The invaluable chalice used by Pope Leo XIV in his first Mass

Sunday 11 May 2025 - 15:38

By: Zahouani Ilham

The invaluable chalice used by Pope Leo XIV in his first Mass

Shortly after being elected as the new Pope, Leo XIV celebrated his first Mass in the Sistine Chapel, marking the beginning of his papacy. However, a detail during the ceremony went unnoticed by most: the chalice he used. This particular chalice is of Spanish origin.

Emilia González Martín del Río, an art historian who worked for years at Granda Art Workshops and continues to advise the company, was among the few who recognized the chalice. Upon seeing images from the Mass, González identified it as a design by the Granda firm, likely crafted between 1926 and 1936. The design was based on a sketch by the founder of the company, Félix Granda y Buylla, an Asturian priest and artisan (1868-1954).

"This chalice hadn't been seen recently," González told 20minutos. The last known sighting was in a 1964 photograph showing Pope Paul VI using the chalice during the Christmas Mass.

Granda's archives contain the original design. "We aren't sure of the base material, but it's likely gilded silver," González explains. "Key features of the design include ivory dolphins on the base, scenes on the node of the chalice, and the tetramorph (the four evangelists) as the foundation of the cup."

Moreover, "the enamels are undoubtedly by Germán Gil Losilla, an enamel artist from Zaragoza who worked with Granda in the 1930s," she adds. "Gil Losilla also likely worked on the majority of the enamel pieces for the altarpiece of the Burgos monstrance," González notes.

For Granda's artisans and González herself, seeing the chalice in the hands of Leo XIV was a pleasant surprise, even though they already knew the new Pope had used a crozier designed by Granda during his time as a cardinal in Peru, probably created between 1950 and 1960.

The chalice from Leo XIV's first Mass was created in Granda’s workshops nearly a century ago. Back then, the company was located in the Chamberí neighborhood, while its headquarters now stands in Alcalá de Henares. Another famous Granda chalice can be found at Madrid’s Almudena Cathedral, used during the wedding of Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia.

As for the chalice's value, González states that it is "incalculable," noting that the manufacturing value differs from the auction value. However, the former is likely high as the chalice is made of gilded silver and adorned with "precious stones and ivory," meaning its worth could easily be in the tens of thousands of euros.