King Charles III’s coronation to feature shards of “True Cross” gifted by Pope Francis

Pope Francis has given King Charles III two shards of wood that the Vatican says are from the “True Cross” on which Jesus Christ was crucified, to be included in the British monarch’s upcoming coronation ceremony. The shards will be incorporated into a new cross that will lead the coronation procession on May 6.

The new cross, which was a gift from then-Prince Charles to the Church in Wales, a branch of the Anglican Church, to mark its centenary in 2020, has been made from reclaimed wood, recycled silver and Welsh slate, the Reuters news agency reported. The two small shards donated by Pope Francis have been shaped into a cross and incorporated behind a gemstone.

King Charles III’s coronation: What to know for the centuries-old ceremony

“I can confirm that the fragments of the relic of the True Cross were donated by the Holy See in early April, through the Apostolic Nunciature, to His Majesty King Charles III, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, as an ecumenical gesture on the occasion of the centenary of the Anglican Church in Wales,” the Holy See press office said Thursday.

After the coronation, the cross will return to Wales, where it will be shared between the Anglican and Catholic churches there, Reuters reported.

“Its design speaks to our Christian faith, our heritage, our resources and our commitment to sustainability,” Andrew John, the Anglican Archbishop of Wales, said, according to Reuters. “We are delighted too that its first use will be to guide their majesties into Westminster Abbey at the Coronation Service.”