(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 12.05.2024).- As the Church prepares for the upcoming Jubilee Year, a symbolic and deeply spiritual ritual unfolded in St. Peter’s Basilica on December 2, 2024. The «recognitio» ceremony—a tradition steeped in centuries-old heritage—saw the unveiling of the metallic box containing the key that will open the Holy Door on Christmas Eve, marking the formal beginning of the Jubilee Year.
A Time-Honored Ritual
Led by Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, the event began with a solemn prayer before Vatican masons, known as sampietrini, carefully dismantled the wall sealing the Holy Door from within the basilica. The wall, untouched since the closure of the last Holy Year in 2016, gave way to reveal a sealed metal box embedded within.
With reverence, the cardinal and his entourage carried the box in a candlelit procession, chanting the Litany of Saints. Their path led to the Altar of the Confession and then to the Chapter Hall, where the box was opened to unveil its contents.
Sacred Artifacts Unearthed
The box revealed items rich in spiritual and historical significance:
– The Key: Essential for unlocking the Holy Door on December 24.
– Golden Handles: Integral to the door itself.
– The Rogito Scroll: Documenting the door’s sealing after the 2016 Jubilee of Mercy.
– Golden Bricks: Symbolic tokens from the Holy Door’s previous closure.
– Medals: Commemorating the pontificates of Popes Francis, Benedict XVI, and John Paul II.
These items, laden with meaning, were presented to Pope Francis, underscoring the seamless continuity of papal leadership and the Church’s enduring mission.
Preparing for the Jubilee
The Jubilee, a special year of grace and renewal, draws millions of pilgrims from across the world. The Holy Door’s opening at St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve will be the first of several such ceremonies. The doors of other major basilicas—St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside the Walls, and St. Mary Major—will also undergo their respective recognitio rites in the coming weeks.
Thank you for reading our content. If you would like to receive ZENIT’s daily e-mail news, you can subscribe for free through this link.
