An Audience with the Pope

Simply put, I was on a mission. I found myself cutting lines, being pushed through folks, and standing for endless minutes in the heat of the morning sun, packed like a sardine.

 Miraculously, at 10:20am, I entered the hall. Trust that a lot of other people with blue cards had no choice but to watch the proceedings on large television screens outside.

Well, I was in the back of the room, close enough to see a speck of white walk across the stage to a booming ovation. I suppose that was His Holiness. The Pope addressed the crowd in eight languages then concluded the service with a Pontifical blessing of all religious items. I had brought rosaries that I bought in the Vatican gift shop. The Through Eternity tour guide the day before had said all items in the gift shop were already blessed by the Pope but I find that hard to believe because Papal blessings should not be for sale.

During the introduction of the different groups from around the world that were present, songs were sung. Most groups sang something religious, limited to 30 seconds or so. The Americans of course just had to sing God Bless America!

Afterwards, I had to line up again to enter St. Peter’s Basilica. It only took about 10 minutes and the cathedral wasn’t very crowded.

Michelangelo’s famous marble sculpture, the Pieta is here, protected by glass ever since a deranged man damaged it in 1972. There is a replica at the Vatican museums as well.

The Baldacchino was done by Bernini in 1624. Much of the bronze was borrowed from the Pantheon. Only the Pope or his designate may celebrate Mass under this canopy.

 

There is a 13th century bronze statue of Saint Peter preaching and holding the keys to the kingdom of heaven. For centuries, pilgrims have touched, rubbed, and kissed his right foot for him to be merciful and open the gates of heaven for them when they die. The right foot is well worn. I saw people kiss the statue all over.

St. Peter’s Basilica also has magnificent art on the ceilings and inside the domes.

There is a statue of St. Helena holding the True Cross. St. Helena was the mother of Constantine, first Christian emperor of Rome. Legend has it that some time in the 300s AD, she was evangelizing in Jerusalem and came upon the three crosses. Through a miracle she was able to distinguish the True Cross (the one Jesus was crucified on) from the other two (the ones used for the thieves on either side of Him). A fragment of this cross is now housed at St. Peter’s Basilica.

The other relics at St. Peter’s Basilica are the spear that pierced the side of Jesus, St. Veronica’s veil with the image of Jesus’ face, and St. Andrew’s cross. There are three other statues in the Basilica. St. Longinus with the spear, St. Andrew (St. Peter’s brother), and St. Veronica.

Below is Bernini’s last work, finished in 1678. It portrays Pope Alexander VII siting among the figures of Justice, Truth, Charity and Prudence.

The Porta Santa (Holy Door) is opened only during Holy Years.

Beneath the basilica is a grotto where a lot of the Popes are buried. The grave of Pope John Paul II is here. There was a lot of traffic around his grave. People stopping to pray or leave flowers. It is heavily guarded to prevent people from taking pictures and to control the traffic. You could take pictures of the other graves though, so I’m not sure what the restriction is about. Maybe it’s still too early? Either which way, I did find this postcard of Pope Benedict praying at the grave of Pope John Paul II.

From the Basilica I walked over to Castel Sant’ Angelo stopping only for what had become my daily lunch – gelato! This fortress begun life as a mausoleum for Emperior Hadrian (AD 139), but it has over time served as a prison and as a residence for the Popes in times of unrest. There is a Vatican Corridor built in 1277 leading from the Vatican Palace to the castle. I didn’t give the castle the attention it required, however, I did find my way to the top for a wonderful panoramic view of Rome.

The gigantic bronze statue of Archangel Michael on top commemorates the vision of Pope/Saint Gregory the Great who when leading a procession to end the plague saw an angel on top of the castle sheathing his sword thus indicating the end of the Great Plague.

I was intent on making it to see a few churches before they closed. The oddest thing about sight-seeing in Rome are that most of the churches are closed between noon and 3pm or 4pm. And then when they are opened in the morning or in the late afternoon/early evening, you risk interrupting a Mass.

Close to Piazza Barberini, below the Church of Santa Maria della Concezione, there is the Capuchin crypt. Here, the bones of over 4,000 Capuchin monks are decorated on the walls of five small chapels, done over the course of 100 years beginning in the late 17th century. A story goes that soil from Jerusalem had been brought here, so when the monks died they wanted to be buried right there but they eventually run out of space and this was the solution.

Whether that’s true or not the crypt was fascinating. Some of the bones are just stacked against the wall, but most are arranged to form religious symbols. Some complete skeletons are dressed up in robes. At the end, there is a sign in Latin that reads What you are, we used to be. What we are, you will be. Shudder, right?! Donation is EXPECTED not just suggested to gain access to the crypt. You are not allowed to take photos, but they did have postcards available for each chapel so I bought a couple.

Afterwards, I visited Santa Maria della Vittoria to see The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa sculptured by Bernini in 1646.

I saw in his hand a long spear of gold, and at the iron’s point there
seemed to be a little fire. He appeared to me to be thrusting it at times into
my heart, and to pierce my very entrails; when he drew it out, he seemed to draw
them out also, and to leave me all on fire with a great love of God. The pain
was so great, that it made me moan; and yet so surpassing was the sweetness of
this excessive pain, that I could not wish to be rid of it. The soul is
satisfied now with nothing less than God. The pain is not bodily, but spiritual;
though the body has its share in it. It is a caressing of love so sweet which
now takes place between the soul and God, that I pray God of His goodness to
make him experience it who may think that I am lying.
Part 17, Chapter 24, The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus

I can’t help but think of the scene in When Harry met Sally where the older woman customer in the deli is heard saying to the waiter I’ll have what she is having.

The Portico d’Ottavia is an ancient structure in the middle of the Ghetto that was built by Emperor Augustus around 27 BC. It was used as fish market from medieval times up to the 19th century.