The "I'm Not Catholic, But..." Story

It was an ordinary day. Today we are traveling to the Vatican. Yep, THAT Vatican. The one where the Pope lives. Vatican City is a walled enclave within the City of Rome. An enclave is a sovereign city within the boundaries of another sovereign city. Vatican City has an area of 110 acres and a population of approximately 800. The Pope is the head of the Government. Vatican City only came into existence in 1929 and is distinct from the Holy See which dates back to early Christianity. The Holy See is the body of 1.1 billion Catholics around the globe. Hey so much for the history of Vatican City. I'll tell you I was impressed when I walked through the gate and I'm not even Catholic, but close since I'm Episcopalian. Paolo is our guide and he's a handsome Italian dude. He leads us and 10,000 of our closest friends through the Raphael Rooms, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica and a viewing of Michelangelo's Pieta. The Raphael Rooms are located in the Palace of the Vatican. They house the frescoes painted by the artist Raphael. The fresco of Adam and Eve is one of the most impressive. As we walk from building to building you start to feel "religious," if you know what I mean. Hard to imagine how long it took to build these structures and paint all the frescoes and make all the statues that grace the halls. We enter a long hall leading to the Sistine Chapel. The amount of gold leaf on the ceilings and walls is unbelievable. Guards keep close watch. You are allowed to take photographs until we enter the door to the Chapel. Small room!! I guess I was expecting to see some humongous area, but it is very small. And ... don't you dare touch your camera. Guy in front of me did and he didn't have it in about 5 seconds. Didn't even have it to his eye. The camera police grabbed it and told him where he could get it upon exit from the room. They say the flashes will damage the paintings. The floor of the Chapel is mosaictiles while most of the paintings are by Michelangelo with a theme of the history of mankind before the coming of Christ. And .... I'm standing there, looking up at the ceiling and wondering how anyone can paint using a small brush while laying on their back. I have enough trouble standing up and painting the house with a roller. Building was constructed from 1477 to 1483. Can't believe they did that in only 6 years. We headed next to St. Peter's Basilica which is a late Renaissance church which has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world, holding 60,000 people. Wow, I should have gotten married in there so I could of had a few more friends and relatives show up. While in the church we solemnly walked past Michelangelo's sculpture, La Pieta. This famous work of art depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the Crucifixion. Truly moving!! We walked into St. Peter's Square which is in front of the church. Paolo points out the window where the Pope greets the people standing in the square. Seems he won't be greeting us today. Something better has come up for him. You know, it's funny how all the girls and women seem to hang around Paolo and ask him questions. Dumb things that really don't have anything to do with Italy. You can't be anything but impressed with our journey today. History is neat, even though I hated it in high school and college. Ended the tour in the gift shop, naturally, and bought a "Christian stamp" from Vatican City. I was half afraid to lick it when I was putting it in my scrapbook. Also bought a Rosary for my sister-in-law Kathy. Really neat and she loved it. Well the day is over and I don't think I would have done anything different. Oh yeah! Now when I get home, I've got to have my named changed to Paolo. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Pixs from top: Sculpted Sphere in courtyard inside Vatican City, Raphael's Adam and Eve fresco, hallway leading to Sistine Chapel, inside Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, St. Peter's Square panorama, front of St. Peter's Basilica and tower view of St. Peter's Square.