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| Fr. Carmine Opening Holy Door at the Basilica Shrine of the Holy Face Dedicated to St. Michael Archangel |
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| Pope Francis Opening the Holy Door of Basilica of St. Peter's |
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| Pope Francis Entering the Holy Door of Basilica of St.Peter's |
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| Fr. Carmine Entering the Holy Door of the Basilica Shrine of the Holy Face |
By Antonio Bini
Today at the beginning of the New Year, several thousand people
attended the opening of the Holy Door of the Shrine of the Holy Face -- the one
at the left side of the Basilica which is usually closed.
At 4pm devotees and pilgrims from various parts of Italy and
from abroad gathered together in the area in front of the Shrine. At approximately 4:30pm a number of priests came
out in procession from the hall of San Damiano, to take their place at the head
of the people present directing them to face the front of the Holy Door. Among
the ministers was the Protopresbyter
Anatoliy Grytskiv, head of the Abruzzo and Molise region for the Ecumenical
Patriarchate of Constantinople.
Prior to opening the holy door, the rector of the basilica,
Fr. Carmine Cucinelli, commissioned by Archbishop Bruno Forte, pastor of the
diocese of Chieti-Vasto, read from the papal bull of the extraordinary Jubilee
of Mercy, which emphasizes the centrality of Christ, continuing the great
Jubilee of the year 2000. Pope Francis himself chose as the first words of the bull- entitled
"Misericordiae Vultus" "Jesus Christ is the
face of the Father's mercy."
"We are touched
by this expression" - stressed p. Carmine - "which along with the one uttered by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in 2006:
"This is a place for meditating on the divine by contemplating the icon of
the Holy Face" "- encourages
the assertion that here in Manoppello, in this church, we have the true image of
Jesus, the face of the Father's mercy. "
Fr. Carmine briefly reviewed the historical origin of the
jubilee, explaining the meaning of compassion, of forgiveness and therefore, of
the door. In this perspective, he explained how at the entrance of the Holy
Door there is affixed a rectangular brass plate, engraved with a Latin cross
in relief, with the inscription in Latin "Iesus Christus Deus Homo". Inside the circular crown it reads
"Vivit Regnat imperat MCMI".
Thus the entire script there reads "Jesus
Christ, God and man lives, reigns, conquers 1901"
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| "Hic est Domus Dei et Porta Caeli --Here is God's House and Heaven's Door A.D. January 1, 2016" |
This "Cross of
indulgences", as it is called, was designed by the architect Edward Collamarini
of Bologna for the Jubilee of 1900. The first casting of the cross was blessed
by Pope Leo XIII at the end of the Jubilee.
It is a reminder that passing through the door is a symbolic
sign of belonging to Christ.
The celebration was enlivened by the choir of the Basilica
of the Holy Face, conducted by Nicholas Costantini. Among the hymns performed
by the choir was the official anthem of the Jubilee of Mercy, composed by Paul
Inwood (music) and Eugenio Costa (text).
Many pilgrims, who failed to find a place in the church, were able to follow the solemn celebration on a giant television screen in a large hall adjacent to the sanctuary. Among those present were Paul and Ellen Badde along with several television crews.
Fr. Carmine thanked all participants, men and women religious, and in particular Fr. Paolo Palombarini who directed the event, the military and civil authorities present, including a dozen mayors of Manoppello
and surrounding villages, those who have ensured the safety of the pilgrims,
the volunteers and all those who in various ways have contributed to the successful
opening of the Holy Door which will remain open until November 20 2016.
photos by Paul Badde, Ellen Badde and Antonio Bini
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