Church Bells in the Eternal City

It was Sunday July 2. I was at St. Peter’s square with the hundreds of pilgrims who had come to listen to Pope Francis’ Angelus preaching. It was a scene that I had viewed many times on television and in photographs. How blessed I felt to be a part of it all that day! The excitement of the crowd grew when the papal window was thrown open and the red banner was let down. It was soon followed by a loud roar of joy and applause when the Holy Father appeared. The mood was celebratory but prayerful as we listened to the Holy Father speak about the importance of being prophetic in our time. He said, “A prophet is the one who, by virtue of Baptism, helps others read the present under the action of the Holy Spirit. This is very important: to read the present not like news but under the action of the Holy Spirit, who helps to understand God’s plans and conform to them.” According to Pope Francis, the role of the prophet is to “show Jesus to others.” The Holy Father urged us to pray for Ukraine and other conflicts around the world. Finally, he extended special greetings to various groups of pilgrims present in the Square.

Then, I heard it. The sound of church bells ringing out across St. Peter’s. Loudly, joyfully, vigorously the sound of those bells filled the Square. It was beautiful. I hurried to get closer, to see those bells, to take it all in even more. The sound of the church bells at the end of the Angelus made my day. I lingered with my friends until the final notes gave way to silence. This is what the psalmist must have meant when he wrote, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth, serve the Lord with gladness…Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him; bless his name” (Psalm 100: 1-2, 4; NRSV).

Bells became an essential object in churches from around the eighth century when bell towers began to be constructed. In Rome, it was Pope Stephen II (752-757) who constructed a belfry with three bells.

In the Catholic tradition, church bells are considered to be sacramentals. Like holy water, candles, holy pictures, blessed palms and so on, they prepare us to receive God’s gift of grace and to cooperate with it. May the sound of the bells at St. Peter’s Square forever ring out God’s praises.

Carla Thomas

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