Pope Leo XIV to Mark 125 Years of Sant’Anselmo Church in Rome| National Catholic Register

Built by Leo XIII but never visited by him, the Aventine Hill church now welcomes his successor for its 125th anniversary.

On Nov. 11, Leo XIV will celebrate Mass at the Church of Sant’Anselmo on the Aventine Hill in Rome, marking the 125th anniversary of its dedication. The event is historic, reconnecting the threads of history, fulfilling a desire of his predecessor, Leo XIII.

Indeed, when the church named after St. Anselm, the famous medieval Benedictine monk, was officially dedicated on Nov. 11, 1900, Leo XIII wanted to participate. The church was entirely the work of the Pope, who also found the funding to build it.

Earlier, Leo XIII had established three Benedictine institutions at the Aventine complex: He reopened the ancient College of Sant’Anselmo, founded the Pontifical Athenaeum of Sant’Anselmo, and created the Benedictine Confederation with its headquarters there.

In 1900, the Church of Sant’Anselmo was completed — from which, among other things, the Ash Wednesday procession to Santa Sabina still sets out today.

This commitment by Leo XIII was part of his specific decision to further involve monastic orders in the Church’s activities. The Pope entrusted the Benedictines, in particular, with the task of ecumenical relations, and he appreciated their work in dialogue with other Christians. He opened up to the Eastern Churches, overcoming the prejudice that had existed until that historical period, and emphasized their historical dignity with the 1894 apostolic letter Orientalium Dignitas. For Leo XIII, the Benedictines played a crucial role in promoting Christian unity.

However, when the construction of the Sant’Anselmo church was completed, Leo XIII was unable to cross Rome to visit it. In 1871, Italian troops had invaded the Papal States, and Leo and his predecessor Pius IX exiled themselves afterward to Castel Sant’Angelo, describing themselves as “prisoners in the Vatican.” Catholics could not participate in the public life of the newly formed Kingdom of Italy, under penalty of excommunication. This was the so-called “Roman Question,” which was resolved only in 1929 with the signing of the Lateran Treaty and the establishment of the current Vatican City State.

Leo XIV, by contrast, will be able to go to Sant’Anselmo. Sources within the Benedictine Confederation have stated that everything is in place for his visit next month.