A fragment of the Savior's manger, kept in the Roman basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, will be returned to Bethlehem, the city where the Savior was born. This decision was made by the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis. Good news for local Christians was reported by the Custody of the Holy Land - the administrative district of the Franciscan order in the region.
“We are excited and grateful to the Pope, His Holiness Francis, for this gift and the right to preserve the holy relic,” Franciscan Franciscan representative Francesco Patton told the Israeli Haaretz correspondent.
During the conquest of Palestine by Muslims in the 7th century, Patriarch Sophronius of Jerusalem donated part of the Lord's manger to Pope Theodore I. For a long time, the shrine was exhibited for worship of believers in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome - and now it returns to the place where the Lord Jesus was revealed to the world Christ.
Recall that over the past decades, the Vatican has repeatedly transmitted to the Holy Land revered Christian relics in order to strengthen ties with local religious organizations.
