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Here is a link to today’s interview!

https://www.fox9.com/video/1725439

Father Kunst is showing Bishop Bernard Hebda this Holy Year Brick in the featured image above.

Neither 1850 nor 1875 were celebrated as Holy Years due to political strain in the Papal States, so the opening of the Holy Year, 1900, by Pope Leo XIII, was the Holy Year that followed 1825. 

This brick is unique because of the fine presentation case which indicates this particular brick was a gift given by Pope Leo XIII himself.

Though bricks from the Holy Years are not uncommon, such fine presentation cases are.

Note the inside of the case is formed to fit the damaged brick, which indicates this brick is likely among the first few bricks to be removed for the 1900 Holy Year.

Papal Artifacts would like to acknowledge and thank the estate of Jerome F. Vittoria for the generous donation. —–Fr. Richard Kunst

Holy Year Bricks
Father Richard Kunst

The Collection has several Holy Year bricks, including one  from 1775.  Holy Years occur traditionally every 25 years and the Holy Year bricks actually brick up and block the holy doors in the various churches, especially St. Peter’s Basilica and the other basilicas around Rome.

A very unique one because of its age is from the Holy Year of 1775–which is actually 50 years older than the oldest one on display in the Vatican Museum. So that one is a very old example of this ancient tradition of blocking up the Holy Doors with these very ornate bricks.

In the Collection I have a number of these bricks, which are highly prized, ornate bricks that have the image of the tiara and cross-keys, the year, and the initials of the basilica foundry. I have about fifteen of these from the four major basilicas in Rome.

Other information about Holy Year Bricks:

It is impossible to go through the Holy Door in the Holy Year until these bricks are removed. Traditionally, in the early years of this practice, the pope would literally take a hammer and smash through the bricks. There would be a whole crowd of people gathered to grab portions of the bricks, either broken pieces or whole bricks. These would be considered mementos or relics of the Holy Year.

Smashing the bricks became quite dangerous for the pope as well as for the pilgrims. Many people got injured, and some people even died. So the church changed this practice by removing these bricks in advance, before they opened the door. Then they would be distributed to the people who were working at the Vatican.

These bricks are quite prized and very large and ornate with the image of the cross-keys and the tiara as well as the initials of the foundry of St. Peter’s Basilica.