According to tradition, while a priest was celebrating Mass for a Moorish king, two angels appeared carrying a cross containing a fragment of the True Cross. The cross has been venerated in Caravaca for nearly 800 years, and the city is one of five Holy Cities in Christianity.
History
In 1231, during the Moorish occupation of Caravaca, the Moorish king Abu Zeid asked a Christian priest, Father Ginés Pérez Chirinos, to demonstrate the celebration of Mass. As the priest realized he had no cross for the altar, two angels appeared carrying a double-armed cross (a patriarchal cross) containing a fragment of the True Cross. The Moorish king, witnessing the miraculous event, converted to Christianity. The cross, known as the Vera Cruz (True Cross) of Caravaca, has been venerated in the city ever since. In 1998, Pope John Paul II granted Caravaca de la Cruz the status of a Holy Year city — one of only five in the world (along with Rome, Jerusalem, Santiago de Compostela, and Santo Toribio de Liébana). The Basilica-Sanctuary of the Vera Cruz, built on the site of the miracle, houses the relic and attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims annually.
Scientific Findings
The cross relic has been preserved and venerated for nearly 800 years. The fragment of the True Cross within the cross has been the subject of historical and archaeological study. The papal recognition of Caravaca as a Holy Year city provides the highest level of ecclesiastical endorsement.
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