In the jubilee, in Rome, the passage of the holy door upsets young French

From our special envoy to Rome

In front of the Saint-Jean-de-Latran basilica in Rome, under the burning sun reflected by the large white slabs of the forecourt, stretches a long line of pilgrims. The imposing rectangular facade of the church stands out on a clear blue sky. On the right, under the colossal columns of the portico, is the holy door opened by Pope Francis on the occasion of the jubilee year. Nearly a million pilgrims came from all over the world to the eternal city for the jubilee of young people, from Monday, July 28 to Sunday August 3. Passing the holy doors of the four major basilicas is an essential step in their pilgrimage.

Equipped with their booklets, young people occupy the tail time by conscientiously following a course of prayers and meditations to prepare. The traditional goal of the approach, since the opening of the first holy door to the 15th century in this basilica, has been obtaining a plenary indulgence. This is “the remission before God of temporal pain due for sins”, according to the catechism of the Catholic Church. According to the teaching of the Church, the consequences of evil, which could prevent the soul from going directly to paradise on the day of its death, are erased from the hearts of the faithful.

Marion, a instructor-educator who has parted with the diocese of Lyon, had trouble believing it. “I do not like the idea of a process to be respected to obtain the forgiveness of God. It seems very human to me as a concept,” explains the young woman of 29 years. “At the start, I found it a little strange,” recognizes Baptiste, 24, who left with the diocesan group of Ars and Chambéry. Even if his meaning first seemed a little mysterious, he finally experienced the approach with great seriousness, like most pilgrims. “From what I understood, the plenary indulgence is a little more than the confession,” said Karel, of the diocese of Nanterre. “The priest told us that she could help us not to fall back into our vices, so I thought of things that I would like to get rid of the door,” said the 29 -year -old. It is possible to obtain indulgence for other people than yourself. Her friend Maëlle, sitting alongside her side, passed the door for her deceased uncle. “I think he’s in heaven now,” she said. Mathieu, 20, has come to Rome specifically for indulgence. “I was explained to me what it was a few months ago. I immediately thought of my cousin, who died ten years ago from a cardiac arrest without having the faith. He had no second chance. I first came to Rome in order to pass the door for him,” said the history student.

Whether he believed hard as iron with the effects of plenary indulgence or that he was more skeptical, each young person has lived an overwhelming experience. An intense emotion reigned in the Saint-Jean-de-Latran basilica on Wednesday, when the French passed the holy door together. In the huge church full to crack, a deep silence reigned. No one was discussing, or even took photos. “It was a very strong experience. There was an incredible, very calm and very concentrated atmosphere,” says Mathieu. “It was a inhabited moment. We come out of there changed,” says Victor, a young carpenter of 22 years. “We felt a great fraternal communion. See all these young people who prayed at the same time, kneeling behind the altar, it took the guts,” added Sybille, a law in law of the same age.

During this solemn moment, the young people lived the stage of life they secretly hoped to live during this week out of time. Everyone has deposited the intimate intentions he was carrying in him. “I entrusted my engagement,” said Victor modestly. “I saw this passage as the occasion for a Renaissance,” says Marion. “I live a difficult period in my faith, because I have been asking something from the Lord for several years and that does not happen. I wanted to experience a spiritual renewal thanks to this approach. It was very moving,” says the young woman.

In the jubilee, in addition to meetings, the festive atmosphere and the community spirit, many came to seek a renewal in their faith. Troumed by everyday monotony, they would however like to live it more intensely. “This kind of approach is useful when you have less motivation and fervor. Personally, my primary goal passing the door was to succeed in praying more in my daily life,” said Constance, a 22 -year -old psychomotorician. “What I wanted by the door was to meet Christ,” said Marie-Elisabeth, a 26-year-old Mexican in studies in Lyon. She experienced what she was looking for. “This moment was very touching, during which I felt the presence of God,” she testifies. “During the final prayer, I renewed my faith. I said to Christ: Yes, I really want to have you in my life to the end,” she says with emotion. This intense experience has been the occasion for a new start for many. “I made a commitment,” says Mathieu. “Now I don’t want to start the same mistakes again, I want to change my life.”