THE PAULINE JUBILEE YEAR
by Tony Hickey
by Tony Hickey
The present Pauline Year did not originate with Pope Benedict XVI.
The archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, Cardinal Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, initially presented the idea of marking the 2000th anniversary of the birth of St. Paul to the then Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano.
Pope Benedict XVI welcomed the idea and for the dates of the Pauline Year to be set.
However, the Pope wanted the year not only to mark the anniversary of St. Paul’s birth but to have Christian Unity as its emphasis.
While the exact date of St. Paul’s birth is unknown, scholars suggest it was some time between 5 and 10AD. The Pauline Year was set for 2008-2009.
In order not to consider St. Paul in isolation it was determined that the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul mark the opening and closing of the Year. A myriad of events in the areas of ecumenism, liturgy, prayer, art, history, archaeology, pastoral initiatives and pilgrimages have been organised.
The Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls is where the tomb of St. Paul is located. It welcomes between 2,500 and 4,000 pilgrims a day. A special ‘Pauline Door’ was opened and special exhibits are being displayed along the left nave of the basilica. These include depictions of St. Paul’s voyages, excavations, letters, the building’s history, and commemorative stamps and medals produced to mark this Pauline jubilee year. All of this is being coordinated by Fr. Oliviero Plichon.
Two other significant churches around Rome are the Church of St. Paul of the Rule where St. Paul lived out his final years under house arrest in Rome. The Basilica of the Three Fountains is where tradition says St. Paul was beheaded.
Pope Benedict XVI has called for Christian Unity to be both a 'concern' and 'work' of this year.
The latest figure shows that the Mystical Body of Christ has been shredded 37,000 times over - there are 37,000 different Christian denominations. At the opening of the Pauline Jubilee the Pope said: "Paul wants to speak with us today. That is why I wanted to convoke this special Pauline Year: to listen to him and to drink from him as our teacher, in the faith and truth..."
For the 2009 Christian Unity Week (18-25 January each year) the Pope requested that the prayers and services for that week be extended throughout the year "that they may become one in your hand" (Ezek 37:17)
In this Pauline Jubilee, for the sake of the healing of the Mystical Body of Christ, we might offer some of our rosaries, adorations, penances and also have Holy Mass offered for this intention.