Overview

Within the walls of the Monastery of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, in the heart of Rome, a centuries-old tradition is renewed every year: in January, two newborn lambs, after being adorned and blessed, are entrusted to the care of one of the cloistered nuns. The woman cares for them with the tenderness of a mother, looking after them and feeding them. The presence of the animals has a specific purpose: with their wool, the nuns weave the pallium that the Pope wears on June 29, the solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. In the Holy Year 2025, while the ritual is being performed, the Pope suddenly falls ill.