According to the Bible, it was used by the Apostle to cut off the ear of the High Priest's servant, Malchus, when capturing Jesus Christ in the Olive Garden in  Gethsemane. It is the first oldest relic in Poland which arrived directly from Rome to the just baptised Poland in 968. The Sword of Saint Peter, the object described here, will serve as a prop in the world's biggest Passion of Jesus Mystery Play in Warsaw.

Renting such a valuable remembrance is not a common practice. The Archdiocese Museum in Poznan made this exception especially for this Mystery Play. – This year Mystery Play relates to the beatification of John Paul II. It is a very important event for us, which with the beauty and the subject of the spectacle allows us to waive the established norms – says Aleksandra Pudelska, the curator in the Archdiocese Museum in Poznan – We wish to show this way how artistically, culturally and religiously important this spectacle is  –  she adds.

The Sword of Saint Peter can be permanently admired in the Archdiocese Museum in Poznan, but exceptionally on the 16th April it will be at the Training Track of Horse Racecourse in Sluzewiec, Warsaw. It will be used by the actor who plays Saint Peter in The Mystery Play. The Museum delegated a supervisor of the relic who will guard it all the time. – I will be all the time with the Sword of Saint Peter. Since the moment of leaving Poznan till the coming back to the Museum – says Michał Błaszczyński, an employee of the Archdiocese Museum in Poznan – I will sleep, eat breakfast and drink coffee with it – he laughs. The prop will be transported by the specially prepared car in an additionally secured case. Just after the show it will come back to its place in the Treasury in Poznan.

The presence of such a valuable remembrance additionally raises the importance of the event. The actor playing the role of Saint Peter bears huge responsibility. He has to focus not only on performing in front of such a huge audience (organizers expect even half a million spectators) but also on the proper security and respect towards the relic.

All those who wish to see the Sword of Saint Peter closely, should absolutely use the opportunity to see it 'in action' during the Mystery Play. They can also visit the Archdiocese Museum in Poznan and head directly to the Treasury. On the 8th April the Museum organises a conference during which it will present the recent research on the Sword carried by the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow.