Following the Audience, a quick lunch and off to the Cathedral Church of Rome - and the world - St. John Lateran.
Church of Saint John Lateran
Prayer: O God,
who from living and chosen stones prepare an eternal dwelling for your majesty,
increase in your Church the spirit of grace you have bestowed, so that by new
growth your faithful people may build up the heavenly Jerusalem. Through our
Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
The
Lateran Basilica is called “mother and head of all the churches of the city and
the world.” In fact, this basilica was the first to be built after Emperor
Constantine’s edict, in 313, granted Christians freedom to practice their
religion.
The
emperor himself gave Pope Miltiades the ancient palace of the Laterani family,
and the basilica, the baptistery, and the patriarchate, that is, the Bishop of
Rome’s residence — where the Popes lived until the Avignon period — were all
built there. The basilica’s dedication was celebrated by Pope Sylvester around
324 and was named Most Holy Savior; only after the 6th century were the names
of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist added, and now is typically
denominated by these latter.
Initially
the observance of the feast of the dedication of the church was confined to the
city of Rome; then, beginning in 1565, it was extended to all the Churches of
the Roman rite. The honoring of this sacred edifice was a way of expressing
love and veneration for the Roman Church, which, as St. Ignatius of Antioch
says, “presides in charity” over the whole Catholic communion (Letter to the
Romans, 1:1).
As
we gather in this church, we are reminded of an essential truth: the temple of
stones is a symbol of the living Church, the Christian community, which in
their letters the Apostles Peter and Paul already understood as a “spiritual
edifice,” built by God with “living stones,” namely, Christians themselves,
upon the one foundation of Jesus Christ, who is called the “cornerstone” (cf. 1
Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17; 1 Peter 2:4-8; Ephesians 2:20-22). “Brothers, you
are God’s building,” St. Paul wrote, and added: “holy is God’s temple, which
you are” (1 Corinthians 3:9c, 17).
The
beauty and harmony of the churches, destined to give praise to God, also draws
us human beings, limited and sinful, to convert to form a “cosmos,” a
well-ordered structure, in intimate communion with Jesus, who is the true Saint
of saints. This happens in a culminating way in the Eucharistic liturgy, in
which the “ecclesia,” that is, the community of the baptized, come together in
a unified way to listen to the Word of God and nourish themselves with the Body
and Blood of Christ. From these two tables the Church of living stones is built
up in truth and charity and is internally formed by the Holy Spirit
transforming herself into what she receives, conforming herself more and more
to the Lord Jesus Christ. She herself, if she lives in sincere and fraternal
unity, in this way becomes the spiritual sacrifice pleasing to God.
Our
visit celebrates a mystery that is always relevant: God’s desire to build a
spiritual temple in the world, a community that worships him in spirit and
truth (cf. John 4:23-24). But this observance also reminds us of the importance
of the material buildings in which the community gathers to celebrate the
praises of God. Every community therefore has the duty to take special care of
its own sacred buildings, which are a precious religious and historical
patrimony. For this we call upon the intercession of Mary Most Holy, that she
help us to become, like her, the “house of God,” living temple of his love.
— Benedict XVI, Angelus Address, November 9, 2008
Following our visit to St. John's - we went across the street to the Holy Stairs - brought here to Rome by Constantine - the very steps that Jesus walked up when he was tried by Pontius Pilate.
The Pantheon
It was in this building that the first known All Saints’
Day was celebrated by Pope Hadrian IV in A.D. 609.
In 30 B.C., the young nephew and adopted son of Julius
Caesar, Octavian Caesar, defeated his enemy Mark Anthony in a naval engagement
off the coast of Turkey. Taking the
title of Augustus, or the “revered one,” Octavian Augustus Caesar quickly set
up shop as the unofficial king of Rome, calling himself by the military title
of emperor. In poetry, in hymns to the
gods, in new legislation, he presented himself to the Roman people as a savior
and the champion of Roman greatness.
BEGINNING OF THE ROMAN PANTHEON
Augustus’ ally and supporter Marcus Agrippa built a
lavish temple dedicated to “all the Roman gods,” known by its Greek title, the
Pantheon. Here were altars to the
various gods of ancient Rome, meant to show the piety of Augustus and the
support of the pagan gods of Caesar’s new imperial regime. Agrippa’s temple was
burned to the ground in A.D. 80 and rebuilt, burned again in A.D. 110 and
finally rebuilt by the Emperor Hadrian in A.D. 128. Hadrian’s temple to all the gods is the one
tourists visit in Rome today. It is the
best preserved Roman-era temple, and it has survived probably because of the
church.
HADRIAN’S PANTHEON
Hadrian’s Pantheon is impressive. Unlike most other ancient temples it is round,
not rectangular. A huge done surmounts the temple, making it the largest Roman
dome to survive. At about 142 feet round
and 142 feet tall, it is half of a perfect sphere. Made of poured concrete, ranging from 20 feet
thick at the base of the dome to 3.9 feet at the top, it is impressive. Studies have shown that the concrete is made
of different sands at different heights, placing more of the lighter materials
at the top than at the bottom. Almost 5,000 tons of concrete were used.
It also was the model used in the 19th century for the
American dome of the Capitol buildings in Washington, D.C., and it is the
largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world.
THE OCULUS
But the best known aspect of Hadrian’s Pantheon is the
Oculus, or the eye. At the top of the
dome is a large circular opening, open to the sky, about 30 feet wide. This open space provides the light which, as
the day and years go by, illuminates the various altars to the gods. The stone walls retain the heat of the day,
and so a slow draft of warm air moves out of the oculus and prevents rain from
falling in, and what rain did get in was drained off by good plumbing in the
floor. That same marble floor was trod
on by the Emperor Hadrian, Martin Luther, the kings of Italy and the majority
of the popes.
