Skip to main content

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

 

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

A Trip To Visit My Nonna

This past weekend I took a quick trip to visit my family in Sicily. They think I am going to see them but really, it’s the almond cookies (paste secche) and granita with brioche that call me back.  My nonna passed away a few years ago and I have not had the opportunity to visit her grave. Although it may seem morose, sharing some information on Italian cemeteries might be interesting, as the practices have many similarities due to shared Catholic faith, yet there are noteworthy differences due to cultural practices.   The local cemetery where my grandparents are buried is mostly cement. There is little grass beyond weeds breaking through the cracks. The first stop is to purchase fresh flowers, I picked out a few simple roses for my grandparents. As we walked to the burial site my aunt explained how there is limited space, and the government allows for the in-ground burial sites to be modified and expanded over time.  The mausoleums here are all in the open. Because of the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Asissi....sigh....

Assisi. What can I say about this magical little town? I went there yesterday with three friends-Sean, Corina and Paul, and as soon as we stepped onto the platform at the train station we noticed that the air was different, cooler, more refreshing. I'm, not sure even pictures could do this town justice, or maybe I just don't possess sufficient skill in photography (lol), but God knew why he chose a son of this town to start the process of rebuilding his church. To walk where St Francis walked and pray where he prayed will forever be one of the highlights of my life. St Francis of Assisi astonished the church and the world with his humble devotion to God and the poor. He left such a profound legacy, including introducing the custom of Nativity scenes to honor Christ's birth at Christmastime. Did you know we have St Francis of Assisi to thank for that? He is also the patron saint of the environment and of animals. The Basilica of St Francis of Assisi-completed in 1253 Another...
Post a Comment
Read more