Jubilee: 'Recognitio' ceremony held in St. Peter’s Basilica
By Alessandro De Carolis
A solemn prayer in St. Peter's Basilica followed by the sound of a hammer and chisel breaking through a wall to retrieve the box containing the key that, on the evening of December 24, will allow Pope Francis to open the Holy Door and inaugurate the Jubilee.
The ceremony, held on the evening of December 2, heightened the sense of anticipation for the opening of the Jubilee on Christmas Eve.
The Ceremony
The recognitio—the Latin term for this rite—is performed to confirm that the Holy Door, sealed at the end of the last Jubilee, remains intact and is ready to be reopened for the new Holy Year.
Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, Archpriest of the Vatican Basilica, introduced the ceremony with a prayer.
Then, the sampietrini (maintenance workers at St. Peter’s) dismantled the wall sealing the Holy Door from inside the Basilica and removed the metal box embedded there on November 20, 2016, the day the Jubilee of Mercy ended.
Cardinal Gambetti led a procession, accompanied by the chanting of the Litany of the Saints, to the Altar of the Confession, where participants paused for a moment of prayer before proceeding to the Chapter Hall.
There, the metal box removed from the Holy Door was opened.
The Box’s Contents
Inside the box were the key to the Holy Door, its handles, the parchment Rogito documenting its closure, four golden bricks, and several medals, including those from the pontificates of Pope Francis, Benedict XVI, and John Paul II.
The ceremony was attended by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, and Archbishop Diego Ravelli, Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations.
They received the documents and items from the recognitio and later delivered them to Pope Francis.
Recognitio in other Papal Basilicas
A similar ceremony took place on December 3 at the Holy Door of the Basilica of St. John Lateran.
The recognitio will be held at St. Paul Outside the Walls on December 5 and at St. Mary Major on December 6.
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