace Revolution u200 ca l / Ed àel-s?,?r€rg,4. Nikolaos Mesa tes. Dic Palaslrevolut ion des Johan nes Comnenus wùrzburg, 1907. p. 29 36.
13. Robe de C/d/i. La conquéte de Constantinople u204 Pauphilet A. PLynon E. Hìstoriens e! chroDiqueurs du 1 9 5 2 , p . 7 2 7 1 .
14. Nikolaos of Ottunto. Tractatus de communionc 11207 ca.l v o l . II , p . 2 3 3 2 1 4 .
c a . l , 8 2 8 3 / Ed. Moyen Àge. Parìs, / Ed. Rid t, t878, 1 5 . À r g o r " d r r . C € s t à P h i l i p p i A u g u s t ì 0 2 0 8 c . r . l / E d n e r " / , 1 t i 7 8 . V o l . ll , p 2 3 5
2 3 6 .
16. Baldwin Il, Latí Enperot a.f Consta tinot|e- Letrer ra Louis lX of Francc . . 2 , r - t d R , r a l 1 6 - 8 . V o l i l . t . r l l l ] <
R e l i c s Basin ofthe Christ's belî Christ's J o h n t h e st's clothes Chrìsfs hair Christ's Letter to C h r ì s t ' s s a d Christ'ssandals Clrist's shoelaces Christ's side blood Eliiah's clamis ofthe ulchre Holv Bread Holv Ch Cross(es Crown ofThmns I n n o c e n t s ' r e l i c s Hol Keramidion l-ance Hol Hol Nail Reed c h r a l B a n d s sudarium Holv Tìrnic Holv Wli lcon of Sl. Demetrius lcon ofthe Motherofcod John the s t ' s h a i r J o h n t h e S t ' s h e a d J o h n t h e B a p t i s t ' s s l i c k P i l l o w s r o n e o f t h e S e p u ) c h r e J o l l n lh e B a D t i s t ' s r i s h r h d I ì e l i c s o i s e ! e r a l r p o ( r l e s
Relics of the Pharos Chapel: a riev)fron the Latin lvest 245
Relics of several sainfs Sacred conlaineror rctquary
St. Andrew s arm St. Andrew's head S t . E p i m a c h u s ' h e a d St. Georse's arm R e l i c s St. Georye's tunic St. James' arm s m i ì k in Marv's ; n M a r v ' s s a n d a l s s s i i c k St. James' head St. Luke's head St. Matthew s head St. Paul's chains St. Paul's head S t . P h i l i D ' s Sl. Simeon's head St. S n ' s hand St. Theodore Tiron's relics St. Thomas' bald haìr St. Thomas'finser St. Thomas' head St. Zacharias' head T h e C h i l d s lowelofthe Triu Cross Unidentified basin s b e l t
I
I
in Mary\ veil246
App€ndix B.lxo T[scus (1177 ca.)on the pharos Chapel in tle creaî PalÀce ofconstantinople
Leo Tuscus, a cìrltivared layman from Pisa, lived at the Imperial Couf ofcon-s t a n t i n o p l e f r o m th e ll60s to 1181 c a . , u n d e r t h e r e i g n o î Manuel C o m n e n u s ( l 1 4 3 1180). W h i l e h i s b r o t h e r H u g o E t h e r i a n u s b e c a m e t h e Emperor's p e r s o n a l a d \ is o r in rhe ield ol I rln rheolog). I e o s o r k e d a . d r o f l ì c i d t r r j r r . l - r o r : a n o n g his wofks, the trealise On îhe haeresies and abuses oflre Cr"eekr has been Dfeserved i n l h e miscellaneou5 c o l l e c l i o n o t le x r s s e l e c t e d b v r h e D o m i n l c J n I i i r r r o t C o n -stantinople in 1252, which h,l been handed down to us under the title Co îra C,decor (ed. PG 145,cols487 574).Cf. Dondaine,4_ .ConrÉ craecos,_ p.emiers écrits polémiques des Dominicains d'Oricnt // Archivum Fmtrun pmedica r o r u m l9 5 l . V o l 2 l . p . J ) 0 1 4 b . l d p n . H u g u e s L l ' é r i e n e l L é o n T o s c a n / / A r chives d'histoìre doct.inale et li$éraire du Moyen Age. 1952. Vol. t9,p.67-134.
In order to point out that Grcek supeNtition was rooted in the customs ofthe I mDe-rial Palace. Leo Tu.cLrs prcvides u\ w,rh d deldted descdDúo ol lhe r eRmonialusaeer \ hich involved lhe Phdros Chapel during t-enr, $hen rtri Manaltron.nd KemmraLn were covered with veils and the icon ofthe Mqin Or;t itld was tÉnsfened into the neaÈy bedmom ofthe Empercr For an interpretation ofthìs passage in the context of the Great Palace topogmphy, cî. Bacci M.I aVergr]tr, Oikokyra, SjgnoÈ del cmnde pa-lazzo. ktlura di un passo di Leone Tusco sulle cattive usarìze deicreci //Annajidella Scuoln Normde supedore di Picd. lqas ser ry. vol I p 2ot-2,q
aeo Zrcrr. De haeresibus et praeva ricarionibus c|aecorum. Ed. pc 145. Col.548c. In fact the Greeks charge the Lalins for doing what they are in the habit to do very carefully inside Constantine's creat Palace. In a church of this palace. where the holy relics are preserved, an image ofthe Blessed Mothe. of Cod, named 'Lady ofthe House' (domina donui)becar:f- ofthe dislinctive starus at tributed to it, is placed behind the altar From ihe beginning ofFasting time to Holy Saturdays, it is locked inside a bedroom, whose doors are covered .wirh cloths, as well as, during Len!, rhe places borh ofrhe Hoty Mandylion (sdxcli na te is) and the Holy Kemmidion are shelrered wirh veilsri Holv Saturdavs. V o r e o v e r . l h e ) c o m p e t h e i m i g e o f l h e Molherotcod t o g i t e b i n l r l o lt r e i r l ; \ . pecredl chìldren and, by means ofHer mediation, theyger the Virgin Herselfas godmother in this way:theyapplya shroud !o the image, so that She may r€ceive the baptized children from the celebmnt's hands; when tfieyspeak, rheyexplic-itly show what kind ofsupersririon iswidespread among !hem_ In fact. whoevef could claim, withour insulting cod, that an image is able speak, or may stand surely Iòra child, or is awitness at rhe baptìsm? Since thcy don,t want to neglcct any kind ofsuperstition and hate thciralive broihen, they acqule oewbroihcN among the .clùctallt sainls, b), nreans oftheir inrages. The pe.son who does no! love hisbrothcr, whom hc can see, how could ìove Cod, whom he cannor see ùor know? All the more because such a brotherhood ìs afificial, feiBned and dis nnrled: the!'bribe a prief, when he sings Mass, and praycrs whìch cannot be ful filled arc said in favour ofsuch an aboùinable brolherhood beins an animat. not n sprrìtual one. îhey light at teast lwo candtes, whilc rhe false brorher js anointed with oil and enrbmces rhc holy inragc. which hc dares rìanre ,b.orhci: a n d this man p r o v e s t o bc ! mufderer. s i ì r c c h . h a r c s h i s rì t i v c b r d h e r s .