PANTHEON BECOMES A CHURCH
In A.D. 609, the Byzantine Roman Emperor Phocas donated
the old pagan temple Pope Boniface IV, who dedicated the church to “St. Mary
and all the Martyrs,” which is the official name to this day. The statues to the pagan gods were removed
and the images of the Apostles were put in their places. In this manner it became a church dedicated
to all the saints and not all the gods. Masses
are celebrated there on a regular basis. Various worthies have been buried in
the church, including the renaissance artist Raphael and the modern Italian
kings Victor Emmanuel II and Umberto I.
We later had Mass at Santa Maria sopra Minerva - where the body of St. Catherine of Sienna is beneath the Main altar. It was a wonderful gift that Cardinal O'Brien came to celebrate Mass for us. What a great moment for our group! At the conclusion of Mass (and after our photo with the Cardinal - and another Proximo tour group who joined us for Mass) we took the
opportunity, here in the presence of the body of St. Catherine of Sienna, to pray asking her intercession.
Heavenly
Father, your glory is seen in your saints.
We prais your
glory in teh life of the admirable St. Catherine of Sienna,
virgin and
doctor of the Church. Her whole life was
a noble sacrifice
inspired by an
ardent love of Jesus, your unblemished Lamb.
In troubled
times she strenuously upheld the rights of His beloved spouse, the Church. Father, honor her merits and hear her prayers
for each of us. Help us to pass
unscratched through the corruption of this world, and to remain unshakably
faithful to the Church in word, deed, and example.
Help us always
to see in the Vicar of Christ an anchor in the storms of life, and a beacon of
light to the harbor of your Love, in this dark night of your times and men’s
souls.
We ask this
through Jesus, your Son, in the bond of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
St. Catherine
of Sienna – Pray for us.
The
only Gothic church in Rome, the Basilica Santa Maria
sopra Minerva (Basilica of St. Mary over Minerva) is so named because it
was built directly on the foundations of a temple to Minerva, the goddess of
wisdom. The basilica that stands today
was begun in 1280. Architectural changes and redecorations in the 1500s
and 1900s stripped it of some of its magnificence, but it still includes an
awe-inspiring collection of medieval and Renaissance tombs.
History of Santa Maria
Sopra Minerva
Not much is known about the ruined temple to Minerva on this site,
built by Pompey about 50 BC and referred to as Delubrum Minervae. A temple to Isis and a Serapeum may also
underlie the present basilica and its former convent buildings. Some Roman ruins can be seen in the crypt. The ruined temple is likely to have lasted
until the reign of Pope Zacharias (741-752), who finally Christianized the site, offering it to
Eastern monks. The Christian structure
he commissioned has disappeared.
The present building owes its existence to the Dominican Friars, who received the
property from Pope Alexander IV (1254-1261) and made the church and adjoining
monastery their influential headquarters. The Dominican Order administers the
area today. The old Romanesque basilica
was not splendid enough to serve as the chief Dominican church in Rome, so two
Dominican monks, Sisto Fiorentino and Ristoro da Campi began the present
structure in 1280. This pair of monastic architects had worked on
the Gothic church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, which served as the model for this church in Rome. The church was completed in 1370. It was later renovated by Carlo Maderno among
others, given a Baroque facade, and restored in the 19th century to its present
neo-medieval state.
It was in the Dominican monastery adjoining the church that the
astronomer Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was
tried by the Inquisition for teaching that the Earth revolved around the Sun. He was forced to recant and retire.
What to See at Santa Maria Sopra Minerva
Just behind the Pantheon is the Piazza della Minerva, whose focal point is an endearing
sculpture of a cheery baby elephant carrying a small Egyptian obelisk on his back. It was sculpted
by Bernini in 1667. It is said to represent Pope Alexander VII's reign and
illustrate the moral that strength should support wisdom. The Egyptian obelisk is much older - it was
found in the ruins of a temple of Isis that once stood nearby. Nothing visible
remains of the Temple of Minerva (or Isis) over which the present church was
built.
Santa Maria sopra Minerva has a remarkably plain facade (17th-century), with three
small entry doors and three round windows. This belies the richness and size of the
interior beyond. Inside, the viewer's
eye is immediately drawn to the arched vaulting, painted blue with gilded stars and accented with brilliant red
ribbing. The former is a 19th century restoration in the Gothic style.
I asked our tour guide if we could make one special stop on this, our last day in Rome - at the tomb of St. Francis Xavier in the Gesu. Unfortunately, the church was "closed." None the less... praying for everyone at home...
Prayer asking the intercession of St. Francis Xavier (at the Gesu)
Lord
Jesus,
You
have sent us to proclaim the Gospel to all nations,
and
have promised to always remain with us.
Look
upon us gathered here at the relic of St. Francis Xavier.
Pour
out the abundance of your Spirit upon each one of our brothers and sisters especially
on those who are called to ponder
upon
the journey made and to plan what has still to be done,
so
that we may offer a more authentic service to mission.
Grant
that we may ever be faithful to the Gospel and to give an answer to the hopes
which the world places before your church today. Stay with us, Lord, when we gather around the
table of your Bread and your Word, and when we walk the paths of the world side
by side with our brothers and sisters.
Grant
that we all find ourselves in heaven, our homeland,
after
having been members of the same family on earth.
Amen.
Wow...what a great pilgrimage! Safe travels home!
ReplyDeleteNancy