Pope Leo XIV to make historic first veneration of ‘holy tunic,’ highlighting Christian unity

PARIS (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV will make history during his Sept. 25-28 visit to France as the first pope to venerate the Holy Tunic of Argenteuil, the relic long believed to be the seamless robe worn by Christ during his Passion.

On the evening of his arrival in Paris Sept. 25, he will go to the Stade de France — an iconic venue for the 2024 Olympic Games, located north of Paris in the city of Saint-Denis — to take part in a prayer vigil attended by 80,000 young people ages 17 to 35.

On this occasion, he will venerate the Holy Tunic of Argenteuil, immediately after visiting Notre Dame Cathedral, where the pontiff is scheduled to pray before the crown of thorns. The tunic will be brought to the stadium from the basilica in Argenteuil especially for the event, a move local authorities have called “exceptional,” “unprecedented” and “historic.”

“In modern times, the tunic has never been officially taken out of the basilica,” Argenteuil’s official website stated. “This is a major first, just as (Pope) Leo XIV will be the first pope to behold it.”

The Holy Tunic of Argenteuil has been venerated as Christ’s tunic in France for over 1,200 years. Emperor Charlemagne received it around the year 800 from Empress Irene of Constantinople. He entrusted it to his daughter Theodrada, who was abbess of the Abbey of Argenteuil. Over the following centuries, the village of Argenteuil became an important pilgrimage site in France, attracting kings and queens eager to venerate the tunic, including St. Louis in the 13th century.

During the French Revolution, the parish priest of Argenteuil cut the tunic into pieces to better hide them and thus protect them from looting by the revolutionaries. In the 19th century, it was almost entirely sewn back together, and placed in a special reliquary inside the new Basilica of St. Denis in Argenteuil. From then on, it was displayed for public veneration every 50 years, until — following its restoration in 2016 — it was decided not to wait that long between each display.

In April and May 2025, the Diocese of Pontoise organized the last special public display on the occasion of the Jubilee of Hope. The event generated immense enthusiasm, drawing more than 200,000 pilgrims of all ages and social backgrounds.

Since July, a 39-year-old Parisian carpenter, Gabriel Hostachy, a practicing Catholic, has been working to prepare a special reliquary for the special display aligned with papal presence. Made of oak and linden wood, with a glass panel that allows the tunic to be seen, it is over 12 feet tall and was designed to withstand any attempted break-in or theft.

The tunic itself is made of brown wool. It is 4 feet long and 3 feet wide. Recent scientific research results vary but acknowledge that the fabric is contemporary with Eastern textiles from the first centuries of the Christian era. The bloodstains on it are of the same blood type as those on the Shroud of Turin.

Originally seamless, the tunic is often presented as an opportunity to pray for Christian unity, in remembrance of the moment when Christ’s clothes were divided at the time of his crucifixion, when the soldiers decided not to “tear it,” as the Gospel of John recalls: “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be,” soldiers said to each other, “in order that the passage of scripture might be fulfilled: ‘They divided my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots.'”

Bishop Benoît Bertrand of Pontoise, who is officially the “Guardian of the Holy Tunic,” since Argenteuil is located in his diocese, places great importance on the concern for Christian unity.

In fact, as the last public display of the tunic was taking place, many of the cardinals planned to attend could not join as they were called to Rome for the conclave.

The disappointment over the lack of celebrating the display of the tunic in the presence of world’s top cardinals turned “into intense prayer for the Church, and for the future pope,” the bishop of Pontoise told OSV News at the time.

The theme of unity will be central during the vigil at the stadium, which will bring together young people from a wide variety of social backgrounds. A large number of young Catholics from the Diocese of Saint-Denis, known for its working-class neighborhoods, with a significant population of immigrant origin, will be present, along with some of their non-Christian friends.

Many young people from Paris and other dioceses will also be attending, including some who regularly attend charismatic communities or participate in the Pentecost Pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres, which follows Latin Mass.

In August, tickets to attend the vigil with the pope were snapped up within minutes of registration opening. As a result, many young people will watch it on video Friday evening during events organized by parishes or Catholic schools.

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