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For those of us who livein Romethe lengthy preparations which were a feature of life in theChurch and especially in the city were years of inconvenience as wewatched public works move painfully ahead and read the journalists’pessimistic forecasts of what would or would not be ready in time. Itmust be said that the pessimism was largely unfounded. The public workswere for the most part completed: extensions and renovations of theMetro donethe Janiculum car park completedtunnels and pedestrianareas laid outbuildings cleaned or painted. The city looks good.
As for the ceremoniesthere was no major obstruction to traffic caused by the vast crowdswhich have filed into and out of St. Peter’s Squareas many fearedthere would be. This was due to the massivebut discreetpolice andcarabinieri presence which was obvious on the great occasions. Therewashoweveranother presence which was equally both discreet and obvious:the Volunteers for the Jubilee. Their blue apron uniforms and baseballcaps were to be seen every day in St. Peter’s Square and in allthe major Basilicasat the Catacombsat Rome’s airportin thecentral railway stationin the parking areas for pilgrim coaches onthe periphery of the cityin the feeding centers for the poor and indeedin any of the places where pilgrims were liable to be present in greaternumbers.
Who were these Volunteers?Many months before the Holy Yearthe central Committee for the Jubileedecided to recruit people from all over the various dioceses to do atour of duty helping the smooth running of the event in Rome. The recruitingcampaigncarried on throughout the worldresulted in sixty-thousandpeople of all ages from eighteen upwards offering to devote at leastfourteen days in the course of the year to this service. A preparationcourse was developed and adapted to the needs and circumstances of thevolunteers. They came from all over Europefrom the USAfrom Canadafrom Central and South Americafrom the Philippines. Although theyhad special travel rates wherever possiblethey did have to pay theirown fares to reach Rome. While herehoweverif they needed basic accommodationit was availableusually dormitory or sleeping bagand meals whilethey were on duty. The Italian public authorities were most accommodatingin this respectputting military facilities at the disposal of theJubilee Committee. Other institutions too did their part: religioushouses and parishes in particular.
More out of curiositythan out of any spirit of self sacrificeI offered my services as aJubilee Volunteer. That was in the autumn of 1999. I completed the applicationformhad my superior sign itenclosed two passport photos and mailedthe envelope to the central Jubilee office. In Decembera night schoolcrash course was offeredlasting one week. We were given a run downon the meaning of the Jubilee and its historyon this particular Jubilee2000on the approach to be used by Volunteers when meeting the needsof pilgrimswhether lost“pickpocketed”frustratedsickcurious or thirsty. We were to operate mainly alongside the forces oflaw and order but never to take over their duties. We were to be availableon the days assigned to us and at the places designated and ready todo whatever had to be done for the smooth operation of the Jubilee.That summed up the job deion of the Jubilee Volunteer.
A permanent corps of aboutthirty young menwho were substituting this work for otherwise obligatorymilitary service in Italyran the various key points in the city wherethe Volunteers met or got in touch. Their job was to meet the groupsof Volunteers and accompany them to their places of workexplainingwhat had to be done and supervising the doing of it. On the eve of eachwork day the individual volunteer telephoned the central office to findout where he or she had been assigned the following day and whetherfor the morning or the eveningthe tour of duty normally lasting sixto eight hours.
On May 17I was assignedto St. Peter’s Square from two o’clock to eight in the evening.For the duration of the Jubilee Yearthe Square had become an immenseamphitheatredivided into six corrals and furnished with thirty-fivethousand plastic and steel chairs laid out in rows. Between the corralsthere were wide corridors through which the Pope was driven in his “popemobile”at the end of each ceremony or audience so that people could get a closerlook at him and he could respond to their greetings. Naturallytherows of chairs become disordered after each event. Our group of Volunteerson that Wednesday afternoonwas assigned to realign them under a blazingRoman sun. The following day would be the special Jubilee celebrationsfor priests.
On Thursday morning wereported for duty at 6.30. The crowds would soon begin to assemble butfor the time beingall was quiet. Security demands thatwhenever thePope is present for a ceremonyanyone entering the Square has to passthrough the metal detectorairport style. Twenty-four metal detectorgates and baggage scanners had been installed around St. Peter’sSquare. Each one had a policeman who sat at the screen of the luggagescannera carabiniere who stood inside the gate to check the personof anyone who caused the alarm bells to ring as he or she passed throughand two Jubilee Volunteers who tried to marshal the advancing crowdsas they approached the gate.
