By Mike CrooksThursday 2 Nov 2023TV and StreamingReading Time: 3 minutes
Filmmakers have been granted rare access to some of Christianity’s most secretive and prized relics.
The Netflix documentary series, Mysteries of the Faith, delves into the history and mystery of purported relics such as the Holy Grail, the Crown of Thorns, the Holy Face and more.
The series also includes powerful interviews with those who claim to have been healed or deeply affected by the Christian artefacts.
Some of these prized relics have been kept hidden from the public until now.
“From the Crown of Thorns to the iconic Holy Grail, these cherished relics have inspired millions for centuries,” read a Netflix statement.
“Steeped in myth and legend, and credited with miracles, they have shaped human history.
“Now, for the first time, global audiences can witness the hidden power and evolving mystique of these sacred objects as never before.”
The four-episode series is available to stream on Netflix from November 1.
Crown of Thorns
The first episode of the series examines what Christians believe to be the actual Crown of Thorns worn by Jesus Christ during his execution.
The crown, which is shown in the documentary in protective casing, is kept in the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.
“It’s one of the most important relics of Christ,” said Notre-Dame rector Olivier Dumas, who is the custodian of the crown.
The documentary shows members of a congregation lining up to view the relic, which is guarded by Hubert Borione, a Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre (the order that protects Christian relics).
“It’s really wonderful to see people’s reactions to it,” Mr Borione says in the documentary.
“There are amazed people who can’t believe their eyes. There are people who are upset. There are men and women crying.”
The documentary examines the devasting fire at Notre-Dame in 2019, and how a firefighter was assigned the role of recovering the artefact.
Holy Grail
The series also delves into the Holy Grail, the cup from which Christ drank during the Last Supper, according to the Holy Bible.
At the Valencia Cathedral in Spain, there is a metal cup, protected for centuries by monks, which many believe to be that grail. (For many other Christians, however, the true Holy Grail remains elusive.)
The documentary follows a couple who trace the journey of the grail to the church. According to legend, the grail holds the power to give everlasting life.
“The Holy Grail is so important to so many believers,” Jason Horowitz, the Rome Correspondent for the New York Times says in the documentary.
“Because it is the most direct connection to Jesus. We’re talking about the cup that he drank out of in one of his most trying moments during his life.”
Holy Face
The series also focuses on the Christian relic the Holy Face, a cloth which the faithful believe holds an impression of Christ’s face. It is believed the cloth was used for the burial of Christ and the face was imprinted on the cloth during the Resurrection.
It is held in a church in Manopello, Italy.
One woman, who had a terminal illness, talks of a “healing miracle” that occurred in the presence of the Holy Face.
“The heart stopped for five minutes and then started again,” she says in Italian. “Doctors could not explain it.”
Mysteries of the Faith is available for streaming from 6pm (AEDT), on November 1.
“Relics are like beacons for pilgrimages,” academic Dr Nicola Denzey Lewis says in the series.
“They are sacred spots and dots that call to people, that were so powerful it was thought that they had a kind of radioactivity.”
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