JUBILEE OF PRIESTS AND SEMINARIANS: AFFIDATO MEETS LEO XIV
A work commissioned from the Calabrian goldsmith by the Dicastery for the Clergy was presented to the Pope
The International meeting with Pope Leo
XIV for the Jubilee of Priests and Seminarians took place at the Auditorium Conciliazione in Rome. The event represented an important
opportunity for reflection, prayer, and spiritual renewal, offering participants moments of
retreat, reconciliation, and pilgrimage to the Holy Doors. Everything was experienced in an atmosphere of
deep ecclesial fraternity and intense communion. The culminating moment was the meeting
with the Holy Father, centered on the verse from the Gospel of John: “I have called you friends.”
During his speech to the Priests and Seminarians, Pope Leo offered words of
encouragement and hope, emphasizing the importance of priestly fraternity and
evangelical witness in today's world. In this context of great spirituality, a special gift was
presented to the Holy Father: a work by master goldsmith Michele Affidato,
commissioned by the Dicastery for the Clergy to seal the event. The work, made entirely
by hand in silver with gold leaf applications, is inspired by the theme “Christ, light that illuminates the
hope of humanity.” At the center of the bas-relief stands St. Peter's Basilica, with Christ,
inspired by the famous Michelangelesque sculpture of Minerva embracing the cross, placed above
an anchor, symbol of hope. The colonnade of St. Peter's Square depicts the arms of the Church, which
welcomes all humanity. Along with the gift for the Holy Father, a second work was created
for His Eminence Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung Sik, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy. The master
goldsmith, together with his wife, had the honor of presenting the bas-relief to the Holy Father, who
greatly appreciated the work and its meaning. With this latest creation, Michele Affidato
confirms a deep and lasting bond with the Church, the result of an artistic commitment that has
been renewed for years. The one donated on the occasion of the Jubilee is not the last work, but one of many in
a long series of commissions received from various bodies of the Holy See. For the same Pope
Leo XIV, significant creations have already been made while others are in progress.
A unique journey, which testifies not only to the artistic quality of his work, but also to the
deep spiritual harmony with the message of the Church. Affidato and his son Antonio, for years
protagonists in the contemporary sacred art scene, are today considered reference artists.
The presentation of the work to the Pontiff took on an even more symbolic meaning for
the Calabrian artist, defined as “the goldsmith of the Popes” who had the honor of meeting and working for the
last four Pontiffs: St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Pope Francis, and today Pope Leo
XIV. Among the most significant commissions received for the creation of sacred art works are the
new diadems for the Madonna of Czestochowa, Queen of Poland, very dear to St. John
Paul II, made for the 300th anniversary of the first coronation. The commission received from the
Secretariat of State to produce works for Pope Francis inspired by his Pontifical Magisterium,
sculptures destined for Heads of State, Government, Ministers, and religious authorities from all over the world. And
also the prestigious commission given by the CCEE, for the creation of silver bas-reliefs,
symbol of the CCEE Jubilee, depicting the Patron Saints of Europe, for the 50th Anniversary
of the Institution of the Council of European Bishops' Conferences. Works presented to Pope
Francis, to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, to various Cardinals, Bishops, and finally at the Quirinale Palace to the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella. “Participating in this event and
meeting the Holy Father was a moving and unforgettable experience - declared Michele
Affidato - Our works are born from the desire to communicate messages of faith, hope, and
welcome. Values that we feel are deeply ours and that, through art, we wish to
share with others. Putting our creativity at the service of the Church is for us a true
honor.”
