The sixth edition of the Day of the Catacombs took place on October 7th. The Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology organised the opening and free visits to certain Roman catacombs, as well as those in other Italian regions.
Newsdesk (16/10/2023 17:35, Gaudium Press) The much-anticipated biannual event, the Day of the Catacombs, was back for its sixth edition. This edition’s theme was “Paths of Peace”. The event aims to publicise the importance of these monuments for the history of Christianity and to celebrate the origins of the first Christian communities, in particular the Holy Martyrs. For these occasions, the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology promotes the opening of and free visits to certain Roman catacombs and those in other regions of Italy: Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio, Abruzzo, Sicily and Sardinia.
Msgr. Pasquale Iacobone, who was appointed president of the Pontifical Commission a few months ago, explained to the Vatican News website the programme of this initiative, aimed at adults and children, with the aim of fostering knowledge, promoting teaching and also revitalising the faith, through the example of the Christian martyrs.
According to Msgr. Iacobone, “this year, coinciding precisely with the tragic situation of war, we wanted to highlight one of the themes most present in our catacombs, through images, inscriptions and symbols, which is precisely that of peace. It seemed most appropriate to propose this theme to our visitors.”
Opening of normally closed catacombs
During this event, “there is a wide range of initiatives – continues Msgr. Iacobone – firstly, the always free entrance to catacombs in Rome that are not normally accessible or open to visitors. In addition, the opening of all the other catacombs in Italy which have joined those in Rome for this occasion and which also have free entry, always with prior reservation, along with a series of very interesting parallel events, starting with the workshops for children which are always a success, because children are very curious and interested in our themes.“
Last year, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi celebrated the closing Mass, and on this 6th Day of the Catacombs, the solemn Eucharistic celebration was celebrated by Msgr. Iacobone in the Church of Santa Maria della Stella, overlooking the catacombs of San Salvatore in Albano.
In the catacombs, peace and the joy of liberation
The deepest meaning of the catacombs, apart from peace, a theme rightly focused at present, is joy, “because in the catacombs there are never, with very rare exceptions, in private funereal environments, signs of mourning, sadness, death or anguish. The decoration of the catacombs, from the graffiti to the frescoes or the sculptures on the sarcophagi, always speaks of moments of joy that follow liberation, the liberation realised by God for those who entrust themselves to Him. That’s why we always have paradisiacal scenes, scenes of happy life, serene and festive banquets. It’s a atmosphere that makes us look to the future with a little more confidence and serenity,” says Msgr. Iacobone.
With information from Vatican News
Compiled by Roberta MacEwan
