Even the Basilica
of St. Anthony in Padua, like other Italian and
foreign shrines, has a little museum dedicated
to popular devotion to the most well-known and
best loved saint in the world.
The uninterrupted centuries-old
continuity of ecumenical and universal devotion,
like that of St. Anthony, ensures that this shrine
is a privileged place to listen to and reflect
upon this type of "fifth Gospel":
the devotion of Christians to their saints and
the many expressions of this devotion..
Humble "objects", that
express pain and hope, faith and the thanks of
millions of pilgrims and devoted people over the
centuries.
These objects bear witness
to the need to recognise the "qualities"
of Saint Anthony through their symbolic attributes
which a long tradition has handed down to us.
These objects thus invite us to meditate and pause.
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