Consistory

I am realizing how difficult it is to blog while in Rome.  Yes, the internet connection is slow, and it is certainly not because of nothing to say!  Rather, it is like trying to tell a child to come in from the playground to do homework.  There is so much to see ... so much to experience and so much to take it that it becomes difficult to leave it and sit at a computer an update a blog.

Yesterday, was the consistory ... the creation of the new cardinals of the church.  We were given tickets to admit us to the Vatican, but warned that in true Roman style over 25,000 tickets were issued for the less than 7000 seats inside St. Peter's.  Several of us walked down to St. Peter's Square, but opted to stay outside in the sun and watch the proceedings on the jumbotrons set up.  (We found  out later that we really did have the best seats in the house; men from the house got into St. Peter's and saw nothing!)

The ceremony is brief: after the arrival of the Holy Father and an opening prayer and scripture, each of the new cardinals approach him and receive the new baretta, ring and scroll.  There local Roman church is also announced following the tradition that now the cardinals are priests of the Diocese of Rome and therefore need a 'home' church.

The unique thing is that the Square really was an extension of the church ... quiet, prayerful and applause when a particular cardinal was introduced.

Following the ceremony, the North American College (our home here) held a reception for Cardinal Dolan and Cardinal O'Brien (each former rectors of the NAC.)  Thousands of people attended.  We had a chance to see each of the newly created cardinals, but the lines to greet them went on forever.

Then, according to custom, the papal palace is open to the public and folks are welcome to greet them.  To be honest, most of us went to see the rooms of the palace that are not usually open to the public.  Again, hundreds of folks filled the hallways and rooms.  All in all, a unique and special experience.

A quiet dinner ended the day.

Barcelona

Having had enough of the snow and cold, I took advantage of the inexpensive airfares and hotels to visit Barcelona, along with some of the others here at the PNAC.

It is a wonderful city, easy to get around, clean, neat and very friendly.  Our hotel was in the heart of things, and after a half day bus tour, we discovered many places at which we wanted to spend more time...too many places and too much time.

One major attraction was the Sagarda Familia. La Sagrada Família was begun on 19 March 1882 from a project by the diocesan architect Francisco de Paula del Villar (1828-1901). At the end of 1883 Antoni Gaudí was commissioned to carry on the works, a task which he did not abandon until his death in 1926. Since then different architects have continued the work after his original idea.

The building is in the centre of Barcelona, and over the years it has become one of the most universal signs of identity of the city and the country. It is visited by millions of people every year and many more study its architectural and religious content.

I am not sure how to begin to describe the church, its artwork or its symbolism. I hope the pictures help.  If you visit the website, you can see some profession pictures of this artistic wonder.



 



2000+ Years in a few hours

On Friday, February 10, our schedule included a tour of the Vatican Museums. We met our guide, Liz Lev at the main entrance of the Vatican Museums (Plural, because there about a dozen museums at the Vatican.) I have visited these museums on several occasions but I have never experienced them like I did today.

Our tour guide with the Dome of St. Peter's in the back.

Liz introduced our tour by saying that not only is this one of the premier collections of human genius in the world, but that the various museums and their exhibits are arranged so that the message of the gospel becomes evident. After going through the security, obtaining group tickets and the closed circuit headsets so that Liz could address our group privately, we gathered on a terrace with one of the most striking views of the dome of St. Peter's.

The dome is visible rising out of the gardens. It is one of the few places where the entire dome is visible, including the drum, that cylindrical portion below the actual curved dome which is hidden from view in St. Peter's square because of the extension forward of the nave by 200%. For Michelangelo who always thought in terms of the human form, even in architecture, saw his dome as the head rising above the shoulders of the basilica. In the basilica are the statues of the saints, depictions of the human elements of the church, and burial vaults of all those awaiting the resurrection. In the dome are the angels, the blue sky, and the light radiating down to enlighten the world in its quest to reach that eternal life promised by the God incarnate.

 The series of museums are arranged for one purpose: to get us into the summit of all Christian Art; the Sistine Chapel. And so we begin with pagan pre-Christian art. People have asked why would the church preserve art from a culture that was trying to eradicate the faith. As the curator of the Ancient Christian Museum told us as he happened to walk by, (Liz snagged him. It was a real treat.) The church wants us to see what it was that we triumphed over. And so above, in the Pre-Christian Museum, these are mosaics of the floor taken from the baths of Caracala. These ruins show a huge complex of baths with both hot and cold running water and pools where wealthy Romans wold go every day. It was for bathing, exercise, gymnastics, everything was designed to glorify the human body alone as the summit of creation. Human perfection was achievable by the perfection of the body. So these figures are super muscular, super human. The goal was to achieve the perfection of the gods. Humans who looked like the ideal of the gods was the achievements of life.

