Take note of the flowers! This is the tomb of Pius XII perhaps circa 1959 or '60 or even later.
Just after he was entombed here they put up this portable altar so that clergy and faithful alike could worship as close to his holy corpse as possible.
Please pray and fast that somebody at the top will return such an altar for Holy Mass to be read here again each morning - the fans of Pius XII are many.
6 comments:
Is it true that Paul VI had the altar removed and the tomb stripped in "revenge" for not getting the red hat from Pius XII?
I have a hunch the altar was taken down after the Council Fathers all went home in maybe sixty-five?
Milan is the most coveted See in all of Italy. To be sent there is the greatest of honors, with Venice and Florence a second and third.
O what memories come flooding back at the sight of that postcard picture. I would arrive at the basilica before it opened in the mornings. And as the door opened one ran down to the tomb where Madre Pascalina was already kneeling in prayer. Madre always knelt bolt upright with nothing to lean on on that stone cold hard stone floor. The only relief was when one got up to go to Holy Communion. Holy Mass was always said by an elderly priest. I always tried to kneel as close to Madre as I could. She was very gracious and kind to me. And her smile on me each morning was as if a heavenly ray. As one knelt beside her then one was acutely aware of being in the presence of a living saint.
My understanding is that it was John Paul II who removed the altar and the flowers and the candles. Or at least it was done in the early part of his reign. (Out of charity one prefers to believe the deed was done when the faithful old priest went to his eternal reward.) I don’t believe Papa Montini was in any way responsible.
nat:
thanks for sharing. senti, as you know, photos of mother are rare. if you have any photos of her, if you're able, please scan them and send them so i can post them.
thanks!
Well, chapel was remade under JPII, and they put some very ugly black carvings on the walls.
It was Paul V1 who removed the altar with the intention to completely remove the Tridentine Mass from St Peters Basilica. Apparently Paul VI was unable to discern ‘the light of Christ’ from ‘the smoke of Satan’ which he declared had engulfed the Vatican.
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