St Francis of Assisi's bones go on public display for the first time in Italy

The bones of St Francis of Assisi went on public display for the first time Sunday capping an 800year saga over his bodily remains and confirming the enduring appeal to Christians of venerating a saints relicsNearly 400000 people registered in advance to see the bone fragments which are contained in a slim bulletproof Plexiglas case in the lower Basilica of St Francis in the hilltop Umbrian town the medieval friar made famousThe Franciscans decided to exhibit the bones for one month through March 22 to honour the 800th anniversary of St Francis death in 1226 The aim is to revive his message of peace and fraternity that made him one of the most beloved Christian saints and inspired Pope Francis to take his name the first pope to do soThe exposition of his bodily remains is particularly remarkable given the somewhat tortured history of the body of St Francis a wealthy merchants son born in 1182 who gave up all his possessions to live as a mendicant friarAt the end of his life St Francis body was said to have acquired the stigmata the first documented case of a saint acquiring the marks of Christ on the crossIn death his body was lost for hundreds of years after it was secretly buried by one of his followers who feared it would be stolen during the fight over relics that was common in Christianity in the Middle AgesThat 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 bonesA fascination with relics that isnt gruesomeBrother Giulio Cesareo spokesman for the Franciscans in Assisi said the exposition wasnt 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 themIt 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 lifeOver 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 doesnt 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 ChurchIf the saints are our brothers and sisters in heaven then it makes sense that were 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 ChristWhat is remarkable to a viewer today is how tiny St Francis seems He was known to suffer poor health and nutrition and the delicate slight skeletal bones seem to confirm his diminutive statureFor 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 onceinalifetime opportunityJust talking about it gives me goosebumps she said outside the basilica Its an event I couldnt missSt Francis she said went against all societal norms to live out the Gospel message of peace care for the poor and the environmentIn this historic moment we need him she saidSecurity significant but discreet to protect bonesSecurity 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 plainclothed police television cameras and other measures were being used to protect the relicsGiven the history of St Francis body such measures seem only appropriateEven before he died St Francis had gained such a reputation for sanctity that he travelled 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 DiegoThere 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 centreWhen St Francis died October 3 1226 he was initially buried in a small Assisi church San Giorgio Within two years Pope Gregory IX had canonised him and laid the cornerstone for a basilica to house his tombBut 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 Thats when excavations discovered the remains and Pope Pius VII confirmed the bones belonged to St FrancisIt 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 pilgrimsAnd Assisi now has them in spadesSome people signed up to visit the relics when the exposition was first announced in October and they were slotted into 10minute increments starting Sunday morningSilvanella Tamos travelled 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 930 amIts a body thats alive she said Its not a dead body He still has a lot to tell us today she saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever