Unveiling St. Francis’s Bones: A Cautionary Tale of Relics and Religious Power Plays

For nearly eight centuries, the remains of St. Francis of Assisi have been shrouded in mystery, safeguarding a legacy that blends genuine faith with medieval power struggles. This historic Sunday marked the first public exhibition of his bones—a spectacle drawing nearly 400,000 registered visitors who lined up to gaze upon relics preserved behind bulletproof glass in the Umbrian basilica he once called home.Relics: Between Reverence and RivalryThe veneration of relics like those of St. Francis taps into a deep human desire for connection with the divine. Yet this very practice has long invited abuse: theft, forgery, and commercial exploitation have...