“We do not insult the reason by coming to bow before the holy tunic of Argenteuil”

What do we call the holy tunic?

It would be the tunic carried by Jesus Christ during his passion, between his arrest and his crucifixion. The apostle John speaks of it with precision in its gospel, in chapter 19. It was drawn there by the soldiers, at the foot of the cross. Saint John specifies that it is a “seamless” tunic, woven from top to bottom. It is a woolen clothing that is put on by the head. With its draw, already announced in Psalm 22, the Scriptures would therefore have been completed.

Usually, the holy tunic is present in the basilica, but it is permanently rolled in a shrine, where it is visible only by a small window. During the ostension, the fabric was unrolled, placed on a mannequin, and exhibited in a large shop window.

Do we know how this tunic came to us?

Tradition has it that it is Charlemagne who himself received this tunic from the Empress Irene of Constantinople, at the end of the 8th century. The emperor then gave him to his daughter Théodrade, a nun at the Argenteuil monastery on August 12, 800. At that time, Argenteuil was a small village with a few houses and a monastery. But to explain this course of the tunic between the place of passion and France, we are forced to use certain hypotheses. The tunic would have been present in Jaffa (current Tel Aviv, in Israel) then swept away in Jerusalem in procession. But faced with the Persian and Muslim invasions in the Holy Land, this relic, like others, has migrated to Constantinople, the nearest Christian earth.

Is this tunic authentic? Did science succeed in proving that it belonged to Jesus?

Since the advent of modern science, the Church has always tried to scientifically authenticate this relic. This was the case in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. It is covered with human blood. There are tasks that exactly correspond to those present on the Turin shroud (Italy). It is also the same blood group, AB, as on the shroud. The weaving used would show that the part has been designed on a domestic weaving profession. The tradition says that it is the Virgin Mary who would have forged the holy tunic herself.

We know that the tunic is made of sheep wool, thanks to analyzes under a microscope. In the 1990s, scientists found traces of pollens from the Jerusalem region, such as the Pistachio and Tamarin, which flourished in March and April, the supposed moment of the passion of Christ. Pollens also present on the Turin shroud and the shroud of Oviedo, in Spain. From the land of Jerusalem has also been detected on the garment. This scientific evidence shows that it cannot be the work of a counterfeiter who would have fully manufactured this piece.

Nevertheless, there are elements of inauthenticity, following in particular carbon 14 analyzes carried out in 2004, the latter indicate that the tunic would have been manufactured between the years 530 and 650. You should know that according to scientists, carbon 14 analysis is very reliable, except on textiles as polluted as the tunic. His story was very hectic. It was notably walled for two centuries during the Middle Ages, then buried in a cemetery during the French Revolution.

I used to say that we do not insult the reason by coming to bow before the tunic of Argenteuil, because we are supported by these elements of veracity to assert its authenticity.

Spiritually, do we need this relic of passion to believe?

We absolutely do not need Christ’s tunic to believe. Adhering to the veracity of relics is not a dogma, nor an obligation of the Catholic Church. But isn’t there something proud to reject the signs left by God? He left us a garment to believe and have faith. When we say not to need it, this is a good reason to come and bow before the tunic! Let us not forget that Catholicism is a religion of the incarnation. The worship of relics, which honors the visible traces left by the bodies, is quite possible.

In 2016, during the last Ostension, I saw 220,000 people parade. Popular piety was a airlock, allowing a meeting with God. This year, we are waiting for 400,000 people, which is enormous. And I have no doubt that the Lord could allow pilgrims to refocus on passion, on the gift that God makes of himself. And on the heart of the identity of Christ: his nature both human and divine.

Which is even more beautiful when we know that this year we are celebrating the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea (current Türkiye) this year, which has precisely confirmed this dogma. This is what we wanted to signify by inviting representatives of other Christian churches to come and pray with us, Saturday April 26, 2025 at 8:00 p.m. We profess the Creeding developed to Nicée together. This relic therefore becomes the occasion for a message of unity of the church. A beautiful moment that I look forward to.

In addition, our district, in Argenteuil, is strongly marked by Islam. And I’m glad the tunic is here, not in “beautiful neighborhoods”.

What are the spiritual fruits from this devotion?

Pilgrims tell us about graces of peace, inner liberation. It is the work of God, that does not belong to us. In the course proposed inside the basilica, explanatory panels lead to the relic. Then after the moment of veneration, two proposals are made: confess, or go to sit in the basilica to meditate. We have retained as the theme for this ostension this verse of the epistle of Saint Paul aux Galatians: “Christ loved me and gave himself up for me” (Chapter 2). This is why it is important to offer everyone enough time to pass the holy tunic and be touched by the mystery of the Son of God who has engaged for us. We hope to promote peace of heart for all.

Why organize this new Ostension in 2025?

In principle, the tunic is solemnly exposed only every fifty years. Even if the last Ostension dates back to 2016, the bishop of Pontoise decided this new ostension two years ago, in order to mark this jubilee year and on the occasion of the 1,700 years of the Council of Nicea.

We will welcome many pilgrims, five cardinals, the apostolic nuncio in France, bishops … Many priests are also expected to be able to ensure the tens of thousands of faiths requested by pilgrims. It is a festive and joyful event for the church in France. Everyone is welcome!