St. Peter's and the Vatican: Behind the Red Ropes

I apologize to everyone for not updating you sooner on what I have been doing for the past week.  My life at the moment has been very busy with exams and projects.  I have three courses fully out of the way and I have only one final and one project left.  I can’t believe that I will on my way back home to the States in nine days!

As you all know, I have been taking a class titled “St. Peter’s and the Vatican: the Papacy and Architecture.”  The class has been a challenging one but a course I will always remember.  The course was taught by a woman who works in the Vatican in the San Ufficio office.  Our professor (or doctoressa which is her official title) is very passionate about the history regarding the Catholic Church and the Basilica. 

Over the entire semester, our class must have had fifteen site visits to the Basilica.  Last week alone, I went to St. Peter’s six times within six days.  Over the semester we have been able to go behind the red ropes to see things that the public doesn’t get to normally see.  We have been able to go behind the bullet proof glass of the Pieta Chapel, walk into the Sacristy and Choir, go into the archives, walk around the dome without the protective fence, go into the pier that houses the relics of the Passion, sit in the Pauline Chapel (the Pope’s personal chapel), watch workers clean the Baldacchino, and walk around the top of St. Peter’s overlooking San Pietro Square.  I am amazed at all that I have been able to see.  I am surprised that the Swiss Guards didn’t know us by name at the end of the semester!  Many of our visits in the basilica happened on Wednesday morning when there was a papal ceremony happening outside.  This meant we had the basilica all to ourselves!  

Bernini's Baldicchino

Bernini's Cathedra Petri Altar

St. Peter's Dome

Looking down at the nave

This past week, I spent most of my time studying for the exam for this class.  I went to the basilica on Saturday for a review session with our professor.  At this time our professor introduced us to Cardinal Angelo Comastri who is the current President of the Fabric of Saint Peter, Archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, and Vicar General for the Vatican City State.  He welcomed each us with a smile and a handshake.  He blessed us and gave each of us a blessed rosary.  Our professor told us that he is the cardinal that many people believe will be the next pope.  It was an honor meeting him and who knows, maybe 20 years down the line I will be able to say I met a pope.  

April 17th was Palm Sunday and our class was lucky enough to be invited to attend the service.  Ten of us went and were expecting to have seats in San Pietro Square.  Once we were met by our professor and walking to our seats did we realize we were on the grand step of the basilica!!  We were sitting in the fourth and fifth row on the Pope’s left.  I had a great view of the altar and of the Pope and cardinals.  

The procession of the youth, priests, cardinals, and the Pope was amazing with each person holding a palm.  The congregation was instead given olive branches which are much more common in Italy than palm leaves are. 

The service was over a couple hours long and was spoken in many different languages.  Most of the service was in Latin and Italian.  One of the liturgical readings was in English though.  I did my best to follow along since the service itself is organized in the same way.  

Waiving of palms and olive branches

Pope Benedict XVI

It was a beautiful day and a stunning service.  Never would I have expected to be that close to the Pope and altar in St. Peter’s.  There were thousands of people lining the streets watching on.  I am so lucky to have been a member of the Vatican course.  

Crowd of 50,000 

We were all told to that we had to follow a strict dress code for Palm Sunday at the Vatican.  We had to dress in black and grey because there was a chance we might be on TV.  I thought it was funny because I felt we were all dressed to attend a funeral.

For Easter, I am planning on attending an Anglican service at one of the two churches I found in Rome that is Protestant.  Although I love St. Peter’s in all of its beauty, I have not converted to Catholicism quite yet.  I have only missed going to church on Easter once in my life, and that was my freshman year at Smith when my coach unknowingly scheduled a lacrosse game the same day.  I don’t want to miss it again (although I would love to play some lacrosse).