If the modern liturgy were celebrated this way in all parishes of the world, more than likely, we would not have had the liturgy wars that we have had!
Please note the glorious vestments of the Cardinal.
Please note the traditional decoration of the altar.
Please note the reverence and mystery.
‘God’s heart remains open', says Cardinal at closing of Holy Door
By Isabella Piro
The tolling of the ‘Sperduta,’ the ancient bell that evokes the spirit of pilgrimage, accompanied the closing of the Holy Door of the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.
At dusk on December 25, the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, in a Rome drenched by constant rain over the past few days, pilgrims attended the ancient rite, presided over by Cardinal Archpriest Rolandas Makrickas. “As we close this Holy Door, we believe that the heart of the Risen One, an inexhaustible source of new life, remains always open to those who hope in Him,” he said.
An ancient and solemn rite
Then, in silence, the Cardinal ascended the steps leading to the Holy Door. And still in silence, he knelt on the threshold, pausing in prayer. Finally, he rose and closed the doors.
Almost a year has passed since their opening on January 1, 2025. The decision to close them on December 25 is no coincidence: in Saint Mary Major, the relics of the Holy Crib where the newborn Baby Jesus was laid are preserved.
Becoming open doors for others
“What is being closed is not divine grace, but a special time for the Church; while what remains open forever is the heart of merciful God,” Cardinal Makrickas emphasized during the Mass following the rite, which was enlivened by the Liberian Choir, which in this Jubilee Year celebrates the 480th anniversary of its formal foundation.
“Today we saw the Holy Door close,” the Cardinal emphasized, “but the door that truly matters remains the door of our heart: it opens when we listen to the Word of God, it expands when we welcome our brothers and sisters, and it is strengthened when we forgive and ask for forgiveness.”
Hence the invitation to remember that “passing through the Holy Door was a gift, and becoming, starting today, open doors for others is our mission for the future.” A simple and solemn gesture thus becomes “grateful remembrance and a courageous mission.”
One Jubilee, two Popes
In his homily, the Cardinal Archpriest highlighted the unique nature of the Jubilee of Hope that is about to conclude: a Holy Year begun by Pope Francis and continued by Pope Leo. The only precedent occurred in the Holy Year of 1700, opened by Innocent XII and closed by Clement XI. But today, as then, it was “a passing of the baton and of leadership that gives us the image of the life of the Church that never ends,” because "the Lord never abandons His Church."
Peace is possible
The Jubilee of Hope, the Cardinal continued, was “a time in which the Church proclaimed, once again to the whole world, that God is not distant, that peace is possible, that mercy is stronger than sin.”
And following in the footsteps of Popes Francis and Leo, Cardinal Makrickas insisted that hope is neither illusion, nor escapism, nor naive optimism, but rather “a concrete force that opens new paths,” “a decision marked by love,” “participation in the life of the Word made flesh, a light that no night can extinguish.”
Hope is born from welcome
The Jubilee Year, therefore, is not "an event to be archived at its conclusion, but an invitation to remain attentive to the Son, because without listening to the Word, hope is extinguished.”
The example to follow, added the Cardinal Archpriest, is that of Mary, the one who “taught everyone that hope is born from welcome: welcoming God into life, welcoming others, welcoming the future without fear.” Only in this way, that is, by letting God enter our hearts, can we open the true Holy Door, “that of mercy, reconciliation, and fraternity.”
Translating the Holy Year into concrete action
Finally, from the Basilica that houses the Marian icon of Salus Populi Romani, as well as the earthly remains of Pope Francis and several other Pontiffs, Cardinal Makrickas invited the faithful to translate the powerful moments of the Jubilee into renewed prayer, concrete attention to the poor, reconciliation in families, creative commitment in work, and a merciful presence in the community. Only in this way can we have the courage to be “a Church with the Gospel in our hands and our brothers and sisters in our hearts.”
Prayer for the poor
During the Prayers of the Faithful, special intentions were raised for the Church, so that she may always be faithful to her mission of proclaiming the Good News; for the pilgrims who have passed through the Holy Door, so that, renewed in hope, they may bear witness to the Lord's love; for those who seek the truth, so that they may find in God the light, Word, and strength that conquer darkness, doubt, and fatigue.
Prayers were then offered for the assembly and for its desire for “renewed attention to the needs of the poor.”
The Mass concluded with the traditional Christmas carol Astro del ciel (Silent Night) and a solemn blessing imparted by the Cardinal Archpriest.
The Virgin Mary, Salus Populi Romani
Created by the sculptor Luigi Enzo Mattei and inaugurated by Saint John Paul II on December 8, 2001, the Holy Door of Saint Mary Major was opened for the first time by Pope Francis on January 1, 2016, on the occasion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.
Inspired by the image on the Shroud of Turin, it depicts Christ appearing to the Virgin Mary, Salus Populi Romani. At the top left appears the scene of the Annunciation to Mary, and on the right, Pentecost.
At the bottom left is an image of the Council of Ephesus, which recognized Mary as the Mother of God (“Theotokos”), and on the right, the Second Vatican Council, which proclaimed her Mother of the Church.
Closing of the other Holy Doors
The Holy Door of the Liberian Basilica was the first of the Holy Doors of the papal basilicas to be closed. On the morning of Saturday, December 27th, it will be the turn of Saint John Lateran, while the following day, Sunday, December 28th, the Feast of the Holy Family, it will be the turn of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. The rites will be presided over by the respective archpriests, Cardinal Baldassare Reina and Cardinal James Michael Harvey.
Pope Leo XIV will close the Holy Door of Saint Peter's Basilica on January 6, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.
1 comment:
Very beautiful! Perhaps recording mics could be placed at greater distance from the choir; their screeching is painful.
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