URBI ET ORBI
Burgundy: A Pilgrimage through the Soul of Christian Europe
The pilgrimage through Burgundy offered the priests on sabbatical an opportunity to discover Cluny, the “Second Rome,” the heart of medieval Christendom from which the great Cluniac and Cistercian reforms radiated across Europe. It also revealed the enduring strength of a Christian faith that continues to express itself through charity, most visibly in the Hospices de Beaune and their world-famous charity wine auction. Come and discover this remarkable journey.
Accompanied by art historian Liz Lev, the priests on sabbatical followed, like pilgrims of old, the Via Pulchritudinis—the Way of Beauty—encountering God through some of the greatest masterpieces of Romanesque art.
At the Basilica of Saint Mary Magdalene in Vézelay, one of the great pilgrimage destinations of medieval Christendom, alongside Jerusalem, Rome and Santiago de Compostela, where St. Bernard preached the Second Crusade, they admired the magnificent sculpted capitals of the nave and its extraordinary narthex. Their journey then continued to Saint Lazarus Cathedral in Autun, home to Gislebertus' world-renowned Last Judgment tympanum.
Like a return to the very roots of Christian Europe, the pilgrimage then led them to Cluny, the “Second Rome.” At its height, the abbey governed nearly 1,500 monasteries throughout Europe, and Cluny III remained the largest church in Christendom until the rebuilding of Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome.
At Cîteaux, the priests traced the origins of the Cistercian Order before visiting Fontenay Abbey, one of its oldest monasteries, founded under the inspiration of Saint Bernard and still remarkably preserved today.
It is therefore no surprise that such spiritual vitality later gave birth, in the seventeenth century, to devotion to the Sacred Heart at the former Cluniac priory of Paray-le-Monial, following the visions of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
Yet Burgundy bears witness not only to a faith expressed in stone and prayer. It also reveals a faith that becomes charity, yesterday as it does today. Founded nearly six centuries ago to care for the poor and the sick, the Hôtel-Dieu of Beaune gradually assembled an exceptional 60-hectare vineyard. Each year, its finest wines are auctioned during the famous Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction, now recognized as the world's most prestigious charity wine sale. The proceeds help finance the Hospices Civils de Beaune. The highlight of the event, however, remains the auction of the Pièce des Présidents—a traditional Burgundy barrel containing 228 litres (approximately 300 bottles)—sold by candle auction in support of charitable organizations. In 2022, this exceptional barrel was sold for €810,000, benefiting two charities dedicated to helping children.
Following their visit to the Hôtel-Dieu, the priests gathered for a tasting of Burgundy wines, giving thanks for this enduring witness of Christian charity and for the profound moments of fraternity and spiritual renewal they had experienced throughout the pilgrimage under the inspiring guidance of Liz Lev.
A pilgrimage that will undoubtedly remain a true vintage in the memories of the priests of ICTE.