Sooo today was spent just about all at the Vatican. Being a part of the Papal audience was a really really cool experience. Having the ability to say Pope Benedict XVI was XVI feet away from me is unspeakably amazing.
Observations about Benny...I wonder what horse he picked in the Kentucky Derby. His hat makes me wonder if Animal Kingdom was given a little special blessing by the head of the Catholic kingdom on earth ....Hmmmmm.
Also, there is no way that his shoes can stay that red. Seriously, I swear there are smurfs shining them 24/7...
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Moving on though, if I was not blessed with the ability to participate in a papal audience, the highlight of my day would have been the excavations under St. Peter's. To make things simple, i'll just number some quick bullet points about the scavi.
1. There are actually three separate altars built on the grounds where the current altar stands. It is told that if one drops a rock from the direct center of the cupola, the rock would pass through the center of all three altars and land on the somewhat 'undisclosed' main attraction' of St. Peter's Basilica.
2. This main attraction is the resting place of our church founder and first pope, St. Peter himself. All evidence has led for archaeologists to come to the conclusion that Peter is in fact buried in that place. On the graffiti wall in front of the current resting place of his bones, many inscriptions are written in reference to Peter, but not actually naming him. However, it was found that one inscription names Peter. names him so much that it says that this place is the resting place of the apostle Peter. Specifically it says: Petros eni..."Peter is here"
3. The mausoleums in the scavi truly made what we saw in Ostia Antica and Pompeii come alive. Literally, a city of the dead covers the entire area underneath St. Peter's Basilica and Square. each mausoleum that has been excavated is a home for the dead, and some even have stairs for their souls to walk up and down for a little exercise and for their family to do maintenance work on the mausoleum. Thankfully, Constantine had a little respect for pagans, and merely took the top off of the mausoleums. The dirt and soil Constantine filled the necropolis with completely sealed the necropolis from the elements. Thus, near perfect preservations.
4. Also, a interesting find about the Necropolis is that in the 3rd Century, it seems as if a Christian mausoleum was built. Inside the mausoleum, we see Christ on the ceiling depicted as the Sun god Helios (remembering that Christians were persecuted for expressing their fait directly until Constantine came into power). Also, there seems as though there is a fisherman as well alluding to the "fishermen of souls and men" Jesus appointed his apostles to be.
See this link for more information about the necropolis. Thank you to Michelle Rau for sending this to me while I was writing this blog. Note, she had no clue that I was writing this specific blog when she sent it to me:
http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/necropoli/scavi_english.html
An amazing day at St. Peter's Square, under St. Peter's Square, and in the presence of St. Peter himself.
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