Liz began by explaining to us what this art would have meant to the ancient people through modern times. This art and these images would have had an impact on them not unlike the impact of television, cinema, and now the internet has in our culture. Art was information, education, political propaganda, news, and it defined social structures and order. It was not exclusive, because most of it was public. It was on display in public buildings and open spaces, on facades of buildings. There were private collections, but for the most part, art was accessible to the average person who would have been moved, excited, terrified, warned, and would have learned religion, culture, and stories of one's world. It is difficult for us to comprehend how much impact a single piece of art would have because we are inundated with images and media every day. We take it for granted. But a new work of art could take decades and people would wait expectantly for an unveiling, and if it was good art, it would move them and change them. A single work of art could change the course of history. This was the nature of Christian art particularly. For greats like Michelangelo, it was all about telling a story of faith.

After visiting the pre-Christian Museum, we get a chance to visit the early Christian Museum. The earliest Christian art is mostly in the catacombs, wall frescoes, burial plaques, and especially the sarcophagi. These relics tell us that there were very wealthy early Christians buried alongside the poor who did not have the elaborate tombs. The first Christian art was in the form of symbols - fish, ship, lamp, the acronym in Greek spelling the Name of Christ. These symbols told stories. But later the carvings in the catacombs and the sarcophagi tell the complete story of salvation. This is the pat of the tour that was totally new for me. It was curious that there was no evidence of a cross on any of the examples of early Christian art. The early Christians were horrified by this instrument of torture and death. Again it was not until the persecutions ended and Christianity decriminalized that the cross began to take on a new meaning for the church. Then, Christian art would begin to evolve. We need to remember that until 321AD when it was still a capital offense to be a Christian, most Christian art was funerary. After the legalization of Christianity, the art begins to change dramatically to include images of salvation which were huge by comparison. Now Christian art could be displayed publicly and the scale begins to grow dramatically.

Art work on tomb

You have to read the two levels simultaneously. It is the entire story of salvation. In the upper left hand is the depiction of the Trinity. (and remember, this is 220 years before the council of the church which defined the Trinity in our creed.) The three figures to the upper left are the Spirit, Father, and Son. The Son's hands are on two children, representing creation. Next three figures are Adam and Eve, with God between them instructing them not to take from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The serpent and the tree are visible next to Eve. On the lower level is Joseph, barely visible behind seated Mary, holding the infant Jesus. Coming to them are the wise men. The first one is pointing not to 1 star, but 3 stars, not visible in this photo. Each star is directly below one of the persons of the Trinity. These are the wise and learned people who are seeking the truth in this child and the Trinity. The naked figure in the lower center is Daniel coming out of the lion's den. This is a powerful figure for these early Christians, many of whom had seen their fellow Christians thrown to the lions themselves. Survival from the lions was a powerful force and a sign of hope in the faith life of these early Christians. Next to the scene of Daniel, are scenes of stories in Jesus' life: Jesus welcomes the child, on the upper level, the miracle at Cana, and below, the denial of Peter, (see the rooster on the ground), and Jesus' arrest. Remember many early Christians were being arrested as Jesus was. This was seen as a sharing in the suffering of Jesus that would win them the crown in heaven. The large medalion in the center is probably the images of the couple who were buried in this tomb.

The finely crafted carving is the beginning of Christian art as it would evolve.  We need to remember that until 321 AD when it was still a capital offense to be a Christian, most Christian art was funerary.  After the legalization of Christianity, the art begins to change dramatically to include images of salvation which were huge by comparison.  Now Christian art could be displayed publicly and the scale begins to grow dramatically.

One of the favorite stories of the early Christians in Jonah. It was understood as a prefiguration of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It was stories like this one that gave the early christians hope in the resurrection, not the cross as we know it today. The following sarcophagus is a magnificent telling of the Jonah story for this person buried in the hope of rising again. I decided to photograph it in three sections. It will be clearer to view and there are actually three scenes depicted here.

Jonah is thrown overboard because he tells the crew he is running away from his God. They blame him for the storm that threatens to destroy them all. The head of the fish is ready to swallow him.

 The figure of the fish is now turned around and is spewing out Jonah onto the land. You can see only the upper half of Jonah's body coming out of the mouth of the fish, his lower body is still in the fish's mouth.

Jonah is lying under the fig tree whitch eventually withers and forces him to do as God asks of him. In the sand, you can see a crab, and a snail on the beach. Also there are two scenes; one of a man and boy fishing, and a shepherd with his flock to serve as a precursor to Jesus' ministry and his call to his disciples as shepehrds and fishers of men.

 The tour continues for another 2 hours before we finally got to the Sistine Chapel. There are no pictures because photographing in the Sistine Chapel is forbidden. Flash and frescoes do not mix.

What you ought to do, as I try to recall some of her descriptions of the ceiling and the last judgment, is to Google an image of the Sistine Chapel to try to understand it.

