CV NEWS FEED // Pilgrims gathered April 6 at St. Peter’s Basilica to venerate the relic of the Holy Face of Jesus Christ that the veil of St. Veronica shares with the world.
Every day during Lent, a different church in Rome hosts veneration of its relics, continuing a longstanding tradition, according to an April 3 Vatican press release. St. Veronica’s veil is a highlight each year.
St. Peter’s Basilica’s website said that the veil is considered one of the three most important relics in the basilica, next to a fragment of the Cross and the spear that pierced Christ’s side. The website also noted that the veil has been venerated by pilgrims on holy days and every Jubilee since the year 1300.
The Sudarium Christi (Christ’s Kerchief) is the sacred cloth upon which the face of Christ was imprinted when St. Veronica wiped Jesus’ face as He journeyed to Calvary. The veil has been at St. Peter’s Basilica since 1297, at the request of Pope Boniface VIII.
St. Veronica’s act of charity of wiping the sweat from the face of the Lord is commemorated in the Stations of the Cross, St. Peter’s Basilica’s website stated. The name Veronica is derived from the Latin words vera icona, meaning true icon. St. Veronica is known for her compassion toward others and is the patron saint of photographers. Her feast day is celebrated July 12.
Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter, presided over a Mass that followed the veneration of the veil.
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