Question #2

Here’s my attempt to respond to a second question about the recent resignation announcement of  Pope Benedict XVI.

Question #2: What’s it like in Rome these days?

Let me begin by saying that my time in Rome has already been somewhat surreal.  Every day, I walk past the Coliseum when I go to school.  And on the way home on the bus, I pass the Circus Maximus (think Ben Hur.)  Just today I walked by the Ancient Roman Forum just because I could.  And on the Memorial of Saints Cyril and Methodius (how the Church celebrates Valentine’s Day) I went to the Church of San Clemente where the remains of Cyril are kept.  Rome is a special city just to begin with.  Furthermore, Rome is always a little crazy.  There are mobs of people all over the place, traffic is always nuts, and anywhere you look, you can see a group of nuns (veils and all) walking around.  

The Roman Forum

So, perhaps needless to say, the news from last week has simply added to the uniqueness and craziness that is Rome.  Every day, there is news shared around our dinner table…did you hear that Cardinal Dolan is now in Rome…someone just got a tweet about the Pope’s name during his retirement…there are rumors that the Conclave will start sooner than expected.  At school (remember most are seminarians and sisters) the daily conversation usually ends up with something about the Pope.  At my weekly Italian lesson the topic of conversation of course revolved around the Pope and who the next one might be.  There is a papal-vibe all over the place.

I decided to join in the craziness this past Sunday.  I went to an English mass at Santo Spirito in Sassia near Vatican City, and then made my way to St. Peter’s Square, past the cadre of media vans, for the “Sunday Angelus.”  This is a typical Sunday event: the Pope appears from his study window from high in the Papal apartments, gives a little talk (I call it a fervor-ino), greets pilgrims in several languages, prays the Angelus (a traditional noontime prayer), and blesses the crowd.  In all, it lasts about twenty minutes.   

Here's the Angelus in Latin on the jumbo-screens in St. Peter's Square.

The news trucks ready for any story that comes out of the Vatican.

The schedule was normal this Sunday, but the crowd was enormous.  The Square itself was full, and from what I could see, Via della Conciliazione, the road that runs into St. Peters, was also full of people.  Afterwards I heard a report on the BBC and they said “tens of thousands of people.”  I believe it!  When the Pope appeared, shouts of “Benedetto…Benedetto” mixed with “Grazie Papa” rose from the crowd. 

When the Pontiff greeted those in attendance from Italy, the crowd went nuts!  We know that Italy is becoming more and more secularized every day, but the Italians still love their Pope!  He may be German, but it seems that the Italians have adopted him as one of their own.  (However, he’s not a very good Italian – the Angelus started promptly at noon right after the bells finished tolling and he pretty much said what he wanted to say and left.  German efficiency at its best!)

The people arriving for the Angelus.

The gathering crowd.  I was pretty much in the middle of the Square (near the obelisk) and was surrounded by people.

So, he's kind of a ways up.

Looking out on the main road that leads into St. Peter's Square.

A little video from the Angelus (not the best quality, but it should give you a taste of what it's like).

Along these lines, the media has been covering these events quite a bit.  Every day, there is a new article in my news-feed online.  One of our Brothers who works near the Vatican communications office said he had to fight his way into the office one day because of the conglomeration of media outlets.  I don’t want to attack or blame the media for anything, but it strikes me that a Church and office that is “irrelevant” (as some have said) is getting this much coverage and attention.  And, a Church that is losing meaning for a number of people continues to draw a crowd.

So, to answer the question, I’ll just say that Rome is kind of crazy and teeming with all things Pope-Conclave-Church these days.  But, then, that’s not really all that different from any other day in Rome!

Another picture of Benedict.

And one more of the Square.

Ciao!