April 30, 2021

Relics of the Cross of the Good Thief


The Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome claims to have a portion of the cross on which the Good Thief was crucified next to Jesus; it is located in its La Cappella delle Reliquie. 
 
This cross was found by Saint Helen in the fourth century when she discovered the True Cross of the Lord. According to tradition, Saint Helen herself brought this relic to Rome which she kept in her palace.

Another tradition says that the other half of the cross of the Good Thief was kept at Stavrovouni Monastery in Cyprus, but in 1426 it was stolen by the Mamluks, and though it was rediscovered some years later, it was lost again and today the location is not known.