A Historic Basilica Awaits Pilgrims

There is a special place on the map of Rome that awaits millions of pilgrims in the upcoming Holy Year 2025. The ancient Basilica of St. Bartholomew on the Island, constructed over 1,000 years ago by Emperor Otto III, holds a significant place in history and devotion.

Massimiliano Signifredi of the Community of Sant’Egidio explained, “The basilica preserves the symbols of martyrdom of Christians from various eras, starting with St. Bartholomew, one of the Apostles, and the martyrs of the early Christian community. It also holds the relics of Saint Albert, a martyr crucial to the history of Europe, known for evangelizing Prussia, Poland, and Eastern Europe.”

Here, we can find not solely traces of martyrs from centuries ago.

Signifredi continued, “We must thank John Paul II, who recognized that the Church of the twentieth century was a Church of martyrs. Reflecting on his own experiences in Poland during World War II and the suffering endured by many of his fellow seminarians, he was deeply aware of the nation's sacrifices. He also contemplated the horrors of communism and the suffering of countless Christians in Russia and other regions of Europe subjugated by the Soviet Union.”

A Shrine for Contemporary Martyrs

It was thanks to the Polish Pope, on the occasion of the Great Jubilee of 2000, that the Basilica of Saint Bartholomew — under the care of the Sant'Egidio community since 1993 — became a Shrine to the New Martyrs of the 20th and 21st centuries.

“As the year 2000 approached, celebrated with great attention and solemnity by John Paul II, a special commission was established at the Basilica to collect and study the testimonies of contemporary martyrs,” said Signifredi.

Soon, more than 13,000 dossiers arrived, documenting Christians of all denominations who gave their lives for their fidelity to the Gospel in the 20th century.

Their memory, Pope John Paul II said during the great prayer for the martyrs at the Colosseum on May 7, 2000, must not be lost; instead, it must be preserved in a documented way.

Inside the church, five lateral chapels were established to house the relics and testimonies of our contemporary martyrs.

Don Angelo Romano is the Rector of the Basilica of Saint Bartholomew. He explained, “Over the past 22 years, we have received more than 100 relics and mementos from around the world. These came from episcopal conferences, male and female religious congregations, legal associations, Orthodox patriarchates, Evangelical churches, and more. Pilgrims brought these often small but precious items, as they were mementos of contemporary Christian martyrs. As a result, the space in the church quickly filled up.”

Now, the testimonies of contemporary martyrs who died for their faith are preserved in a special memorial, inaugurated in 2023, in the crypt of the ancient basilica.

Preserving the Memory of Martyrs

Don Angelo continued to explain, “Starting in 2005, we began an extensive process of excavations, as this area previously served as a sort of garage. These archaeological efforts uncovered the original structures of the Ottonian basilica. Gradually, based on various studies conducted by architects and archaeologists, we developed the design for this memorial.”

The memorial, designed as a path of faith, aims to educate visitors about the stories of modern martyrs. It is divided into various thematic and geographic rooms.

“In each room there is also a video with short explanations of each of the martyrs and there is a short history of each martyr written alongside the relics and the memorials,” noted Don Angelo.

This memorial is not intended to be a museum but rather a pilgrimage following in the footsteps of martyrs, including very recent ones from places like Iraq and Syria who were killed during the period of the Islamic State.

Signifredi noted, “Bishop Rachid Gunny, a spiritual leader, endeavored to sustain the small Christian community in Iraq during very challenging times. Additionally, there is a little dove, the only remaining object from the Armenian cathedral in Aleppo, which was bombed during the war in Syria.”

Alongside the suffering of Christians, there is the suffering of places where Christians have lived for centuries, sometimes for two millennia, like in Syria. These are places they have had to leave due to persecution.

There is also a special place within the basilica where we can immerse ourselves in prayer, in union with the many Christians who have died for their faith.

“We have also preserved a small prayer space at the original site of the shrine, where the relics of Bartholomew and Albert were conserved in the year 1000,” Don Angelo highlighted.

The Jubilee of 2025, known as the Jubilee of Hope, finds a fitting venue in this beautiful basilica.

“Martyrs convey hope because they believe that reality is not solely dominated by force, violence, and money, but that spiritual values hold great importance,” Signifredi remarked.

Adapted by Jacob Stein