THE CHURCH OF THE SOULS IN PURGATORY

Along the Lungotevere Prati (part of Rome’s riverbank, not far from Vatican City),  and close to the huge Palace of Justice (known as “Il Palazzaccio”), the small church of the Sacro Cuore del Suffragio pops up from nowhere. It is one of the most unusual religious buildings in Rome, architecturally and historically.

Of all the churches standing in Rome today, this is the only one built with a Neo-Gothic facade. There are many similarities with the cathedral in Milan (the Duomo) and the church is nicknamed the “little Duomo of Milan”. In English, the name of the church is the Sacred Heart of Suffrage. Work on the church began in 1894 under the supervision of Giuseppe Gualandi and it was consecrated in 1917.

The person who originally requested the construction of the church was Victor Jouet, a French missionary priest who had founded the Association of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to help the souls of those trapped in Purgatory. Between the current church and the rectory, a small chapel once stood that was destroyed by fire in 1897. When the flames had died down the outline of the head of a man was clearly visible engraved onto the pillar above the altar. Jouet saw this as a sign from a soul in purgatory and started to travel the world looking for similar signs.

The style of the church was influenced in part by Jouet’s passion for Gothic architecture and by the restricted area of land in which the church had to be built. Gothic cathedrals were often constructed with high facades to present a long and narrow appearance.

The white facade is about 20 metres high and is divided into three large rose windows. It is wonderfully decorated with human-size statues. Numerous spires and concrete needles highlight the sensation of verticality, typical of Gothic structures.

The Church of the Sacro Cuore del Suffragio seems to be almost obstructed by the building to its side (the building of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart) and stifled by the busy traffic along the road in front.

The interior seems small when compared to the huge spaces of a large cathedral. However,  the interior offers a clearly Gothic-style and the beautiful rose windows allow sunrays to filter down to the altar, symbolising God illuminating human nature. The floor of the church is made of marble with simple patterns in the three naves, and rich designs in the presbytery.

Various objects gathered from Victor Jouet’s various trips are displayed in the “Purgatory Museum” to the right of the sacristy. On the wall hangs an old reliquary containing different marks left by the souls of the deceased, as they came back to earth during special apparitions. The collection includes fingerprints and burn marks left on books, papers and clothes. All relics are classified and accompanied by a note explaining the origin and story of the piece.

Relic number eight, for example, has five burnt holes clearly visible on an old book, as if someone with a hot hand had touched the paper. This small dark exhibition room is immersed in a mysterious and somehow unpleasant atmosphere. It creates strong thoughts of the evidence of ‘another world’ and raises questions about the existence of an afterlife. 

I would recommend you see for yourselves this church because it is only when you see that you start to believe.

Written by: Robert Coghlan
Photos by: Robert Coghlan