[Gocamino] More on The Holy Door; (Puerta del Perdon)

[Rosina]

Hello you all,

 

The outside entrance to the Holy Door is on Quintana Square where it can be seen through a metal gate which opens only on Holy Years. The elaborate gate was forged and placed on the site in the eighteenth century, but the surrounding façade was installed at the beginning of the seventeenth century. The façade is decorated with 24 statues that came from the stone choir that Maestro Mateo had carved in the twelfth century and that used to be in the center of the Cathedral (a reproduction of the entire choir can today be seen at the Cathedral’s museum); the choir was removed when the huge numbers of pilgrims (that used to sleep inside the Cathedral) required that more space be available for them. The statues are located on each side of the door (12).  At the top there is a statue of Santiago, as a pilgrim, and of his two disciples, Theodosius and Anastasias; these were carved at the end of the seventeenth century.This is why the door is also known as "Puerta de los veintisiete" (door of the twentyseven).

To open the door, a procession, headed by the Archbishop, goes towards the gate, crosses the little atrium and hits the walled-up door with a silver pick-ax three times saying: 1) Aperiri mihi portas Iustitieu (Doors of justice, open for me; 2) Introibo domo, Domine (I will enter your house Lord) and 3) Aperite portas, quod Dominus nobiscum est (Open doors, the Lord is with us).  After the third hit the wall falls (with a tremendous crash), the Archbishop sprinkles the fallen wall pieces with holy water and then he, and all those ion the procession climb over the pieces…….. and that, my friends, is a sight to see.

When I was there on 12/31/03 they had huge TV monitors all over the Cathedral so even those of us who did not have a view of the door could see the whole thing.

After the Archbishop and the dignitaries have entered the church a Te Deum is sung by “contemplative” nuns and monks (those who shun all contact with the world), who come out of their monasteries only for the purpose.

As mentioned in the previous message, many people wait outside for hours and hours to be among the first to go through the door and pick up some of the pieces of the wall lying on the floor.  Some people come from far away just for this purpose.  Presumably those pieces have the power to keep storms away from one’s home, or farm, and to divert lightening.

When I went through the door, hours later, all the pieces were gone. And when I went, again, through the door the next day a couple of guys were selling some.  I got some from them but, of course, they may not be the real thing.

 

The closing of the door, a year later, is something entirely different…. And requires a different message.

 

Hugs!

 

Rosina

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