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The largest processional monstrance in the world is located in Valencia, Spain. A monstrance is a sun-shaped vessel that holds the Blessed Sacrament (Holy Communion or Eucharist); it contains a glass container so that the Host is visible. The monstrance is most often made of precious metal, and highly decorated. In the center of the sunburst, the monstrance has the small round glass the size of a host, through which the Blessed Sacrament can be seen. On the Solemnity of Corpus Christi or Body and Blood of the Lord, during the procession it was taken through the streets. The monstrance chiseled in gilded silver (1940-1954), is more than five meters high and weighing 600 kilos. It is made of silver, five kilos of fine gold and 75 grams of platinum; including hundreds of precious stones and thousands of pearls.
Valencia's monstrance was created in reparation for the Spanish Civil War, during which nearly 10,000 Catholic religious were murdered.
History of the Spanish Civil War: During the Civil War, revolutionaries destroyed or burned some 20,000 churches, along with church artwork and tombs, books, archives, and palaces. In June 1933, Pope Pius XI issued the encyclical Dilectissima Nobis (https://www.vatican.va/content/pius-xi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_03061933_dilectissima-nobis.html), "On Oppression of the Church of Spain", writing against the persecution of the Catholic Church in Spain. The revolution at the beginning of the war, saw 7,000 clergy and thousands of lay people killed - including 4,184 priests, 2,365 monks and friars, and 283 nuns, in addition to 13 bishops. Pope John Paul II beatified a total of about 500 martyrs while 233 executed clergy were beatified by him on 11 March 2001. Benedict XVI beatified 498 more Spanish martyrs in October 2007, one of the largest beatification ceremony in the history of the Catholic Church.
Valencia's procession includes 300 biblical characters parading in front of the monstrance, which results in a beautiful, impressive, very beautiful and unique act in Spain or unique in the world.
Processional custody Vicente Traver (architect) and Francisco Pajarón (goldsmith)1945 – 1954.
Sources:
https://catedraldevalencia.es/arte/museo-catedralicio-diocesano/
Wikipedia
https://web.archive.org/web/20080927201415/http://www.indcatholicnews.com/spanima436.html
https://catedraldevalencia.es/blog/2024/05/29/actos-por-la-solemnidad-del-corpus-christi/
https://valencia.for91days.com/corpus-christi-in-valencia/
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