Redemptoris Mater Chapel
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The Redemptoris Mater Chapel (
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
for ''Mother of the Redeemer'') formerly known as Matilde Chapel, is a
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
chapel located on the second floor of the
Apostolic Palace The Apostolic Palace ( la, Palatium Apostolicum; it, Palazzo Apostolico) is the official residence of the pope, the head of the Catholic Church, located in Vatican City. It is also known as the Papal Palace, the Palace of the Vatican and t ...
in
Vatican City Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—' * german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ') * pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—' * pt, Cidade do Vati ...
. Located just outside the doors of the
papal apartments The papal apartments is the non-official designation for the collection of apartments, which are private, state, and religious, that wrap around a courtyard (the Courtyard of Sixtus V, ''Cortile di Sisto V'') on two sides of the third (top) flo ...
, the chapel is notable for its various mosaics similar to early
Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
religious artwork, and is reserved for the exclusive use of the
Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
. The cost of renovation for the chapel itself was a gift from the
College of Cardinals The College of Cardinals, or more formally the Sacred College of Cardinals, is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. its current membership is , of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Cardinals are app ...
to commemorate the 50th anniversary of
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
's sacerdotal ordination in 1996. The current Apostolic Preacher, Capuchin
Friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the ...
Father
Raniero Cantalamessa Raniero Cantalamessa (born 22 July 1934) is an Italian Catholic cardinal and priest in the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin and a theologian. He has served as the Preacher to the Papal Household since 1980, under Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedi ...
often presides over the homilies in the chapel, which was occasionally used by
Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the soverei ...
.


History

The chapel was first called the ''Matilde Chapel'' but was renamed by Pope John Paul II in 1987 for the
Marian Year A Marian year is a designation given by the Catholic Church to calendar years in which Mary the mother of Jesus is to be particularly reverenced and celebrated. Marian years do not follow a set pattern; they may be declared by a bishop for his d ...
. The timing also coincided with the same year when the traditions of the
Eastern Catholic Churches The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also called the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous ('' sui iuris'') particular churches of t ...
became more notable in the Church, as illustrated in the book ''Liturgie dell'Oriente cristiano a Roma nell'Anno Mariano 1987-1988''. The chapel began its renovations in late 1996 and was dedicated by Pope John Paul II on November 14, 1999. Pope John Paul II viewed the chapel as an ecumenical symbol for the various Eastern and Western churches who unite themselves in the papacy. He noted that the chapel has a particular ecumenical value and serves as an important presence of the Eastern tradition in the Vatican. The author of the iconographic program of the chapel mosaics is Professor . The first of the four walls were completed by a
Russian Orthodox Russian Orthodoxy (russian: Русское православие) is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, whose liturgy is or was traditionally conducted in Church Slavonic language. Most ...
artist, Alexander Kornoukhov. Kornuokhov's work consists of a traditional depiction of the Theotokos and the Holy Trinity as often depicted in
Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canonical ...
and
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churches. The other three walls were finished in a more modern design and various biblical scenes, finished by Slovene Jesuit priest
Marko Ivan Rupnik Marko Ivan Rupnik (born 28 November 1954) is a Slovenian Jesuit priest, theologian and mosaic artist. He is the director of the Aletti Center in Rome, and creator of church mosaics throughout the world, including those of the ''Redemptoris Ma ...
. There is also a grand mosaic of the
Blessed Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...
as ''Mother of the Redeemer'' in the front center wall, particularly requested and admired by Pope John Paul II. In 2005, the
Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...
, through the financial assistance of the
Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight. ...
, released a 3D panoramic tour of the chapel on the internet, allowing non-travelling pilgrims to see the chapel from its official Vatican website. The
Redemptoris Mater ''Redemptoris Mater'' (Latin: ''Mother of the Redeemer'') is an encyclical by Pope John Paul II delivered on March 25, 1987 in Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. Subtitled ''On the Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of the Pilgrim Church'', the text ad ...
Chapel also served as inspiration for the chapel of the
Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight. ...
in
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The Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, Carl A. Anderson invited Father Marko Ivan Rupnik, the creator of the original Redemptoris Mater mosaics (who also contributed to the
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes () is a Catholic Marian shrine and pilgrimage site dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes in the town of Lourdes, Hautes-Pyrénées, France. The sanctuary includes several religious buildings and monuments around ...
and Basilica of
San Giovanni Rotondo San Giovanni Rotondo is the name of a town and ''comune'' in the province of Foggia and region of Apulia, in southern Italy. San Giovanni Rotondo was the home of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina from 28 July 1916 until his death on 23 September 1968. Th ...
) to create them for the fraternal organization.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB-rvMSn02s - Video Speech. Eucharistic Congress, Dublin Ireland. June 11, 2012.


See also

* Index of Vatican City-related articles


References


External links

* Ульянов О. Г.br>Римский topos Образа: художники Императорской Академии художеств XVIII–XX вв. и «новая Сикстинская капелла XXI века» (Redemptoris Mater, Ватикан) // Академия художеств в прошлом и настоящем. Международная научная конференция РАХ к 260-летию со дня основания. СПб., 2018. С. 312-321
* Лексина О. И.br>EASTERN AND WESTERN CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS IN THE MARCO RUPNIK'S MOSAICS
{{Coord missing, Italy Chapels in Vatican City