The themes of the Omnes Special on the Holy Year of Compostela The program covers everything from its own meaning, to the tomb of the Apostle as the heart of the cathedral, including the Way of St. James, the restoration of the Portico de la Gloria or the European Roads to Santiago, as well as an extensive interview with the Archbishop of Santiago, Julián Barrio.
The pages are illustrated with numerous photographs and engravings, explained in their respective captions, and contain practical information for pilgrims, so that they can experience the Compostela Holy Year, and the Pilgrim's Prayer. It also incorporates QR to have all the information about the Jubilee and the Way of St. James in the cell phone, and to stamp the pilgrim's credential digitally.
The pages are illustrated with numerous photographs and engravings, explained in their respective captions, and contain practical information for the pilgrim.
In the presentation of the special issue dedicated to the Compostela Holy Year, it is recalled that this year 2021, in which July 25, the feast of St. James the Apostle, coincides with Sunday, is a special Holy Year, for several reasons.
First, because the circumstances in which it is celebrated are marked by the era of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has motivated Pope Francis' gift to extend the Holy Year also to 2022. Secondly, moreover, because the arrival in Santiago this year has for the pilgrim an extraordinary "prize": to see the restoration of the Portico de la Gloria and the beautiful cathedral.
Pope's visit: "Hopefully we can have that grace".
In a interesting interviewThe Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela, Julián Barrio, reviews the current Jubilee with Alfonso Riobó, director of Omnes. He highlights the spiritual graces that await the pilgrim in Compostela, the new splendor of the cathedral after the restoration and takes stock of his time as pastor of the Galician archdiocese..
"The impression conveyed by Don Julián Barrio is one of affection, even if of a reserved nature," writes the editor of Omnes in introducing the conversation. "On this occasion he openly expresses his contentment at the prospects of the Holy Year 2021-2022, in the last phase of his responsibility as archbishop [...]".'I am in God's hands', says the Archbishop of Compostela], and naturally before the possibility of a visit of the Holy Father to Santiago during this Jubilee".
Regarding this possible trip of the Pope to Santiago de Compostela, Monsignor Barrio affirms: "Nothing would please me more than for the Holy Father to come to Compostela as a pilgrim. I hope we can have the grace of Pope Francis' visit. He is invited. And not only on behalf of the Church... It would be a wonderful gift to have his presence and for me, after having had the satisfaction of receiving Benedict XVI, it would be another of those moments to thank the Lord in my life as a bishop".
"Nothing would please me more than for the Holy Father to come to Compostela as a pilgrim. I hope we can have the grace of Pope Francis' visit. He is invited.
Bishop Barrio Barrio. Archbishop Santiago de Compostela
Illustrious signatures
Other illustrious signatures writing in the Special are Elisardo Temperán Villaverde, Chancellor of the Archbishopric of Santiago de Compostela; Ángel María Leyra Faraldo, specialist in the History of the Apostle Santiago; Ramón Yzquierdo Peiró, of the Cathedral Museum of Santiago de Compostela; Diego Rodríguez, from the Barrié Foundation; the Dean of the Cathedral of Santiago, José Fernández Lago; the president of the Pilgrimages Commission of the Cathedral, Segundo Pérez López; the Rector Guardian of the convent of San Francisco and director of the Museum of the Holy Land, Francisco J. Castro Miramontes; the correspondents of Omnes in France, José Luis Domingo; Germany, José M. García Pelegrín, and Sweden, Andrés Bernar; and the priest, journalist and pilgrim to Santiago, Javier Peño Iglesias.
