The Director of the Bulgarian National Historical Museum (NIM) in Sofia presents the authenticity certificate for St. Joseph's relics. Photo by Yuliana Nikolova (Sofia Photo Agency)
The Bulgarian National Historical Museum (NIM) in Sofia has received an offer to purchase the relics of Saint Joseph, the Director of the museum reported.
The relics lie in an oval silver casket with gold incrustations, sealed with a small red wax seal and silk threat and the dry seal of the Vatican reliquary.
The box has a authenticity certificate, issued on September 15, 1770 and later reconfirmed on November 23, 1772 by bishop Nikolay Angel Maria Landini, perfect of the Vatican reliquary, which is the Vatican institution in charge of Vatican relics and treasures.
The relics and the certificate have been offered to NIM by an antique dealer. The NIM management has stated that they would not oppose an offer from the Catholic Church to purchase the relics and use them according to their purpose.
Joseph "of the House of David", also called Saint Joseph, Joseph the Betrothed, Joseph of Nazareth, Joseph the Worker and other titles) is known from the New Testament as the husband of Mary, mother of Jesus and although according to Christian tradition he was not the biological father of Jesus, he acted as his foster-father and as head of the Holy Family. Joseph is venerated as a saint within the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican churches.