Golden Rose
The second object, the golden rose chalice, is a vase on a high pedestal that includes rich ornaments with reliefs representing the Birth of Christ and the Presentation in the Temple. It bears the coat of arms of Pius IX (1846-1878), the pope who had the ornament made and blessed it. Giuseppe Salvi made this precious vase out of gilded silver in 1868-1870, and it contains a branch of golden roses. The origin of the golden rose is uncertain. At first, it was a single flower of pure gold tinted with red. Later it was left untinted and set with gems (rubies, sapphires). From the XV century, Sixtus IV replaced the single flower with a branch bearing many leaves and flowers. The principal rose has a tiny cup with a perforated cover, into which the Pope poured powdered musk and balsam when he blessed it, annually, on the fourth Sunday in Lent (Laetare Sunday, also named Rose Sunday). Originally, the Pope held the rose for the blessing in the church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme. Now the ceremony takes place within the Vatican with a solemn Mass celebrated in the papal chapel. Pope Alexander III explained the symbolic meaning of the rose to King Louis VII in 1163. The flower is the symbol of Christ, the gold represents His kingship, the red is His passion, and its fragrance prefigures His resurrection and glory. The golden rose is one of the highest honors conferred by the pope to a Catholic emperor, king or ruler, State or city, basilica or sanctuary. It is for the recognition of some outstanding service to the Church. Since the XVII century, the recipients were women, while men received a blessed sword and papal cape as a more suitable gift. Since the pontificate of Paul VI, churches have received Golden Roses. Benedict XVI and Pope Francis gave roses to Marian shrines. The Golden Rose was in the Sacristy of the Sistine Chapel until 1999 when it came under the jurisdiction of the Vatican Museums. Now it is in the collection of the Decorative Art Museum.
