On 8 August 1976, Pope Paul VI arrived in Bolsena, the City of the Eucharistic Miracle, for an apostolic visit deeply connected with the Basilica of Santa Cristina and the religious history of the town.
Bolsena, City of the Eucharistic Miracle
The Sanctuary of Santa Cristina, in addition to being an important place of worship preserving the tomb of the town’s Patron Saint, is known throughout the world for the Eucharistic Miracle that took place in 1263, evidence of which can still be seen today in the bloodstained stones.
The miracle led Pope Urban IV to institute the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, through the papal bull Transiturus of 11 August 1264.
The Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena was also commemorated throughout the centuries in works by celebrated artists, including Raphael and Francesco Trevisani.
Paul VI in Bolsena on 8 August 1976
On 8 August 1976, the helicopter carrying the Holy Father landed at the sports field in the town of Bolsena.
Pope Paul VI was welcomed by Mayor Nello Urbani and the municipal administration, the Bishop of the Diocese of Orvieto Monsignor Decio Lucio Grandoni, the Prefect of Viterbo, the parish priests Monsignor Giacomo Puri and Don Filippo Gentili, and the main local and provincial authorities.
The Pope chose the “City of the Eucharistic Miracle” as the destination of his apostolic journey, fulfilling a promise made in Orvieto in 1964 and considering Bolsena an ideal setting for the conclusion of the 41st International Eucharistic Congress, which was taking place in the United States, in Philadelphia.
Paul VI and the Basilica of Santa Cristina
During his visit to Bolsena, Pope Paul VI celebrated Holy Mass in front of the Church of Santa Cristina, which was later elevated to the status of Basilica because of its historical and religious importance, by decree of the Pope himself.
In the decree, Paul VI recalled the extraordinary importance of the church and its profound connection with the history of Bolsena:
“Among the celebrated monuments of art and religion that can easily be found along the shores of Lake Bolsena, enriching the natural beauty of the area with even greater charm, the Church dedicated to God in honour of St Christina in the town of Bolsena rightly holds a distinguished place. This sanctuary is particularly venerated not only because of the devotion to this holy Virgin and Martyr, but also and above all because of the memory of the renowned Eucharistic Miracle that took place in that very church in 1263.”
Paul VI: Giovanni Battista Montini
Giovanni Battista Montini was born in Concesio, near Brescia, on 26 September 1897. The second son of Giorgio and Giuditta Alghisi, he grew up in a Catholic family deeply engaged in political and social life.
In the autumn of 1916, he entered the seminary in Brescia and four years later was ordained a priest in the cathedral by Bishop Giacinto Gaggia.
After serving as Substitute of the Secretariat of State, he was Archbishop of Milan from 1954 to 1963, a period during which he was deeply committed to pastoral work, paying particular attention to the world of labour, immigration and the suburbs.
He was made a cardinal by Pope John XXIII on 15 December 1958 and took part in the Second Vatican Council, which opened in 1962, openly supporting its reforming direction.
On 21 June 1963, he was elected Pope and chose the name Paul, a clear reference to the apostle and evangeliser. He was the first Pope in centuries to travel outside Italy, and his apostolic journeys took him to all five continents. Evangelisation with respect for different cultures was also at the heart of his important 1975 apostolic exhortation Evangelii nuntiandi.
On 29 September 1963, among the first acts of his pontificate and as a sign of continuity with his predecessor, he decided to reopen the Second Vatican Council.
In 1970, in an unprecedented decision, he proclaimed two women Doctors of the Church: Saint Teresa of Ávila and Saint Catherine of Siena.
The final phase of his pontificate was dramatically marked by the kidnapping and murder of his friend Aldo Moro. In April 1978, Paul VI addressed an appeal to the “men of the Red Brigades”, asking in vain for his release.
Paul VI died on 6 August 1978 in Castel Gandolfo.
On 11 May 1993, the cause for his canonisation was opened in the Diocese of Rome. On 19 October 2014, Paul VI was proclaimed Blessed, and on 14 October 2018 he was canonised by Pope Francis.
