Soli Deo Gloria. M.T. Augustine
and I did grow up as one and consider myself to be still Catholic in many ways, and I have the deepest sympathy for the efforts of the Church. Having said that, I think the original message of Jesus has undergone considerable change over the last 2000 years vis-à-vis various dogmas and misinterpretations and so-called improvements over the original messages. Presently the Church seems to be somewhat encumbered with all kinds of dogma which were not in any way a part of the original message; in fact are its opposite. This is not to say that there could not be enormous value in addendums to the original message but they should be looked at closely by every generation. So Vatican II was a wonderful thing; since certain ideas has not been closely examined for some time; but people do not care much for thinking; it’s hard work; and prefer to buy a readymade package; which has little to do with “seek and ye shall find”.
Saint Peter’s Basilica
As I entered St. Peter’s Basilica for the first time I pulled open the door on the far left as one is facing the Basilica and I was amazed at the workmanship which made this so easy; like opening a small door. I heard the faintest sound of heavenly music in the distance, as though from a cloud in the sky above. It would have been enough perhaps to convert some people on the spot; perhaps the word I need here is ethereal; it was an ethereal experience, particularly for someone raised as a Roman Catholic in the French tradition. At first I thought it must be my overly active imagination; the sound of a choir singing so faintly perhaps at a great distance - from perhaps Heaven. I thought because of the emotions of the moment - my first time entering this Holy Sanctuary of God Almighty; well my mind must be creating this just for me; how lovely, but how could it be real at this material level we all live at. But then as I pushed open the great door marveling that such an enormous substantial door took so little effort to open; the music got somewhat less faint, and if anything sounded more intensely beautiful; but I did not quite believe it all yet; was I dreaming or was God creating this moment for me; the answer to that of course is yes; God is in the habit of creating beautiful moments for all of us without exception. I expect this give Him great joy, as it give us great joy; in any case He does it for us, all the people in St. Peter’s that day; all enjoying at various levels this moment in time; this realization of the Now as a popular author of the Now might refer to this kind of experience.
The Pieta
The Pieta, Michelangelo’s masterpiece is near the Great Holy Door, opened by the Holy Father every twenty-five years, almost at the feet of The Pieta. The image of the mother with her dead son in her arms evokes the heartrending, almost inconceivable sorrow of her loss. I think of all the people who have lost children in all kinds of disasters and most recently the senseless massacres in many schools in the United States and probably many other places throughout the world; and I ask God to give them rest from sorrow because God is the only one, the Source, who can do it. I remember something, perhaps R.W. Trine’s writing; “No thing is Firmer and Stronger and Safer and Surer, than God.
The Sistine Chapel
This principal Chapel in the Vatican could be the most precious room in the World from an artistic and historical perspective; one ponders the figures throughout history who have come here to view Michelangelo’s magnificent creation. The only drawback is the crowds; to have time in this jewel of a creation; by oneself, or with a small number of people and to be able to examine in detail the best that man has been able to create; is to experience a bit of heaven on earth. This was a gift of the Renaissance Popes through the artists to the world; and a magnificent expression through Michelangelo and the Renaissance artists of man’s ability to access higher states of creativity; the same state of creativity accessed by Raphael, Bach, Thomas de Victoria; and a state of creativity accessed by all the great artists.
Castle Saint Angelo
For someone fascinated by History in general and European history in particular, Castle Saint Angelo is an adventure and a treat; just to see part of an edifice begun by the Emperor Hadrian in the year 23AD is immensely exciting and breathtaking. Now I have come over the years to recognize not everyone shares this feeling when faced with an ancient building, but still I find that hard to understand. In any case, I don’t see how Castle Saint Angelo could disappoint anyone. It is magnificent, not in the same way as St. Peter’s Basilica, but in its own way steeped in the history of all the lives who have touched it; lived in it; fought for it. To walk the ramparts and thinks this is where Popes and Kings have walked and planned and plotted the future of mankind.
One enters the Castle passing over the Bridge of the Angels which is a wonderful history lesson all by itself.
Piazza St. Pedro And Eugenio Pacelli
There is a piazza, a part of the larger square in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, named for Pope Pius XII. I think it was John Paul II who renamed this area. This was probably in response to all the controversy around the historical positioning of Pius XII, for the last fifty years or so. And it turns out after all the evidence is in that the Pius has essentially been vindicated. He in fact probably saved many more lives, Jewish and Christian by deciding to take the hit to his reputation, knowing that eventually the truth would emerge; and to anyone who reads widely of the historical records; there can be no doubt that the Pope acted correctly. Hitler was mad, he not only gave orders to destroy Paris; but also would have not sacked Rome but leveled to the ground. But Mussolini was his ally and even a madman has lucid moments. If he bombed Rome, destroying the Vatican he would bring anguish to the Italian people and he would lose an important ally.
I’m not sure it is still there, but when I was in Rome at one point; I visited a wonderful exhibit on the Life of Eugenio Pacelli in Piazza St. Pedro. Also I think perhaps one of the best evaluations of events during Papa Pacelli tenure was written by Rabbi Dr. David G. Dalin, who wrote a book about Papa Pacelli in a book about myths and popes.
Eugenio Pacelli was not despite the bad press in any way sympathetic to the Nazi government; the Nazi perspective was so ensconced in the material world that it was the antithesis of Catholic philosophy and theology. If this were so, why would the Chief Rabbi of Rome convert, under the influence of Pius, to Catholicism at the end of the war?
I write these things with a certain amount of passion because for me Pius was in my mind, the Father who replace a man who was not really a bad person but was simply emotionally, for the most part, absent in my life. And I was not sure he even liked me; perhaps now, many years later, I can see that he loved me, but he mostly had trouble expressing such or perhaps any feeling. So, the nuns knowing something of this situation would tell me Papa Pacelli was also my Father and loved me; this filled a void. This is one of the saving graces of the Catholic philosophy.
So, I have always been interested in Papa Pacelli’s career; and when the accusations starting coming; not only could I not believe them; they involved a certain amount of emotional pain for me. How could people possibly be saying such thing about Papa Pacelli whom I had always thought of in quite personal terms as a Father in every that concerned the spiritual life? It was impossible; he would never sympathize with the ignorant thugs of the Third Reich. The German people were another matter; he had spent so much of his life in Germany; he initially I think really could not believe at all the outrageous reports of unspeakable atrocities; but later I think his actions show; he did, with a heavy heart, believe the reports on the concentration camps, and the torture and killings of the innocents.
And so I studied with great interest the exhibit of the life of Papa Pacelli which was right at the entrance to the Vatican opposite the Pope’s Palace on the other side of St. Peter’s Square.
One of the most interesting studies of Eugenio Pacelli’s life was written by a Jewish Rabbi by the name of Dr. David Dalin; although I think the title of his book is unfortunate; it could of course and probably will be changed at some point in the future. In any case a study of Papa Pacelli, and in particular, the years when the third reich appeared to have some power in the areas of delusional thought; then such a study is not complete without taking Rabbi Dakins work into the