Saint-Peter cathedral in Rabat, a centerpiece of the capital’s heritage

A crowd of inhabitants of the city of Rabat thronged, on Friday, June 24 and Satur­day, June 25, the Saint Pierre cathe­dral! It was not a question of a reli­gious service but of a monumental artistic installation, installed in the middle of the church, which attracted a very large public, curious to disco­ver this iconic religious building of the capital. The Saint-Peter cathedral thus celebrated its hundredth anni­versary with a mapping show, under the theme of “Weaving a fire”. Fruit of a partnership between the French Institute of Rabat and the bishopric of Rabat, the luminous work was de­signed by a young Moroccan group of artists who are graduates of the Labdigital (creative space for people carrying out multimedia projects), and the architectural agency Method, to translate this notion of solidarity or how to weave the bonds through the fire that brings people together. Artists Zineb Sekkat, Youssef Chajai, and Mouad Laalou have chosen fire as the theme for this performance. “Fire is the most primitive form that brought humans together, its warmth made humans gather around this im­material form”, explains the group of artists, who wanted to place the facility at the heart of the church and not on the facade like a classic map­ping. “ We found it more interesting to invite the public to invest and dis­cover this place, because we often have the idea that this cathedral is a forbidden place, which does not belong to us as Muslims. However, this building is as much a part of our heritage as any other”, underline the three artists. The lighting instal­lation was thought as a celebration of the past and future evolution of the monument with the city and the communities that coexist there, offering a visual experience derived from representations of fire such as flames, ashes, smoke, heat, and lights. On November 20, Cardinal Cristobal Lopez Romero, Archbi­shop of Rabat, celebrated a mass, officially launching the jubilee mar­king the centenary of the building.

In a “letter to the People of God” published on October 31, the arch­bishop explained the meaning of this anniversary, thanking above all those, mainly Franciscans, who built this church. “ To build commu­nion among all from our abundant diversities, and to live in communion with each other: here is a beautiful goal for this centenary ”, had writ­ten the cardinal. Because the Saint- Peter Cathedral has become a place of communion par excellence, over time. A place of welcome for many migrants, as during lockdown pe­riods when many meals were served there for these vulnerable people. Several activities were scheduled during this jubilee, such as choirs, conferences, and other activities which were scheduled to end on June 29, day when people celebrate St. Peter and St. Paul.  

For the record…

The Rabat cathedral entered the homes of Moroccans, as well as the homes of the faithful around the world, on March 31, 2019, during the meeting of Pope Francis with priests, religious and consecra­ted persons present in Morocco. A moving and joyful meeting entirely filmed by the national television of the Kingdom as well as several international TV stations. A mixture of art deco and Islamic influence, the building’s white facade, with its two turrets and sharp edges, is now an integral part of the capital’s land­scape. The building is the work of architect Adrien Laforgue, brother of poet Jules Laforgue, to whom we also owe the Post Office and the beautiful Rabat-Ville train station, as well as the former Palace of Justice which now houses the Parliament. The cathedral is part of an architectu-ral tradition that is specific to the city of Rabat, a fruitful dialogue between the Arab-Muslim tradition and Wes-tern modernism. The building was not yet fully completed on Novem-ber 17, 1921 when it was inaugura-ted by French marshal Hubert Lyau-tey. It was only two years later that Pope Pius XI created the Apostolic Vicariate of Rabat, and the church officially became the city’s cathedral in 1955, when the diocese was crea-ted.

Amine BOUSHABA