Today is the Memorial of St Agnes, a fourth-century martyr. To mark this, in the Urban VIII Chapel at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV was presented with two lambs on the Memorial of St Agnes of Rome.
In keeping with long-standing custom, the lambs were later blessed at the Basilica of St Agnes Outside the Walls, built over her tomb. The wool from these lambs will be used to make the pallia for newly appointed Metropolitan Archbishops.
The pallium is a liturgical sign of honour and pastoral responsibility worn by the Pope and Metropolitan Archbishops within their own dioceses and ecclesiastical provinces. Made from white wool and marked with six black silk crosses, it symbolises the shepherd’s care for the flock entrusted to him.
References to the blessing of lambs on the feast of St Agnes can be traced back to the sixth century. The practice is linked to an early tradition which recounts that St Agnes appeared to her parents after her martyrdom while they were praying at her tomb, holding a pure lamb as a sign of innocence and faithfulness.
Historically, the offering of lambs was also connected to the relationship between Roman basilicas, with lambs presented to the Pope for blessing. For centuries, the wool was then prepared by Benedictine nuns at the Basilica of St Cecilia in Trastevere, who would shear the lambs during Holy Week and weave the pallia.
While some practical details of the tradition have changed over time, its meaning remains unchanged. It continues to express the bond between the witness of St Agnes, the pastoral ministry of bishops, and the unity of the Church centred on Rome.
