The Basilica of St. Sixtus is named after Pope St. Sixtus II, who reigned from 257 to 258. His relics were brought here from the Catacombs of St. Callixtus in the 6th century. The church also has the honour of being one of the original 25 parishes (4th century) and the oldest monastery (8th century) in Rome. Pope Innocent III rebuilt the church and erected the present bell tower. Pope Honorius III donated this church to St. Dominic in 1219 to become the first monastery of the Dominican nuns, who are still living next to the basilica.
The Cardinal-Priest of this titular church is the Ukrainian Cardinal Marian Jaworski of Lviv, succeeding the great Chinese Cardinal Ignatius Kung, who had been imprisoned for 30 years. The latter was made a cardinal in secret in 1979 while he was still in prison, and the creation was not revealed until 1991.
The basilica is opposite to another titular church: Sts. Nereus and Achilleus, of whom Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the Archbishop emeritus of Washington, is the Cardinal-Priest.
Stational Churches in Rome
No comments:
Post a Comment