Lambs blessed on feast of St. Agnes
January 23, 2012
Fulfilling an ancient Roman tradition for the feast of St. Agnes, on January 21, Pope Benedict XVI blessed two lambs whose wool will be used to make the pallium, the liturgical vestment that symbolized the authority of a metropolitan archbishop.
The pallium, a white woolen vestment, is worn by archbishops during liturgical celebrations. Every year on June 29, the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, the Pope presents the pallium to each prelate who has been named as an archbishop during the preceding year. The presentation of the pallium is a symbol of the communion among the metropolitan churches around the world.
The blessing of the lambs is traditionally done on January 21, the feast of St. Agnes-- a 4th-century martyr whose symbol is a lamb. The lambs are raised by Trappist monks, and when they are shorn their wool is woven into the white vestments.
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