The Catholic Church once celebrated Jesus' circumcision on January 1, and the holy foreskin became one of Christianity's most peculiar relics. In 1900, however, the Vatican banned its veneration over fears of irreverent curiosity. This tale, full of legends and improbable multiplications, shows how ancient beliefs shaped religious imagination.
For centuries, Jesus' foreskin, removed during his circumcision eight days after birth, was revered as a sacred relic in Catholic tradition. The circumcision feast fell on January 1, and numerous European churches claimed to hold the authentic artifact. Sites including Aachen, Antwerp, Bologna, Bruges, Calcata, Compostela, Nancy, Paris, Toulouse, and Valladolid housed supposed foreskins, exceeding ten across the continent.
Medieval legends recount that Mary handed the foreskin to Mary Magdalene on circumcision day, who passed it to an angel. Centuries later, the angel reportedly gave it to Charlemagne in Aachen. This proliferation stemmed not from miracles but from believers' firm conviction in their local relics' authenticity, resulting in the veneration of many fakes.
On August 3, 1900, Rome's Holy Office issued a decree threatening excommunication for anyone venerating or even writing about the foreskin, to curb 'irreverent curiosity.' Historical figures contributed to the lore: Greek scholar Leo Allatius proposed that the foreskin ascended with Jesus to heaven, forming Saturn's ring. Saint Catherine of Siena described a mystical marriage with Christ, where the ring on her finger was the relic itself.
This peculiar narrative, though suppressed, deepens appreciation of Christmas traditions beyond familiar celebrations.
