Protecting the relics of a saint may not seem like a complicated task in 2026, but what is the point of continuing to do so today?
These are the remains of Saint Ildefonsus, little known as one of the Fathers of the Church. He died on January 23, 667, in the Spanish city of Toledo, of which he is the patron saint. Not many years later, the city would come under Muslim rule.
To protect the relics, a group moved them to Zamora, another Spanish city. After several battles, the remains of Saint Ildefonsus were hidden, until a shepherd who was inspired by the Virgin Mary discovered them.
This is where one of the oldest orders in Europe enters the scene, but it began as a secret society. Its main task: to protect the relics of Saint Ildefonsus, as well as to safeguard the relics of Saint Atilanus, another Spanish Saint.
Founded in the 13th century, this order is now known as the Royal Confraternity of Knights and Ladies Cubicularii of Saint Ildefonsus and Saint Atilanus. It is one of the oldest orders in Europe.
Over the years, there were disputes between Toledo and Zamora over who should house the relics. The matter even reached the Holy See: Popes Clement VIII and Paul V issued papal bulls demanding that the people of Zamora return them, but they claimed that the bulls never reached them.
The dispute between the two cities has now faded into Spanish legend, but the relics remain and the Cubicularii order lives on, continuing its unique religious service to the Church.
