THE Jaén Cathedraldedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin, is one of the greatest representatives of the Spanish Renaissance and an emblem not only of the city and the province, but of all Andalusia. It was built in the 16th and 18th centuries and since 1931 it has been considered Historical and artistic monument for its design which combines Renaissance, baroque and neoclassical elements.
Within the architectural ensemble of the Cathedral of Jaén, places such as the sacristy and chapter house, the choir stalls, the upper galleries, a relic of the Holy Face of Christ, the Tabernacle and the Cathedral Museum stand out. . Today, in one of its chapels you can find one of the greatest treasures of the temple, nothing more and nothing less than the remains of a pope of Rome.
The remains of Pope Saint Pius I are in the Cathedral of Jaén
Concretely, it is in the Saint-Euprase chapel, dedicated to the first bishop of the diocese, that this treasure is found which often goes unnoticed: the remains of Pope Saint Pius I. This pontiff, who succeeded Saint Hyginius on the chair of Saint Peter, was the tenth pope of the Catholic Church, between the years 140 and 155. During his fifteen years as pope, his role was crucial in defending the Church against the heresies of the Valentinians and Marcionites in the 2nd century. Furthermore, according to the Liber Pontificalis (pontifical book which brings together biographical notices of the first popes), Saint Pius I was the son of Rufinus, of Aquilean origin, and perhaps the brother of Hermas, author of The Shepherd, an important Christian text of the time.
Remains of Pope Pius I in the Chapel of San Eufrasio, in the Cathedral of Jaén
Now, how did the remains of Saint Pius I end up in Jaén? Well these have arrived in the 18th century, as a gift from Pope Pius VI for Mgr. D. Agustín Rubín de Ceballos, who was also Inquisitor General and a prominent figure in the Council of Carlos III. The said bishop paid for the altarpiece and the ornaments of the chapel of San Eufrasio, which is the one that houses the urn with the remains of the saint. In this sense, the spiritual heritage of Saint Pius I and his presence in the Cathedral of Jaén connect the city to the most ancient roots of Christianity and the Roman papacy.
