Candor Lucis aeternae : Apostolic Letter on the Seventh Centenary of the Death of Dante Alighieri

In this apostolic letter Pope Francis celebrates the seventh centenary of the death of Dante Alighieri, the poet who "knew how to express, with the beauty of poetry, the depth of the mystery of God and love" (Introduction) in the universal work that is the Divine Comedy. Other Popes have already spoken of Dante, of his artistic genius and of his profound faith. In fact, Dante presents his journey from hell to purgatory and paradise as a path of rebirth and conversion. He is thus "the messenger of a new existence, the prophet of a new humanity yearning for peace and happiness" (3).