Skip to content

St. Paul VI: A Special Exhibition for the 60th Anniversary of His Election

On June 21st, 1963, the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel announced the election of the Petrine successor to Pope St. John XXIII. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini became Pope, taking the name Paul VI.   

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of his election, an exhibition of the personal belongings of Saint Paul VI was set up in the Poli Art Gallery, steps away from Vatican City.   

EWTN Vatican spoke with the director and curator of the exhibition, Ivan Marsura. As founder of the Museum of the Popes, Marsura is also a great enthusiast of the lives of the Popes. He helped EWTN trace the main stages of Montini’s life, explaining the provenance of the exhibition, “The exhibition was inaugurated by Cardinal Mario Grech right at the beginning of the synod. It was organized to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the election of Paul VI and, above all, to reconstruct his entire life through objects and some handwritten writings.”  

The Museum of the Popes is a place dedicated to the preservation and sharing of the history of the Church, offering the faithful the opportunity to approach with devotion and curiosity the personal belongings of the Pontiffs. Marsura brings to life the person of past Popes. “It’s about retrieving all these pieces of every Pope’s life,” he said, “And, of course, making them accessible to visitors. So, I always say it’s a vocation. A vocation to make the history of the Church more known through objects.”   

Strolling through the museum’s display cases, the onlooker can revisit some significant milestones in the life of Saint Paul VI, from his childhood to the first days of his priesthood. “Inside the exhibition are some particular pieces, such as the umbrella with which the mother of the future Paul VI accompanied her children to the shrine of Madonna della Stella,” Our Lady of the Star, in English. Even the altar of his first Mass can be found in the exhibit, along with cassocks and chasubles from various moments of his ministry as Archbishop of Milan and as Pope. “From his pontificate, there are specific items like the hammer and trowel used to open the Holy Door” for the Jubilee Year. And, we find “a chalice with which he celebrated the Christmas night of ’72.”  

The museum is not just a place of preservation but aspires to become a permanent venue contributing to the common good.   

Marsura explained, “We have already organized several exhibitions and themes about the Popes in recent years. We hope that in the near future, this project takes shape, having a permanent location.” Looking forward, the hope is to support charitable works from the revenue of the museum.  

This mission reflects the teachings and ideals that the Church has embraced throughout the centuries: sharing the museum’s resources for beneficial purposes, along with the vocation to channel the legacy of the Popes into a tangible message of hope.  

 

(Adapted by Jacob Stein) 

Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today

Share

Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican

Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter.

More news related to this article

Nigeria’s newest cardinal shares secret behind the highest Mass attendance in the world

After Nigeria was recognized as having the highest Mass attendance in the world, the African nation’s youngest cardinal

Synod 2023: What has Pope Francis Said About Synodality?

The Synod on Synodality is set to launch the first of two assemblies on Oct. 4.

Vatican’s anime-style mascot Luce goes viral on internet with Catholic memes, fan art

The Vatican introduced an anime-style mascot named Luce to represent Catholic pilgrims in the 2025 Jubilee year on Monday, Oct. 28 — and within a week, the character has already become a viral internet sensation.

Pope Francis Calls On Vatican Christmas Concert Artists To Promote Peace, Reconciliation

Pope Francis called on musicians and artists to serve as “angels of peace” during his address to participants of the 2024 Vatican Christmas Concert on Saturday.

7 common myths and facts about the rosary

October is designated by the Catholic Church as the Month of the Rosary, and Oct. 7 is the

Secrecy at the Synod on Synodality: What we Know About Delegates’ Confidentiality Requirements

Synod on Synodality 2023: A Journey in Confidentiality and Listening

LIVE
FROM THE VATICAN

Be present live on EWTN.it