Chapel onboard historic Italian naval ship designated a Jubilee church
Top: Father Mauro Medaglini, the chaplain onboard the “Amerigo Vespucci” – a historic Italian sailing ship – celebrates Mass on the ship’s deck in this undated photo. (CNS photo/courtesy Tour Mondiale Vespucci). Bottom: The “Amerigo Vespucci,” a historic Italian sailing ship dating back to 1931, is pictured near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Oct. 20, 2023. (CNS photo/courtesy Tour Mondiale Vespucci)
By Justin McLellan, CNS – The Italian naval ship “Amerigo Vespucci,” currently completing its global tour, has been designated a Jubilee church for the Holy Year 2025, transforming its onboard chapel into a pilgrimage destination at sea.
The ship, a three-masted sailing ship that dates back to 1931 and is named after the 15th-century Italian explorer for whom “America” is named, has been touring the world as a cultural ambassador for Italy since July 2023.
Archbishop Santo Marcianò of the Military Ordinariate of Italy officially designated the ship’s chapel as a Jubilee church for 2025, according to a Jan. 9 statement from the ship’s press office.
The chapel onboard the “Amerigo Vespucci” will be a Jubilee site “for sacred pilgrimages and for pious visits among its missions at sea,” the statement said.
Catholics can obtain a plenary indulgence by visiting a Jubilee church or other designated sites and participating in prayer, a liturgical celebration or going to confession. Pope Francis has empowered diocesan bishops to designate sacred sites within their dioceses to provide these spiritual benefits during the Jubilee.
During its global journey, the “Amerigo Vespucci” has made significant stops in cities including: Los Angeles; Tokyo; Darwin, Australia; Singapore; Mumbai, India; Doha, Qatar; Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; and is set to conclude its tour in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
“The church that lives among the military also wants to establish signs during the Jubilee Year that express that hope that the church and the world await from God, and which God entrusts to the military world,” said Archbishop Marcianò on the designation. “These certainly include the sacred Jubilee sites, through which our military can attain the spiritual benefits originating from the Jubilee indulgence.”
The archbishop recalled how several Catholic chaplains have always served onboard the ship, “silently but very effectively accompanying the spiritual life of the crew, and they will do so in a special way in this year of the Jubilee of Hope.”
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