The 'Unblemished' Oil: A Sicilian Producer's Pure Contribution to the Vatican's Holy Week Ceremonies

It is called 'The Unblemished', the oil that this year is being used in the Vatican for the Pope's Chrism Mass. The blessing of the holy oils belongs to the most ancient tradition of the Church and dates back to the seventh century, referring to the practice of the Bishop of Rome who on Holy Thursday at noon in the Lateran church celebrated the Mass in Coena Domini, during which he consecrated the chrism and blessed the oil for the sick and the oil of exorcism. The oil is an essential element and for the Easter rite of 2024, a Sicilian producer from Ispica was chosen, who structured the research of his production on the concept of product purity, keeping the juice of the freshly squeezed and just harvested olives biologically intact. The large estate from which the Unblemished oil comes is managed by a noble family that has been running this sector for seven generations, always entrusted to the women of the house. Delivering the barrels of oil were the latest scions of the family tree, two girls - Sofia and Elisabetta - very proud of the task completed among the monsignors beyond the Tiber. Both under the gaze of their mother and grandmother, they are already busy on Tiktok dedicating themselves to the family business with videos in which they describe the uses of the oil in cooking. Needless to say, when they grow up, they want to be managers. The oil for the Holy Thursday rite is fundamental and already appears in the Gelasian Sacramentary, from the eighth century. Over the years, the Mass for the blessing of the oils and the consecration of the chrism merged more and more into the cathedral churches with the Holy Thursday Mass, in the annual memory of the Lord's last supper. The blessed oils are then used throughout the year for catechumens, for confirmation, for the anointing of the sick. 'The rite of the blessing of the oils emphasizes the mystery of the Church as a global sacrament of Christ, who sanctifies every reality and life situation. That is why, together with the chrism, the oil of catechumens for those who struggle to overcome the spirit of evil in view of baptismal commitments and the oil of the sick for the sacramental anointing of those who in illness fulfill in themselves what is lacking in the redemptive passion of Christ are also blessed. In this way, from the head it spreads to all the members of the Church and expands into the world the good fragrance of Christ,' explains Father Maurizio Barba, a teacher at Sant'Anselmo and author of several studies on the consecration of oils. The Chrism Mass is normally (except for the last two years due to pandemic restrictions) placed in proximity to the annual celebration of 'Christ dead, buried and risen, as it is from the Paschal mystery, heart and center of the entire history of salvation, that the sacraments and sacramentals that signify and realize the unity of the entire Christian life spring forth.'