{"product_id":"contact-relic-saint-pope-pius-x-exhumation-beatification","title":"Contact Relic of Saint Pope Pius X — Cloth Placed upon His Body during the Exhumation for His Beatification","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn exceptional mid-20th-century \u003cstrong\u003econtact relic (ex contactu) of Saint Pope Pius X\u003c\/strong\u003e (Giuseppe Sarto, 1835–1914): a strip of white cloth which, according to its handwritten Dutch inscription, was \u003cstrong\u003eplaced upon the body of the Pope when it was exhumed for his beatification\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 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 \u003cem\u003e“Pius PP. X”\u003c\/em\u003e and the imprint \u003cem\u003e“kunst-adelt, maastricht – printed in holland. S. 13”\u003c\/em\u003e. On the right, the strip of cloth is stitched to the card with gold thread. Beneath, a carefully hand-lettered inscription reads:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Stukje stof, dat door Monseigneur J. Olav Smit, is gelegd op het lichaam van Paus Pius X, toen dit voor de zaligverklaring werd opgegraven.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(“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.”)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eA contact relic – not a fragment of clothing\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs the inscription makes clear, the cloth is not part of the Pope’s garments: it is a \u003cstrong\u003ecloth placed in contact with the body of Saint Pius X\u003c\/strong\u003e, a classic contact relic in traditional Catholic terminology.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eMonseigneur Johannes Olav Smit\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe inscription names \u003cstrong\u003eMgr. Johannes Olav Smit (1883–1972)\u003c\/strong\u003e, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAbout Saint Pius X\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePope 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 \u003cstrong\u003e3 June 1951\u003c\/strong\u003e and canonised on \u003cstrong\u003e29 May 1954\u003c\/strong\u003e – the first pope to be canonised since Saint Pius V in the 16th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eDetails\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e contact relic (ex contactu) – cloth placed upon the body of Saint Pius X\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInscription:\u003c\/strong\u003e hand-lettered, Dutch, naming Mgr. J. Olav Smit\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePortrait:\u003c\/strong\u003e printed photograph, Kunst-Adelt, Maastricht (S. 13)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e the Netherlands, mid-20th century (around the time of the beatification)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e approx. 13 × 18.5 cm (5.1 × 7.3 in)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e 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\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eA 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sacra Relics","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59226418905423,"sku":null,"price":345.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1035\/5556\/3855\/files\/saint-pope-pius-x-contact-relic-exhumation-beatification.jpg?v=1792710331","url":"https:\/\/sacrarelics.com\/products\/contact-relic-saint-pope-pius-x-exhumation-beatification","provider":"Sacra Relics","version":"1.0","type":"link"}