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‘We know with certainty that
the door of your clemency is never shut for those who believe in your love
and proclaim your mercy.’
— THE
POPE
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THE HOLY YEAR, usually proclaimed every 25 years by pontiffs, this
time coincided with both the change of centuries and millenniums. John
Paul had looked with anticipation toward the event for much of his
22-year-long pontificate as a chance to rejuvenate the Catholic Church and
its billion members.
An aide held on to the
left arm of the pope, who is 80 and ailing, to support him as he closed
the right side of the bronze door in the atrium of St. Peter’s.
When he closed the left side of the door, applause
thundered outside in St. Peter’s Square, where many of the faithful,
estimated by Vatican officials at about 100,000, were watching the
ceremony on TV screens.
On Friday, pilgrims
passed through the door at the rate of about 100 a minute as part of a
Holy Year ritual granting them remission from punishment for
sin.
“We know with certainty,” prayed the
pope, who knelt down with difficulty on the steps outside the door, “that
the door of your clemency is never shut for those who believe in your love
and proclaim your mercy.”
SOLEMN MOMENT |
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In comparison to Christmas Eve 1999, when the pope opened the door
in a joyous ceremony of dance, song and colorful costumes, Saturday’s
closure was solemn and subdued. John Paul, who at the opening wore a
shiny, multicolored wrap, this time donned elegant, gold-colored
robes.
John Paul knelt in reflection for
several minutes before the aide helped him up and he hobbled out to the
square to lead a Mass. At one point during the door ceremony, his hands
trembled as he clasped them together and sat in a chair.
The pope has long struggled to stay active despite a
persistent hand tremor and difficulty in walking and delivering speeches.
The symptoms are widely attributed to Parkinson’s disease, a debilitating
neurological disorder, but the Vatican has never said exactly what ails
him.
Later Saturday, the Vatican was to
release a letter from John Paul to his churches reflecting on the
challenges of the new millennium.
© 2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
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U.S. Rome embassy
shut after threat