The Orthodox-Catholic pilgrimage “From Rome to New Rome” spent their last full day in the Eternal City. To start the day Archbishop Elpidophoros led a prayer and chanting on the trip’s bus.
Visiting the stunning Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, or St. Mary Major, was among the trip’s peaks thus far.
Santa Maria Maggiore is the first and largest sanctuary of the Theotokos in the Western world, and is the last of the four papal basilicas visited by the joint pilgrimage. There, the pilgrims had the opportunity to visit the tomb of Pope Francis, a moment particularly emotional for the group’s Catholics. Before the pontiff’s final resting place, Archbishop Elpidophoros and the pilgrims sang “Αἰωνία ἡ Mνήμη,” or “Memory Eternal.”
In addition to viewing the incredible 5th-century mosaics and paying their respects for Pope Francis, the faithful also offered the trip’s second prayer service, this one led by Archbishop Elpidophoros and focused on the Paschal mystery, or the Passion, death and Resurrection of Christ.
The historically-significant setting made the prayer especially meaningful, and an incredible symbol of the Christian unity we seek
In his homily for the service, the Archbishop stressed that Christ “humbled Himself unto death on the cross,” and that “This humility is the path to our unity” since “If Christ was obedient even unto death, then we, too, must be obedient to love—especially the love that bridges our differences, heals our wounds, and binds us together in His body.”
The day also included visits to both ancient and 18th-century Roman sites, including the Roman Forum, Flavian Amphitheater (more commonly known as the Colosseum), Pantheon, Spanish Steps, and Trevi Fountain. Participating in a tour of the Colosseum, the faithful learned about the Christians, non-Christians, and animals who were killed in the site’s barbarous public displays.
At one faithful’s suggestion, Archbishop Elpidophoros offered another prayer here for every life ended by the Roman Empire. The pilgrims were struck by the brutality of the site’s past, yet strengthened by the reminder of the earliest Christian martyrs–whose unwavering faith remains at the heart of Christianity and whose example calls us to stand firm in our convictions, even in the face of suffering or oppression.
Article by Corinna Robinson
Photos by Orthodox Observer/Brittainy Newman