By eight o’clockthe rush had started. There wereof coursesix thousand priests fromall over the worldeach with his vestment bag since all were aboutto concelebrate with the Popemany with photographic equipment andsome with cellular phones. There were parish and diocesan pilgrim groupsfrom many parts of Italyhere for the day to pass through the HolyDoor of St. Peter’s and make their pilgrimage. For the presentat leasttheir holy door would be the metal detector gate. There werepilgrims from abroad as wellwho just happened to be in Rome for thisone of the great Jubilee Year events. It soon became obvious that certainproperties were the regular cause of the alarm ringing in the metaldetector gate: clusters of keysphotographic equipmentelaborate metalbracelets or wrist watches and cellular phones. The Volunteer discoveredthat a sign language had to be developed to indicate the possible presenceof these objects in the pilgrims’ pockets.
Suddenlyout of nowherea gaggle of twelve-year-old schoolboys appearedaccompanied by theirteachers. They werefor all the worldlike a flock of rabbits in theirgrey pullover uniformsall trying to get through the gate at once.The alarm was ringing continuously. The carabiniere was overwhelmed.He stopped the lot. Every boy had a cellular phone in his pocketjustso that mummy could keep in touch. Gradually the crowd thinned and therush became a trickle. It was at this point that Sister Sapientia appeareddressed in the full traditional habit of her religious familynot muchvisible but a circle of facial features. She had a large-size purseand was quite surprised that even she had to submit her luggage to themercies of the baggage scanner while she herself walked modestly throughthe gate. The policeman on the scanner screen became agitated. Thatpurse had to be examined. He went meticulously through its contentsand eventually came up with a sizeable scissors. This was the offendingobject. Scissorsof any dimensionsare on the forbidden list and Sisterhad to abandon them to be collected later as she left the ceremony.
As the ceremony nearedits conclusionMauriziothe current team leaderappeared on the sceneagainto marshal the Volunteers and take us up to the main doorwayof the basilica where the altarthe choirs and the prelates had been.Everything had to be cleared away so that the approach to the Holy Doorwould be free for the afternoon.
On Saturdayduty calledto Rome’s airport. There it was a matter of being present as pilgrimsand others exited from customs. Many were intrigued by these blue apronedbaseball capped and otherwise nonde individuals standing at thegates. There were questions to be answered: how to get to the citywhere to get a regular taxiwhat was a Jubileewhat was the purposeof a Jubilee Volunteer.
Assignment for the 20thof May was different. This time the venue was the dining facility forthe poor set up by the Sant’Egidio community in the Trasteverearea. At 3.30 in the afternoon the Jubilee troops assembleddressedin their blue aprons and ready for instructions. In two large roomstables were laid and ready. Each Volunteer was allotted one or two tablesof four to six places each. By 4.30 the hungry had begun to gather.They know that on three evenings each week they are sure of a good meal:pasta or soupmeat and vegetablesfruit. They are the poor: the oldand beardedthe younger ones toothe ragged and the fairly well dressedmen and womenboys and girls. A few are native to the area but mostare foreignerscome from far off countries to the “land of promise”to look for a better lifeand so far unsuccessful in their search.Our instructions are to be firm but respectful. We are not there tohand out almsonly foodand to do so as if to a clientele in a restaurant.The big difference isthe waiter does not have to prepare a bill atthe end.
Harold is a an old timer.His immense salt-and-pepper beard give him an air of venerability andin spite of the May eveninghe is dressed in heavy tweed jacket andpullover. He tends to get noisy at times and bangs the table with hisopen hands. What he needs is attention and some of the permanent staffsit at table with him to keep him company. A younger customer with anunusual headdress wants to know if the sausages are pork. I assure himthat they are veal but he is not convinced and proclaims that if theyare pork I shall be responsible for his eternal damnation. One or othertries to find a way of getting a second helpingbut there is only oneroundexcept for bread which is plentiful. Some wrap a couple of slicesin paper and put it away for tomorrow. Most of the clientele remainonly long enough to eat their meal. They are gone and their places aretaken by another round of customers. By nine o’clock about onethousand two hundred meals have been served. Everybody is sweaty andtired and ready to go home and to bed.
Sunday’s assignmentwas to help sort out a small mountain of used clothing donated for thepoor. Summer wear or Winter wearmen’swomen’s or children’s:it was all sortedpacked and labeled according to categoryready forshipment to distribution centers in Romein Ethiopiain Rwanda orwherever.
Another day’s assignmentwas in the Basilica of St. Mary Major: controlling the flow of pilgrimsanswering questionsensuring some form of order as priests and theirpilgrims celebrated their Jubilee Mass. Thenon the eve of PentecostJohn Paul II presided the vigil Mass in St. Peter’s Square. Againthe metal detectors had to be manned (or personed) and when the ceremonyended the blue-uniformed volunteers formed a line at the top of thebasilica stepstogether with the Vatican security personneland gentlybut firmly worked the crowd down towards the barriers and home for thenight. As a sliver of moon peered down from the Rome sky the chairslooked lonely and disheveled. Tomorrow another team of Jubilee Volunteerswould have to rearrange them. | 
