Beginning with Boniface VIII, the popes have not ceased to recall in their Bull of Indiction the spirit that should animate pilgrims visiting Rome during the Holy Year.
In the bull promulgating the Universal Jubilee of the Holy Year 1900, Pope Leo XIII wrote:
“Rome, O beloved children, affectionately invites you to come to her, all of you, wherever you may be, for whomever it is possible to visit. But it is fitting that, in this holy time, the Catholic, if he wishes to be consistent with himself, should sojourn in Rome only having the Christian faith as his companion.”
“He must renounce the undesirable spectacle of light and profane things and instead direct his mind toward what can inspire religion and piety. And what above all will be able to inspire these feelings will be to consider the natural character of this city and the divine imprint that has been impressed on it.”
“Of all the cities on earth, Jesus Christ, Savior of mankind, chose the unique city of Rome for a higher and more than human mission, and dedicated it to himself. It was there that He established, after long and mysterious preparation, the seat of His Empire; it was there that He ordered the throne of His Vicar to be erected for all the perpetuity of time…”
In 1925 Pius XI wrote:
“In Rome, too, your piety will find easy access in the ancient Catacombs, in the tombs of the Princes of the Apostles, in the shrines containing the relics of the most glorious martyrs; here you can visit the temples built over the centuries in honor of God and the saints, masterpieces of magnificence and art that the universe has always admired and will forever admire.”
“These monuments of the Christian religion should be visited with devotion and prayer; indeed, in Rome, you should not behave as tourists or ordinary guests.”
“On the contrary, you will avoid all profane distractions; you will always be imbued with the spirit of penitence, so much abhorred by contemporary naturalism; distinguishing yourself primarily by modesty in appearance, gait and dress; in all your conduct you will concern yourself only with your spiritual interests.”
Pius XII, for the 1950 Holy Year, recalls the spirit of piety that should animate pilgrims:
“We paternally invite you to come numerous to Rome during the Holy Year. We say to Rome, which for Christians of all nations is like a second home. (…)”
“In the splendor of the basilicas, in the beauty of the solemn liturgies, in the shadows of the ancient Christian cemeteries next to the emblematic relics of the saints, you will breathe an atmosphere of holiness, peace and universality, which will bring deep Christian renewal into your life. (…)”
“Dear children, such pilgrimages should not be made in the manner of those who are accustomed to traveling for pleasure, but with that great spirit of piety which, in previous centuries, was found among the faithful of every class and race , having been able, even on foot, to reach Rome, overcoming the obstacles of the road, for the purpose of wiping away their sins with the tears of penance and imploring forgiveness and peace from God.”
(Source: Le Sainte Anne/La Porte Latine – FSSPX.Actualités)
Image: ID 77904328 © Sergii Kolesnyk | Dreamstime.com
