On Saturday March 2, the Roman catacombs will be opened to the public as part of a free tour, this is the seventh edition of the Catacomb Days.
A press release from the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, the event’s sponsor, announced that the motto of this year’s Catacomb Days is “From Memory to Prayer.”
The commission was established in 1852 by Pope Pius IX to “maintain ancient religious cemeteries, supervise their preventive conservation, further research, research and studies” and “research the oldest relics of the first Christian centuries, remarkable monuments and venerable basilicas to protect in Rome. “.
The press release noted that “the Pope wanted to dedicate this year to prayer” and that this event “is part of the preparatory journey for the 2025 Jubilee.”
An opportunity for reflection
The Vatican emphasizes that a visit to the catacombs is an opportunity to “experience the encounter with the memories and testimonies of the first Christian community in Rome” and reminds us of “people, events and stories that are extremely meaningful and important.”
“Such an evocative memory, directly perceived and experienced, cannot fail to provoke deep reflection and therefore for believers – prayer; prayer addressed to the Lord, God of life and Savior, but also to martyrs and to those who witnessed their faith, whose example and whose intercession sustain us on our current journey,” we read further in the press release.
Visitors will have the opportunity to see many ancient symbols that ‘speak of prayer’, such as the 3rd century Velata Hut in the Catacomb of Prisca, as well as early works of art depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments.
The Catacombs of Rome are paleo-Christian cemeteries located throughout the city, dug underground during the height of Christian persecution. Many early popes, martyrs and Christian families were buried here.
These places have occupied an extremely important place in popular piety and have long been a place of meetings, prayer and reflection of many saints of the Church, including St. Jerome and Saint Philip Neri.
Source: Do Rzeczy
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