A Brick of the Holy Door of St. John Lateran from the Extraordinary Jubilee of 1933

Brick of the Holy Door from the Extraordinary Jubilee of 1933

In 2008 Father Kunst purchased a series of holy year bricks from a Roman citizen selling them on auction. They belonged to the man’s grandmother who had recently died at 104 years of age. The man’s grandfather worked at the Spanish embassy at the Vatican. On one of the bricks is written the notation that it was intended as a gift to his grandfather and his family.

The bricks are from all the major basilicas in Rome.

They include some from the extraordinary Holy Year of 1933, a commemoration of the 2000th anniversary of the crucifixion of Jesus.

A brick of the holy door of St. John Lateran

The inscription on the brick reads

PIO XI
A IVBILAEI MCMXXXIII – XXXIV
CARD MARCHETTI SELVAGGIANI
DN PAPAE VIC GEN
SS LATER CEELESIAE ARCHIPR
APERVIT ET CLAUSIT

Notes

Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani (Roma 1 Ottobre 1872 – 13 Gennaio 1951) was the “ Cardinale Legato” who opened and
closed the holy door. Pope Pio XI elevated him to the rank of cardinal in the consistory of 30 June 1930.