The Holy Year

Pope Pius XII's step was springy and he mounted his throne with more than usual vigor. To thin, 87-year-old Msgr. Alfonso Carinci, Deacon of Protonotaries, he handed a brilliantly illuminated parchment manuscript--the papal bull* which proclaimed 1950 a Holy Year of pilgrimage to Rome. Then, with his face almost constantly lighted by smiles, he spoke to the mauve-robed Apostolic Protonotaries assembled before him, in the most optimistic terms he had used since before war's end.

"Let our humble thanks go to divine Providence, which, after formidable events which shattered the earth during the second world conflict and in postwar years, has granted humanity some improvement in general conditions."

Thus in Rome last week, the Holy Year of 1950 was officially proclaimed. The tradition is 650 years old. Originally planned to take place every 100 years, the intervals were shortened first to 50, finally to 25 years--though popes may declare a special Holy Year at any time, as Pius XI did in 1933 to commemorate the 1900th anniversary of the Crucifixion.

The Holy Year will begin next Christmas Eve. All through 1950, Roman Catholic pilgrims from every corner of the world will journey to Rome, hoping thereby to earn a plenary indulgence (remission of temporal punishment for forgiven sins). Authorities expect at least a million pilgrim visitors to Rome. To help house the throng, a large hostel is being built near the Vatican, and others on the city's outskirts. The Men's International Association for Catholic Action has set up a nonprofit organization called Felix Roma, to arrange tours allowing each pilgrim ten days in Italy (seven in Rome and three on sightseeing side trips) which are planned down to the last menu. To handle transportation, Felix Roma has chartered seven ships and three Constellation airliners. The overall price from the U.S. (including a $1,500 insurance policy): $648 by sea and $798 by air. Catholics get first call on accommodations, must present a card from their parishes certifying their church membership.

But in last week's papal bull, Pius XII warned his people not to plan the trip as a junket. "These pilgrimages," he wrote, "must not be made with the attitude of those who travel for pleasure, but with the spirit of piety which animated the faithful of past centuries, who, overcoming obstacles of all kinds, often afoot, came to Rome to wash away their sins with tears of sorrow and to implore of God peace and forgiveness."

-From the Latin bulla (seal); an important papal letter certified with a leaden seal.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.