Wednesday, June 20, 2012

St. Peter's Square 6/6/2012


6/7/2012

The general audience with the Pope was an unusual spectacle. The ceremony was full of symbolism, music, and tradition. I suppose that is the way the Roman Catholic Church likes to perform ceremonies, which brings me to believe that is the reason why the have ceremonies like this on the St. Peter Square premises. The Basilica itself is a magnificent work of art and architecture.

I enjoyed the ceremony, however the heat was unbearable at times. I was shocked to see that they do this ceremony every week in six different languages. The Pope seems very aged and frail. It seems like a lot of hard work for him to sit in the heat reading in different languages from all over the world.

Although there were aspects of the ceremony that seemed quite bothersome, I truly enjoyed the blessings and the sermon about family and the importance of love. Overall, visiting St. Peter's square for an audience with the Pope was completely satisfactory both intellectually and spiritually. It was a magnificent event that many people would trade places with me in a heartbeat just to be able to see the Pope. I feel that I witnessed a truly special event during my time in Rome.

The Basilica of St. Peter is a magnanimous structure that took my breath away from the moment I laid eyes on it. I particularly enjoyed the opportunity to see Michelangelo's Pieta. The statue is exquisitely sculpted to portray Mary carrying her son after the crucifixion. I was overcome with emotion immediately after I laid eyes on it. I was impressed that I was able to finally see this, and I was thanking my lucky stars for this wonderful experience in my relatively short life.

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