Epic Photo of Skull Relic of Saint Thomas Aquinas Goes Viral: "The Coolest Photo I Have Seen"

On March 7, 2024, the purported skull relic of Saint Thomas Aquinas was processed through the streets of Priverno, Italy.

The procession occurred in remembrance of the 750th anniversary of the saint's death on March 7, 1274, in the Fossanova Abbey, where the relic was also found.

Bishop Mariano Crociata of the Diocese of Latina-Terracina-Sezze-Priverno led the procession.

Saint Thomas Aquinas, a Doctor of the Church, was a Dominican friar and priest. He is one of the Church’s greatest teachers, theologians, and philosophers. He is also known as the "Angelic Doctor."

Courtney Mares of Catholic News Agency reported that "the [purported skull] relic has been venerated in [Priverno's] 12th-century cathedral since it was found in the altar of nearby Fossanova Abbey in 1585 with notarized documents indicating that it was the skull of the Angelic Doctor."

The article also says that "the skull in Priverno is one of two skulls currently claimed by Church officials as the skull of Saint Thomas Aquinas. The Dominicans in Toulouse recently commissioned a new reliquary for the skull of Saint Thomas Aquinas, which has been touring France and abroad."

Skull Relic Photo Goes Viral on Social Media

Catholic author and Twitter user John Herreid saw a photo from the Catholic News Agency article and shared it with his followers.

The photo taken by EWTN News photographer Daniel Ibañez depicts the reliquary in the passenger seat of a Jeep upon its transport to the Fossanova Abbey. Ibañez is a Vatican-based photographer for EWTN News. His work is featured in multiple EWTN news publications, including Catholic News Agency, the National Catholic Register, the ACI Group, and ChurchPOP.

Here's the post below:

Herreid's caption reads, "This is the coolest photo I have seen in a long time and I want a print of it."

"Looks like something from a Catholic cyberpunk film, but it’s real," he added.

As of this writing, the photo generated over 5,000 likes and more than 400,000 views.

Here's how some people responded:

One user said, "Straight up looks like a still from The Young Pope."

Another user said, "Catholicism is so metal. 🤘🤘"

This user joked, "Does that qualify for the carpool lane?"

Another user also joked, "Speeding in the HOV lane because me and my buddy Tommy Quine Quine are late to our parish festival."

Someone else joked, "Pretty sure this is Saint Thomas' first-ever car ride. And he gets to sit up front. Wheee!"

This user also said, "Say you're Catholic, without saying you're a Catholic..."

More about the skull relic from Catholic News Agency:

"Aquinas’ body was kept in Fossanova Abbey until 1369 when his relics were moved to Toulouse, France, where the Order of Preachers was founded and where Aquinas’ tomb can be venerated today in the Church of the Jacobins.

"The skull in Priverno is one of two skulls currently claimed by Church officials as the skull of Saint Thomas Aquinas. The Dominicans in Toulouse recently commissioned a new reliquary for the skull of Saint Thomas Aquinas, which has been touring France and abroad.

"A team of medical students and a neurosurgeon traveled to Priverno in 2023 to examine Italy’s putative relic of Aquinas’ skull for evidence as to whether he might have died from a traumatic brain injury and presented their findings at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons’ annual meeting.

"The researchers are investigating the possibility of conducting a more in-depth forensic analysis of both skulls in Italy and France with permission of the local authorities to authenticate the relic.

"Trani acknowledges that DNA analysis may one day help prove which is the true head of Aquinas but underlines that ultimately it is 'the strong devotion of the people that through Saint Thomas, as through every saint, brings a true, authentic encounter with God’s love.'"

Saint Thomas Aquinas, please pray for us!