The coronation ceremony of King Charles, scheduled for next May 6, 2023, will have a piece of great religious value and it is a gift from none other than Pope Francis himself.
Charles III will not only have the solid gold crown of St. Edward. The Pope has given the British monarch two fragments of wood that were taken from the cross on which Jesus was crucified.
Pope’s gift to King Charles
According to what the Vatican maintains, the wooden fragments, 5 and 10 millimeters long, are a personal gift from the pontiff for the coronation. In addition, the Holy See considers the pieces to be authentic parts of the True Cross of the Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth.
The wooden rods will be part of the Welsh Cross. Andrew John, the Archbishop of Wales, who blessed the cross, said the “extremely significant” donation shows that the king has the favor of the Vatican and has “a very good relationship with the pope.” A blessing that comes almost 500 years after Pope Paul III excommunicated Henry VIII.
