Contact Relic of Saint Pope Pius X — Cloth Placed upon His Body during the Exhumation for His Beatification

An exceptional mid-20th-century contact relic (ex contactu) of Saint Pope Pius X (Giuseppe Sarto, 1835–1914): a strip of white cloth which, according to its handwritten Dutch inscription, was placed upon the body of the Pope when it was exhumed for his beatification.

The relic is presented on its original Dutch mount. On the left is a printed photographic portrait of Pius X in white cassock, mozzetta and pectoral cross, with his facsimile signature “Pius PP. X” and the imprint “kunst-adelt, maastricht – printed in holland. S. 13”. On the right, the strip of cloth is stitched to the card with gold thread. Beneath, a carefully hand-lettered inscription reads:

“Stukje stof, dat door Monseigneur J. Olav Smit, is gelegd op het lichaam van Paus Pius X, toen dit voor de zaligverklaring werd opgegraven.”

(“A piece of cloth that was laid by Monseigneur J. Olav Smit upon the body of Pope Pius X, when it was exhumed for the beatification.”)

A contact relic – not a fragment of clothing

As the inscription makes clear, the cloth is not part of the Pope’s garments: it is a cloth placed in contact with the body of Saint Pius X, a classic contact relic in traditional Catholic terminology.

Monseigneur Johannes Olav Smit

The inscription names Mgr. Johannes Olav Smit (1883–1972), a Dutch Catholic bishop who served as Apostolic Vicar of Norway from 1922 and afterwards spent many years in Rome. His presence in Rome links this relic to the circle of clergy involved in the events surrounding the exhumation of Pius X. The attribution rests on the inscription itself; no separate certificate accompanies the relic.

About Saint Pius X

Pope from 1903 to 1914, Pius X is remembered as the “Pope of the Eucharist”, who encouraged frequent Communion and lowered the age of First Communion for children. His body was exhumed from its original grave in the course of the beatification process; he was beatified by Pope Pius XII on 3 June 1951 and canonised on 29 May 1954 – the first pope to be canonised since Saint Pius V in the 16th century.

Details

• Type: contact relic (ex contactu) – cloth placed upon the body of Saint Pius X
• Inscription: hand-lettered, Dutch, naming Mgr. J. Olav Smit
• Portrait: printed photograph, Kunst-Adelt, Maastricht (S. 13)
• Origin: the Netherlands, mid-20th century (around the time of the beatification)
• Size: approx. 13 × 18.5 cm (5.1 × 7.3 in)
• Condition: good; original cloth-bound edges and cellophane cover, a small tear in the cellophane at the top of the back, light wear to the binding

A rare and historically significant relic connected with the beatification of one of the most beloved popes of modern times. The item you receive is the exact one pictured.