Pact of the Catacombs

Painting of the Good Shepherd at the Catacombs of Domitilla

The Pact of the Catacombs is an agreement signed by 42[1] bishops of the Catholic Church at a meeting following Mass in the Catacombs of Domitilla near Rome on the evening of 16 November 1965, three weeks before the close of the Second Vatican Council. They pledged to live like the poorest of their parishioners and adopt a lifestyle free of attachment to ordinary possessions. The signatories said they "renounce forever the appearance and the substance of wealth, especially in clothing [...] and symbols made of precious metals." More than 500 bishops added their signatures in the next few months.[2]

The catacomb metaphor was intended to draw a connection to early Christian martyrs who lived without worldly power.[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference backto was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Poggioli, Sylvia (26 November 2015). "Pope Francis' Emphasis On Poverty Revives The 'Pact of The Catacombs'". NPR. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference emerges was invoked but never defined (see the help page).