No, I'm not actually in the Vatican City (I am on my gross couch in Lincoln, Nebraska, actually), but since it's Easter I thought I'd share some memories of going there several years ago.
Although it's been eight years (yikes, already?!) since I went to the Vatican, I still remember how awestruck I felt by the entire experience. I remember the giant throngs of people speaking every language shuffling about, the nuns and priests chatting animatedly in Italian, and the overwhelming opulence of the Vatican itself. I wasn't Catholic then (in fact, I just became one yesterday!), but it doesn't take a Catholic to appreciate the wonder of the Vatican City.
It was especially moving because Pope John Paul II had died just a few months earlier, and the grief was still thick in the Vatican City. We visited his tomb, and although at the time I wasn't able to call him my pope, I was still very aware--based on the grief of those around me--that the world had lost a very important, special man.
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| St. Peter's Square |
One of the most special things I remember from my visit to the Vatican was the Sistine Chapel. You're not allowed to take photos inside the chapel (sorry!), but I always like to tell the story from my visit there:
Two Italian guards were stationed at the front of the chapel, right in front of the Last Judgment. They were talking with each other, seeming relatively unconcerned about monitoring the visitors coming in. There were signs everywhere and in every language warning people not to take photos due to the very delicate nature of the chapel's Renaissance art ("The Creation of Adam," anyone?), but two tourists snapped a few photos, flash and everything. My gut cringed. I turned, expecting to see the Italian guards launching themselves at the guests and snatching up their cameras. Instead, the two guards simply turned to the tourists and very softly said, "No, no," shaking their hands. It did the trick, but I was floored. The only place I'd really ever gone prior to my trip to Italy was Washington, D.C., and if someone had snapped a flash photo of the Bill of Rights or the Constitution, guards would have those people booted on the spot! It makes me smile to think that, even around the precious art of the Sistine Chapel, the Italians are so easygoing.
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| My favorite thing from St. Peter's: the Pieta. Absolutely beautiful. |
I didn't take many photos from inside St. Peter's, mostly because I was very conscious of it being a holy place. Again, not being a Catholic at the time, I didn't know exactly how to behave in a basilica, but I tried my best to be very respectful and quiet, and not be an obnoxious tourist snapping photos every two seconds. Instead, I walked around slowly, taking in every detail of the space and grasping the feeling that there was something uniquely different about this place. I'll never forget that feeling.
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| Inside the Vatican. |
I hope that you'll all be able to visit the Vatican one day. You don't have to be Catholic to appreciate it all; just go in with a kind curiosity, an open and humble mind, and a good camera. :)
This week, we're going to GERMANY AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC! We're going to be making Runzas (you Nebraskans truly appreciate this!) and kolaches, a very special family favorite.
From our home to yours, we wish you all a very Happy Easter!
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