VATICAN CITY — The... read more →
December 1, 1521: The Death of the Medici Pope, Leo X, & A... read more →
It just so happens that December 1, 1521, was the death of Pope Leo X. A few days previous to this anniversary, Father Kunst was invited to be the... read more →
The Papal Artifacts’ Collection is primarily dedicated to artifacts connected to the papacy. Individual popes, their biographies and multiple items belonging to them, including first and second class... read more →
Pius X: Swiss Guard Uniform from His Papacy This is a Swiss Guard uniform from the papacy of... read more →
Five distinctive styles of rings are included in this Collection with information about each of them at the end of the images. The newest ring is from the pontificate... read more →
The following article in the on-line publication, Crux/Taking the Catholic Pulse praises the efforts of St. John Paul II in his efforts to promote world peace. [caption id="attachment_35395"... read more →
Photo: Pope John Paul II and Ecumenical Patriarch Dimetrios, November 30, 1979. Photo courtesy of the Archives of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America The official meetings of the Primates... read more →
https://youtu.be/OJxpptcO7Ig Artifacts Connected to Pope Urban VIII in the Papal Artifacts Collection Hand Colored Engraved Portrait of Pope Urban VIII from 1623Letter Signed by Pope Urban VIII as Cardinal Maffeo... read more →
https://youtu.be/L9XQFYsLWZo The catacombs of St. Callixtus are the final resting place to over 50 martyrs and 16 pontiffs. In the early days of Christianity, these passageways formed one of the... read more →
An autographed photo of Pius XI signed by him directly onto the photo. This is quite unique and rare. It is dated August 4th,... read more →
We invite you to peruse the Media section of Papal Artifacts which is filled with vignettes lasting from a minute to a few minutes depending on which one... read more →
Security is understandably a key concern in the pastoral visits of Pope Francis. There are, as the tragedy in Paris demonstrated, zealots ready and... read more →
In a time when trains were just becoming popular, it's not hard to imagine the late Pope Pius IX traveling in these carriages... read more →
2017 marked the 100th anniversary of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to 3 shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. In honor of this important centennial, Pope Francis declared... read more →
The Papal Artifacts’ Collection is primarily dedicated to artifacts connected to the papacy. Individual popes, their biographies and multiple items belonging to them, including first... read more →
Limbo Never Official Church Teaching Father Richard Kunst, Curator Recently (on All Souls Day)... read more →
https://youtu.be/qQNkqTW-sn8?si=tctCqr5y-arJFj0- An apostolic exhortation is a magisterial document written by the pope. Some experts regard it as third in importance among papal documents, after apostolic constitutions and encyclicals. Exhortations generally encourage a particular virtue or... read more →
Pictured here is Pope St. John Paul II with his beloved mentor, Blessed Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, soon after his election as pope. In a letter dated exactly 44 years ago... read more →
Here is Father's Commentary I talk a lot about spirituality... read more →
Era: 1559-1569 The artifact is an autograph signed as Cardinal Angelo De Medici on November 23rd, 1555. It concerns an appointment of the Church of Cassano... read more →
Indult In the Roman Catholic Church it is a license granted by the Pope authorizing an act that the common law... read more →
Oftentimes, Father Kunst’s story of the purchase of an item is as interesting as the purchase itself. The Swiss Guard uniform dating to Pope Leo XIII’s pontificate is... read more →
The card attached to the fountain pen is a document of authenticity for the item. It states that this fountain pen was used many times by His Holiness, Pope... read more →
Lumen gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, is one of the principal documents of the Second Vatican Council. This dogmatic constitution was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on 21 November 1964, following approval by... read more →
November 21: Anniversary of the Birth of Giacomo della Chiesa, Pope Benedict XV, With a Commentary by... read more →
About this Feast The feast commemorates the dedication of the Church of Saint Mary which was built in Jerusalem near the site of the Temple. With Christians of... read more →
In the Poland of Pope St. John Paul II, St. Maximilian Kolbe & Blessed Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski, Papal Artifacts joins the Polish people as they celebrate the beatification of Father... read more →
When I was very young, my family lived in the quiet Lakeside neighborhood of Duluth. One morning there was a police car parked on our city block, which gave... read more →
Cardinal Ernest Simoni, the “Living Martyr” of Albania His story moved Pope Francis to tears. In the consistory of November 2016, among the 17 men... read more →