Pope Francis' gift to Bartholomew: a mosaic image of Christ

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis’s gift to the Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew I, during their meeting in Istanbul, was a mosaic reproduction of the image of Christ depicted in the confession of St. Peter inside the Vatican basilica. 

Please find below a description of the Pope’s gift:

The mosaic is taken from the image of Christ depicted in the Confession of St. Peter,  that is of his tomb, where the Sacred Pallia are kept, under the papal altar of St. Peter’s Basilica.

The mosaic is originally attributed to the Ninth Century and some parts of it are retraceable to this period, for example the face, while other parts prove to have been successively altered. This image is certainly a representative element of the Constantinian Basilica, which has since remained in its original place. It is the Christ, blessing and Teacher, while holding out the Book of the Gospel open at the words: “EGO SUM VIA VERITAS ET VITA QUI CREDIT IN ME VIVET”.

The picture, 60 X 40 cm, was made by the mosaicists of the Vatican Mosaic Workshop from January to March 2014 with polychrome enamels and gilded tesserae, applied with slippery stucco on a metallic base. The stucco is of the same composition as that utilized in the past centuries to apply mosaics in St. Peter’s Basilica.

In crafting the mosaic, the traditional technique of cut mosaics was implemented.