THOUSANDS WATCH POPE INAUGURATE HOLY YEAR CEREMONIES AT VATICAN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27273, 27 December 1949, Page 5

THOUSANDS WATCH POPE INAUGURATE HOLY YEAR CEREMONIES AT VATICAN

NZPA—Copyright Rec. 9 p.m. ROME, Dec. 24. Fifty thousand Roman Catholics filled St. Peter’s and spilled in their thousands on the portico outside today to see Pope ,Pius XII inaugurate the twenty-fifth Holy Year by. opening St. Peter’s Basilica doors. Another 120,000 knelt and prayed in St. Peter’s square. The Pope, white-robed and wearing a diamond-studded crown, opened the door in brilliant sunshine by tapping with a gold and ivory hammer. He entered the basilica as the first of 3,000,000 pilgrims expected during Holy Year. Great bells pealed the tidings that the door had opened and they were greeted by a mighty roar of cheering.

The ceremony took place with police riot cars, armoured trucks, ana 600 heavily armed mobile police standing by ready to crush a threatened Communist demonstration. The police had banned a rally by land-hungry peasants which was due to be staged simultaneously with St. Peter’s ceremony. The opening of the doors symbolised the breaking down of the barrier opening the way to Divine grace for all Catholics. News reels, the press, and television recorded the celebrations as the Pope was carried on a crimson throne from the Vatican Palace to St. Peter’s by six bearers. As the bells of St. Peter’s boomed over Rome, the bells of other churches and chapels in the city joined in. Five hundred doves, symbolical of the Holy Ghost, were released over the basilica. They wheeled down the square over the heads of the crowd. The Pope stood motionless for nearly a minute before the door. At exactly 9.39 a.m. he raised the 41b hammer and . struck the first blow against the cross embedded in the face of the door. He gave a second rap a few seconds later. Again the

Pope knocked, chanting: “ I will enter, O Lord, into Thy House.” The choir responded: “ I will adore Thy holy temple in reverence before Thee,” and the great block of masonry slowly fell inward and was rolled away. The holy door was sealed up 15 years ago at the end of the extraordinary holy year proclaimed in honour of the nineteenth century of redemption. After opening the door, the Pope prayed at his throne as high church dignitaries knelt to wash the doorstep and its jambs with sponges soaked • in holy water. Inside the basilica a mighty roar of welcome greeted the Pope as he stepped into the cathedral. Then, seated in the gestatorial chair, he was carried up the nave slowly, leaning out to give the sign of blessing to the praying and weeping thousands who pressed forward to touch his chair and garments. Finally, from the dais, the' Pope gave the papal benediction, his hand moving slowly over the kneeling congregation in the Sign of the Cross Christmas Message

The correspondent of the Associated Press in Rome says that the Pope, in a Christmas message on the eve of the Holy Year, pleaded for union within the Roman Catholic Church of all Christians to oppose the advance of militant atheism and for brotherhood among peoples in the present world crisis. He said: “Men are anxious about the effrontery with which the united front of militant atheism advances and are asking why there are still separations. In opening the holy door of St. Peter’s, we shall be conscious of performing no mere traditional act, but a symbolic rite of high import not only for Christians, but also for the whole human race.” The Pope, in describing the Holy Year as an occasion for a powerful call for brotherhood between peoples, said: “If ever an occasion has been propitious'for us to propagate peace, this is one.” Appealing for a return to the principles of human liberty, he said: “ The individualistic order which social greed and irresponsibility towards one’s fellows has produced is almost everywhere in a state of crisis today. The Holy Year is a period of spiritual stocktaking. The Holy Year is a call to destroy guilt and to establish new joy and opportunity for pardon between man and man. “ Come to Rome, where our arms are open to welcome you; to Rome, the fatherland of Christianity and of every Christian. Among the pilgrims gathered in Rome are those who were commanded to sow death and those who suffered its terrible effects, he who invaded, and he who was subject to it, he who was surrounded in camps with barbed wire, and he who suffered hard imprisonment. May God wish the Holy Year will inspire peaceful councils. Be not disturbed or violated by insane intentions, not only between nations, but also between various classes of the same country. “May this jubilee mark the return of all humanity to God. May 1950 be the year of peace and justice and not national egoism.” The Pope asked the Governments of all nations to implement the spirit of the Catholic Holy Year by repealing laws for punishment of war and political criminals.”