Holy See to Join in European Heritage Days

VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 13, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The Holy See will once again take part in the annual European Heritage Days, promoted by the Council of Europe.

A Vatican communiqué announced that some 40 countries will participate in the Sept. 27 celebration that will focus on the theme "European Heritage for Intercultural Dialogue."

To mark the celebrations, entrance to the Vatican Museums and to the catacombs in Rome will be free of charge that day.

As well, from Sept. 26 to Oct. 27 there will be a photo exhibition at the San Callisto Catacombs on Rome's Via Appia Antica. The display is titled "Customs and Grave Goods of Rome in Late Antiquity: Christian, Pagan and Jewish Tombs Compared."

The event will be sponsored by the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church, the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology and the Vatican Museums.