Pontifical council given oversight of shrines
April 03, 2017
Pope Francis has issued an apostolic letter transferring oversight of shrine from the Congregation for the Clergy to the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization.
The letter, Sanctuarium in Ecclesia, was dated February 11 and released April 1.
Praising popular piety, the Pope wrote that shrines “are still perceived as sacred spaces to which pilgrims go to find a moment of rest, silence, and contemplation in the often frenetic life of our day.”
The Pope called upon shrines to be centers of evangelization in which the Word of God is proclaimed, the Eucharist and Reconciliation are celebrated, and the witness of charity is expressed. He also called upon the pontifical council to promote the “cultural and artistic enhancement of shrines, according to the via pulchritudinis [way of beauty].”
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Further information:
- Lettera Apostolica del Santo Padre in forma di Motu proprio “Sanctuarium in Ecclesia”, 01.04.2017 (Holy See Press Office)
- New Evangelization to care for shrines (Vatican Radio)
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