Michelangelo was not trained as a painter, he was a sculptor. He thought in three dimensions. He thought always the human body. He was fascinated by what he considered to be the epitome of God's creation. And unlike what many think that his obsession with the human figure was some kind of "Freudian thing", as Liz called it, Michelangelo believed that portraying the human body was to glorify God. His figures in both the ceiling and in the Last Judgment are sculptural in vision and in form. The ceiling tells a story. This is a first in the history of art. Until now, ceilings were to finish a room, blue sky, stars, and an occasional medallion in the center, or corners, surrounded by architectural shapes as frames. No one had ever attempted to tell a story on the ceiling. The original commission was to paint portraits of the 12 apostles. Michelangelo came back with another proposal - to tell the story of Creation in Genesis. He was able to convince the pope that he could do it. Oh by the way, Michelangelo did not paint the ceiling lying on his back; he stood through the whole thing. He wrote a sonnet describing his technique, and even supplied a drawing of himself doing the work while standing.

The days of creation begin with God being an almost opaque figure, as he creates the light, the sun, stars, and separates the sea from the land. Now as he creates the man, God is seen in full detail. In the very center of the room is the fall from grace. The scenes continue through the prophets who would foretell the coming mystery of the incarnation. These all come down the center axis of the room. Then is the story of Noah, Abraham and Isaac. The prophet Zechariah, who tells of the God who will enter our life once and for all, sends the eye back towards the front of the room with the prophets and the gentile sibyls until we come to the last of the prophets portrayed - our friend Jonah again.

This leads our eyes back to the Last Judgment. In this masterpiece, there is virtually no landscape, no architecture, no animals, only 421 human bodies engaged in the struggle towards salvation, and some to eternal damnation.

I have seen the before and after of the 10 year restoration of this chapel. The stories that have come from the new view of this work are remarkable. Liz mentioned one today. In the center of the image, there are two figures being pulled up into heaven as they are grasping on to a rosary. It was always thought before the restoration that these figures are a male and female. As it turns out, they are men, one white, and the other black. We are talking mid 16th century when slavery was just getting into high gear in the Americas. Another detail, is St. Bartholomew who was martyred by being skinned alive, is holding his skin. But Michelangelo put a caricature of his own face on the skin. Also, one of the Vatican Cardinals hated this work and demanded that it be covered over and repainted. Michelangelo painted his face on the person at the lowest point in hell at the lower right hand corner. He added donkey ears for special effect. The pope must have really disliked this cardinal because he declared that it should stay.

I don't have the space, the time, or frankly the memory to tell you more of these stories. I'm sure I'll think of them as I go on. I just think this one is significant enough to give you a good idea of not just the Michelangelo’s genius, but of his spiritual and social consciousness, his humility and his sense of humor.

Mea Culpa

I know I have not been keeping up with the blog; but I will get at least one new entry tonight from our trip to the Vatican Museums.

A Very Unusual Snow Day in Rome



Vatican's answer to Rockefeller Center



Out the window of my room



From the Window of the TV Room

This and That

Today was what could be considered the first full day of orientation.  We began with Mass this morning celebrated by the Vice Rector of the NAC, followed by our first 'house meeting' which reminded us all how to live in a group.  Following, we got a tour of the main seminary building, which also included an opportunity to exchange money (finally!) and open our house account.  Prior to lunch, we had a reception with the seminary faculty.
Following lunch, we have our daily siesta break, which does not necessarily mean nap time.  It is a good chance to review the morning's  information and prepare for the afternoon sessions.  Today we will meet with a few more of the administration for some guidance on how the NAC runs as well as the Sisters who run the Bishop's Office for US Visitors in Rome.

One of the great joys thus far is to be with men from throughout the United States, as well as England, Canada and Australia.  And lunch meals, taken at the main building, afford the opportunity to meet seminarians (or newly ordained priests completing their studies) again from various (arch)dioceses throughout the United States.  Again, they have all be most welcoming and helpful.

Arrived

Greetings from the Eternal City!

I arrived last Friday after a very smooth and comfortable flight. 

I spent the weekend with a Vincentian priest friend of mine, Fr. John Maher at their headquarters a few miles outside of center city Rome.  It is their international headquarters and priests and brothers from many countries live there.  So many countries and backgrounds, not to mention languages, and one could still feel the spirit of hospitality and welcome.  They made me feel very welcome.

During the days, I got a good overview of the city of Rome, not to mention learning the bus and metro (subway) system.  You really can get anywhere in Rome without a car.  We spent some time visiting some of the churches, the ruins and just walking the streets of the Vatican and surrounding areas.

The Interior of
St. Susanna's

Sunday morning we went to worship at the Church of St.Susanna, which is the American church in Rome, run by the Paulists.  Santa Susanna's Church is a beautiful and historic place of worship, whose every feature is steeped in the history, art, and architecture of the Christian faith as it has been lived over the centuries in Rome.  After the few days here, it was nice to be in an environment where English was the primary language.  Their answer to our bagels after mass is to have coffee and cornet pastries.  And then a tour of the church ... I am sure the first of many tours in many churches.

Today (Monday) I moved into my room at Casa O'Toole at the North American College overlooking the Vatican.  (I have to find out the history of Casa O'Toole in the middle of Rome.)  The program is run by a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark, who greeted me (and a few other early arrivals.)  The majority of the men arrive tomorrow and we begin with Mass at 6pm, followed by dinner.  Wednesday morning, we hit the ground running at 8am.