I avisa Dagen kunne vi nylig lese:
Pave Frans gikk ut for å be om at koronaviruspandemien må ta slutt, …han … gikk først til basilikaen Santa Maria Maggiore, som han ofte tidligere har besøkt for å be takkebønn når han vender tilbake fra utenlandsreiser.
Deretter gikk turen til Piazza Venezia, hvor han spaserte en kort tur langs handlegaten Via del Corso før han stakk innom ei kirke som de fleste turister går forbi, San Marcello al Corso.
– Med sin bønn har den hellige far påkalt slutten på pandemien som rammer Italia og verden, tryglet om at de mange syke blir helbredet, og også mintes de mange ofrene og bedt om at deres familier og venner finner trøst og støtte, sier Vatikanet i en pressemelding søndag kveld.
I en artikkel som egentlig handlet om noe annet, leste jeg også: «the church of San Marcello al Corso, where a miraculous crucifix is housed. In 1522 it was carried in procession throughout the neighborhoods of the city so that the ‘Great Plague’ might cease in Rome.”
Etter hvert fant jeg også ut mer om dette krusifikset, bl.a. HER:
The church of San Marcello al Corso hosts a wonderful, dark wooden crucifix by the fourteenth century Sienese school. … A miraculous episode dates back to the time of the great plague of 1522. The plague struck Rome so violently as to cause concern that the city remained without inhabitants. Mindful of the miracle of the fire, the friars of the order of the “Servants of Mary” decided to take the crucifix in penitential procession from the church of San Marcello to St. Peter’s Basilica. The authorities, fearing the risk of contagion tried to prevent the religious procession, but the collective despair did not accept the ban and the sculpture of the Savior was carried through the streets of the city and followed by public acclaim. The chronicles of the time say that the procession lasted sixteen days, 4 to 20 August of that year. And that’s because, as they proceeded, the plague receded, so that each district was trying to hold back as long as possible the sacred image. When it returned to San Marcello, the plague had completely ceased and Rome was saved.
Mer informasjon HER (gå ned til «Chapel of the Crucifix»).