How Jesus' foreskin became one of Christianity's most-coveted relics â and then disappeared It's a relic deemed so taboo, the Vatican threatened excommunication to anyone who spoke of it. But for nearly 1,000 years before that, the 'holy foreskin' of Jesus Christ was widely considered to be the holiest of relics. CBC Radio's Ideas examines the story of an unlikely object of devotion. Social Sharing During the Middle Ages, more than a dozen churches across western Europe claimed to have the 'holy foreskin' Nicola Luksic · Posted: Apr 27, 2021 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: April 27 The Circumcision is a painting by Giovanni Bellini. The New Testament states that after his birth, Jesus was circumcised according to Jewish tradition (Luke 2:21).(Wikimedia Commons/Giovanni Bellini)