Skip to main content

The Pallium Mass - Part I

July 29th is the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, which unsurprisingly, is a holiday here in Rome. It is also the day in which the newest archbishops of world are presented with a pallium – a liturgical vestment that might be described as a cross between a cowl and a stole. The short, y-shaped pallium is made of white lamb’s wool and is adorned with crosses. Worn around his neck, the bishop is reminded of the Good Shepherd holding the stray sheep on his shoulders and thus also reminded of his own responsibility to those most in need of God’s loving care. The giving of the pallium is an ancient tradition first recorded in fourth century and eventually becoming universal practice.

I had expected a lengthy ritual in which each Archbishop (44 in all from 32 different countries – including our own Archbishop Frank Leo from Toronto) was presented with his pallium. However, this was not the case. Once the pallia were brought up from the tomb of St. Peter, they were blessed by the pope and then given to the Papal Representatives (Apostolic Nuncio) of each metropolitan area. The Archbishops made the traditional oath of fidelity but the pope did not confer the pallia on the men. Instead, a ritual of conferral will take place at a second celebration when the Archbishops return to their home diocese. This second celebration is a modification to the ritual introduced by Pope Francis in 2015. It may appear to be a small change but it is significant in what it conveys about the nature of the bishop’s role - not simply to be the pope’s delegate but, indeed, the true pastor of his designated region. He is entrusted to care for the people, to hear their concerns to celebrate with them in times of joy and comfort them in times of sorrow. The connection to the pope remains strong, however, as the bishop ensures not only that the universal church is manifest in the local, but that the local church is deeply connected to the universal. The change in the ritual is also significant because it involves the people of God in the rite. Previously, few people were even aware of the practice. Involving the people in the celebration not only connects the servant of God with the people he serves, it also holds them accountable to one another.  The archbishop, wearing his pallium, takes is place in the church as a prudent, wise and courageous leader - modelling his life on the Good Shepherd.

by Christine


people gathered around archbishop

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Catacombs of Domitilla

The story of Christianity is awe-inspiring.  This is true whether you are a believer or not.  Within 50 years of the physical death of Christ, 12 believers had directly and indirectly converted thousands to the new faith.  Within 300 years, they had converted an empire. This tour begins at the walls of Rome within sight of St. John Lateran where we get our ride to the countryside of Rome.  Making our way outside the walls, the city changes to country quickly.  The Roman countryside is quite beautiful.  The hills begin to roll and the gated villas extend to farms of vegetables, rose hips, or barley.  The air cleaner and the sound clearer. Flavia Domitilla was the granddaughter of the emperor Vespasian.  As daughter of Domitilla "the Younger", Flavia was also the niece of the emperors Titus and Domitian.  These catacombs were founded on her property in about the year 120 A.D.  Flavia and her husband, Flavius Clemens, were likely ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Villa Borghese: Tainted Beauty

In the 17 th  century it was common for the pope to place a nephew in a key administrative role, for self-preservation.  Thus in 1605, at the age of 28, Scipione Borghese was made cardinal and papal secretary, head of the Roman Curia, by his uncle Pope Paul V, making Scipione the second most powerful person in the country.  Cardinal Scipione purchased a property in the north of Rome and began acquiring ancient Roman and contemporary Italian art.  The villa and its beautiful grounds were never a residence, only ever a gallery and conservatory. Cardinal Scipione became the patron of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, providing Bernini with the opportunity to cement his legacy as perhaps the best sculptor to have ever lived.  Though several pieces of furniture and adornment were sold off by the Borghese family in the 19 th  century to address fiscal problems, those have been replaced with copies, and the most famous and significant pieces of the original collec...
Post a Comment
Read more

Our Lady of Mount Carmel - My "Onomastico"

  Santa Maria in Tranpontina My final day in Rome was made extra special as there was an event to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This is my “Saint Day” or in Italian “Onomastico”. Traditionally in the Italian culture a feast day is commemorated with a special meal and perhaps even a small gift, similar to a birthday. Each calendar day has multiple saints assigned, as the Church has far more than 365 saints. The feast day can be selected based on the death of the saint, when that is unknown a day is selected by the Church, as is the case with St. John Paul. His feast day is observed on October 22, which is the day of his Papal Inauguration, rather than the day of his death, April 2, which can fall during the season of Lent. Alter of Santa Maria in Tranpontina Some saints will have a novena prayed in the nine days leading up to their feast day. This is the case for Our Lady of Mount Carmel. In preparation for the observance petitions are made to the saint asking t...
Post a Comment
Read more