RELIC OF SAINT JOSEPH + DOCUMENT

Rare 18th-century silver reliquary, with a glass front, containing a relic of Saint Joseph, spouse of the Virgin Mary and foster father of Jesus Christ.

The relic is fixed on a silk background and decorated with gilded-edge paperoles and silver threads; it is identified in Latin on a handwritten label as: Pal.S.Joseph. ("From the cloak of Saint Joseph")

On the back, an ecclesiastical wax seal guarantees the integrity of the relic. The silk threads are present.

The reliquary is accompanied by an original authentic document issued by Archbishop Xaverius Passari in 1793, certifying the authenticity of the relics contained inside.

" FRANCISCUS,
by the grace of God and of the Apostolic See,
Archbishop,
Domestic Prelate of Our Most Holy Lord,
of the two Signatures and of the Holy City.

XAVERIUS PASSARI,
by the grace of the Apostolic See
Bishop of Larissa,
Assistant at the Pontifical Throne,
Referendary,
Vice-gerent.

"To all and each who shall examine these present letters, we testify and attest that, for the greater glory of Almighty God and the veneration of the saints, we have given and granted as a gift a sacred relic of the pallium of Saint Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

taken from authentic places, lawfully recognized, and placed in an oval silver reliquary, fitted with crystal, well sealed, and bound with a red silk thread.

Sealed with our seal, with faculty to expose it for the veneration of the faithful in any church, oratory, or public chapel, to preserve it, to give it as a gift to others, and to carry it anywhere.

In witness whereof, we have ordered that these testimonial letters be drawn up, signed by our hand, sealed with our seal, and issued by the secretariat of our Curia.

Given at Rome, in our palace, this 10th day of the month of June of the year 1793. "

Unopened.

Most relics traditionally associated with Saint Joseph were preserved very early on in major sites in Rome or incorporated into ancient ecclesiastical treasuries, often without any subsequent circulation. Unlike many catacomb martyrs, there was never a widespread distribution of secondary relics. The known Josephine authentics originate almost exclusively from the Roman Curia and were issued only on very rare occasions, mainly during the 17th and 18th centuries.

EPOCH : 1793
DIMENSION : 4 cm X 3 cm
SIZE : 1.6" X 1.2"

Xaverius Passari, also called Saverio Passari, was a Roman prelate of the late 18th century. Holder of the extinct episcopal see of Larissa in Thessaly, he exercised in Rome an important function as vice-gerent of the diocese, direct representative of the cardinal vicar in the spiritual administration of the Eternal City. As a dignitary close to the pope, he bore the title of Assistant at the Pontifical Throne, which gave him rank and prerogatives in the ceremonies of the papal court. An ecclesiastical jurist by training, he was also referendary of the two apostolic signatures, the highest tribunals of the Roman Curia. In this capacity, his role was to examine and validate cases or documents of a juridical and canonical nature. He was notably in charge of issuing reliquary authentics, attesting to their origin and legitimacy. These certificates, sealed by his hand, accompanied reliquaries destined for churches, religious communities, or the faithful. His activity is attested in the Roman archives between the 1780s and 1790s.