[Santiagobis] link to Rosina's travels and Holy door (year)

[Rosina Lila]

Hey Mike,
Lighten up!
I read your message and had a good laugh!
In fact, in my heart of hearts I dislike, disdain and resent computers of any
religion, gender, race or color.... bar absolutely none.
But, like going to a dentist, the medium has become a necessary evil.
(I read your message to my very Episcopalian sister in law and she couldn't
stop laughing!)
What the world needs, methinks, is less strait lace.... corsets keep you from
laughing and laughter, as anyone knows,  gladdens the heart, makes the body
healthy and causes the sun to shine.
As to the Holy door: for centuries and centuries  a special door leading into
the Cathedral from the Quintana Plaza has been walled up with cement blocks.
The door is popularly known as the "Holy door" but its name is really "Puerta
del Perdon" or door of forgiveness.  In Medieval times it was believed that
one could obtain "Indulgences", such as shortening the time of a soul in
purgatory by 5,000 years or so, if one crossed the door during a special year in
which Saint James' day fell on a Sunday.  But obtaining such indulgence, or
grace, was not automatic; one had to feel remorse for one's misdeeds and seek
forgiveness from God and from self. It was believed that crossing the door one
passed into a state of grace having been spiritually cleansed by such
contemplation and forgiveness.
To dramatize the significance of the event, and of the particular year in
which it could take place, the cement wall that closed off the door was torn down
and the way into the church made clear.
This has been going on for many centuries and it has tremendous significance,
for Spaniards in particular, it seems.
In modern times the door is simply locked and the stone "walli"  is erected
only a few weeks before the start of the Holy Year (In fact, I was in Santiago
during Thanksgiving last November and saw some mason priests put it up). To
commence the Holy Year, the Archbishop, dignitaries, and church and government
notables proceed (in procession) out of the Cathedral,  after a very solemn
church service, to Quintana Square; the Archbishop reaches the outside of the
door, strikes it lightly with a silver hammer three times and then, immediately,
like lightening, the inside cement wall crashes down, loudly,  into countless
fragments (you can see them in the pictures); the Archbishop and a couple of
dignitaries sort of jump over the fragments and enter the church. They are
followed by other priests that clear out the passage way pushing the fragments to
the sides, and then two priests wash the door lintels with Holy water (you can
also see them in the pictures); the rest of the official procession reenters
the church crossing  the door to the majestic and glorious sounds of a Te Deum
being sung by a magnificent choir and played by the Cathedral's organ in all
its glory.
Thereafter, non official people who had been waiting outside the door for the
event for days (literally) rush to the door, in a most unseemly manner, to
pick up some of the stone fragments and take them as significant souvenirs.
(Some of those in the official procession also picked up stone pieces, but they
did so in a more dignified manner.)
This happened at about 5:30 p.m. and the crowds, all over Quintana,
maintained in some kind of order by the Guardia Civil and police  officers on
horseback, flowed through the door until 9:p.m.when it  was closed to prepare the area
for the mind-boggling midnight fireworks and celebrations.
And that was the way it was.
Perhaps I should mention that Saint Peter's in Rome also has a Holy Door that
is opened by the Pope at the beginning of a Roman Holy Year (I don't know
what makes a Roman Holy Year); the last one was the year 2000.  The outside of
that door is a magnificent, and much admired, work of art that can easily be
compared to the famous Baptistry doors in Florence, and when I was in Rome a few
days ago I went to look at the inside of the door and much to my ever-loving
surprise discovered that it is walled-up in the inside as well, in cement!
The Santiago Holy door has now new doors sculpted in bronze which are a
masterpiece of modern art.  Unfortunately, because of the crowds, I couldn't really
take a good picture of them.
Joseph Campbell mentioned in one of his "Myths" programs that the word
"religion" comes from two Greek words that mean "linking back"; there must have been
a more cogent reason for walling up the Holy doors in medieval times, but it
seems that the present rites are simply religiously "linking back".
Lastly, two of the five pilgrims participating on the ceremonies that day
were from Australia; as they passed in front of me tears were rolling down their
ruddy cheeks and they seemed to be in touch with time itself.
Regards,
Rosina (now home in snowed-in New York... not particularly happy to be back.
..... You know, there was a lot of wisdom in travelling by ship rather that
flying. Perhaps a week or two in the high seas might give one a fair opportunity
 to readjust)
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