What is the history and significance of the Infant of Prague?

Infant Jesus of Prague (Pražské Jezulátko in http://www.answers.com/topic/czech-language) is a famous statue of infant http://www.answers.com/topic/jesus-christ located in the http://www.answers.com/topic/church-of-our-lady-victorious in http://www.answers.com/topic/mal-strana, http://www.answers.com/topic/prague. Its history started in the beginning of the 17th century when a statue of the Infant Jesus was brought into http://www.answers.com/topic/bohemia by a Spanish Princess. This princess had been given the statue as a wedding gift by her mother, Maria Manriquex de Lara of Spain, and the statue eventually was given to the http://www.answers.com/topic/discalced-carmelites in Prague. The statue was set up in the http://www.answers.com/topic/oratory-worship of the monastery, and twice a day, special devotions to Jesus were performed before it.

Disturbances in Bohemia due to the http://www.answers.com/topic/thirty-years-war brought an end to the special devotions, and on November 15, 1631, the army of King http://www.answers.com/topic/gustav-ii-adolph-of-sweden took possession of the churches of the capital city of Bohemia. The http://www.answers.com/topic/carmelites http://www.answers.com/topic/monastery was plundered by the http://www.answers.com/topic/lutheranism http://www.answers.com/topic/protestantism Swedish, and the image of the Infant of Prague was thrown into a pile of rubbish behind the http://www.answers.com/topic/altar. Here it lay forgotten for seven years until it was found again in 1637. Since then, the statue has remained in Prague and has drawn many devotees worldwide to go and honor the Holy Child. Claims of blessings, favors and miraculous healings have been made by many who petitioned before the http://www.answers.com/topic/child-jesus.

The exact origin of the Infant Jesus statue was not truly known, but historical sources point to a small 28cm high sculpture of the Holy Child with a bird in his right hand carved in around the year http://www.answers.com/topic/1340. Many other http://www.answers.com/topic/child-jesus sculptures were also carved by famous masters throughout http://www.answers.com/topic/europe in the http://www.answers.com/topic/middle-ages.

Today, thousands of pilgrims pay homage to the Infant of Prague each year. The tradition of the Infant Jesus http://www.answers.com/topic/procession and the coronation continues to this day. On May 27, 1995, a solemn procession of the Infant Jesus took place in the streets of Prague with http://www.answers.com/topic/jaime-cardinal-sin of Manila (Philippines) and http://www.answers.com/topic/miloslav-cardinal-vlk of Prague leading the procession. This ceremony was the closing highlight of the annual Feast of the Infant Jesus in Prague.

As the devotion to the Infant Jesus spreads throughout the world, many parishes now offer Holy Mass and novenas to honor the statue of the Holy Child Jesus, Son of God and many prayer groups have been formed.

Bibliography

• The Infant of Prague, by the Reverend Ludvik Nemec, Benziger Brothers, 1958.
• Miraculous Images of Our Lord, by Joan Carroll Cruz, OCDS, TAN Books and Publishers, Inc, 1995. ISBN 0-89555-496-8
• Holy Infant Jesus, by Ann Ball & Damian Hinojosa, The Crossroad Publishing Company, 2006. ISBN 0-8245-2407-1