On the Symbolism of Holy Doors - Anna Harrison

Another reading for my term paper, Dom Hammenstede's "On the Symbolism of Holy Doors" explores the different ideas doors can convey from a religious point of view. He discusses holy doors in Rome and the Catholic Church as a whole. Porta Sancta, or Holy Doors, were found in basilicas in Rome and were opened by the pope when the city was at peace. Those who passed through them were thought to be cleansed. In the Catholic Church, doors symbolize the need to enter the church in order to be saved. Doorways offer transition, in baptism or otherwise, from one stage of life to another. I thought this was an interesting way to think about doors. The idea that passing through a door represents gateways through life is cool to me. Hammenstede gives some examples, including walking through a door into a new profession. On the other side of a door in a new room that can be a new beginning to explore.

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