Fr. Frank's Rome Sabbatical: Week six

I am now starting my sixth week. It started off with a lot of excitement. But then last week ended with a lot of excitement. We had the demonstrations in Rome, a couple cars burned, a million dollars worth of damage to public transportation, etc. This was the only city that the demonstrations turned really ugly. I hear that the main reasons for the demonstrations was to let the people on the top 1% of the income brackets that people have had enough. Gosh I preached about that over 25 years ago. The difference between the rich and poor is far greater now. But what bothers me the most is that in Rome they broke into a church, the Basilica of Santi Marcellino e Pietro and destroyed a crucifix and took a statue of Mary out and smashed it on the street.

A month after I was in Egypt last year riots broke out there. Now I have been in Rome for a month and riots start here. I'm telling you, I didn't do it. At least I don't think I tick people off quite that bad.
But before I show the last pictures of last week, I want to show the start of this week. The Pope had Mass at St. Peter's this morning to introduce his program for the new evangelization. They were looking for priests to help out with the distribution of Communion so a bunch of us volunteered. We did have the option of concelebration, which usually is not allowed for mere priests, but I figured I would be useful rather than colorful. They don't have priests concelebrate because there are so many Cardinals and Bishops around here that is gets ridiculous setting up all the chairs. I was less colorful because the celebrants had matching green chasuables. We wore cassocks, surplices and a green stole. I hadn't worn a cassock for anything but Halloween for years, but here are the pictures to prove it.

Now you know what I look like in a cassock. Flat Stanley does not get to get vested. He doesn't have a cassock. I actually had to borrow one from a seminarian. The crew at St. Peter's provided the surplices and stoles so we would all match.

To prepare for distribution of communion we waited in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel which has the tabernacle for St.Peters. It gave us time to pray and prepare ourselves.

We could not take pictures during the ceremony or the Swiss Guard would have thrown us out but after Communion we were taken to the main entrance so we could see the procession out. These pictures are from next to the main door.

Here are the Bishops and Cardinals coming.

Here are some more with an occasional Patriarch.

More Bishops and Cardinals.

These are mostly the Cardinals. I told you there were a lot of them in Rome.

The Pope does not walk down the long aisle of St. Peters at 84 years old. He has this cool cart.

I was about ten feet from him.

After it was over the Swiss Guard left in procession.

Here is the view from the main door of St. Peters. There were a few people out there also.

Here are the last of the shots from last week. This first is one of the many markets that get set up in tourist areas. Selling old books, new rosaries and other trinkets and then there are a lot of new people who are coming in to try and make their mark. There are many guys from Africa that are selling purses. They don't have licenses so the set up a sheet and move very quickly when an authority figure shows up. Mostly the police just make them leave and they are back in two minutes.

I was lucky there was a wedding here because it is seldom open when i am around.

This church was very impressive. The parish church of San Gioacchino in Prati.

This dome was beautiful. It lets light in from outside to look like stars.

This is the main image in the sanctuary. I haven't figured it out.

St. Clement of Hofbauer was prominent here and so was Perpetual Help Devotions.
2009 was the 100th anniversary of his canonization and they celebrated it here.

This was one of the many beautiful marble inlay altars.

I have not heard of St. Generosa but she must have been a child by the size.

It is amazing when the side chapels are more fantastic than most churches.

This is from Santa Maria dei Miracoli which you have seen some of already but I needed to stop in and pray again.

This is just what it is like walking down the street on a Saturday afternoon. By three o'clock people are just walking in the streets because the sidewalks are too crowded. Most cars have given up by then.

These next are the Basilica of SS. Ambrose and Charles. You have seen some of these already also.

These are of the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina.

Here is the presentation of the poor to St. Lawrence by the Pope before he is arrested and martyred.

Then St. Lawrence was arrested and martyred by being roasted alive.

Here are the plans of the Church being presented to St. Lawrence as he is in heaven.

Here is a nice Piazza with a lot of starving artists.

St. Agnes overlooks the Piazza

These are of the Basilica of St. Eustachio. I was very happy to get in here. Most of the
churches is have left to see are because they are seldom opened when I can come.

Above is St. Eustachio Church exterior. I don't know why the cross is stuck into a deer's head.

These are the remains of St. Robert Bellarmine in the Basilica of St. Ignatius. I had to go back and look at them again.

The police were out in force the whole weekend. Everyone knew something was going to happen.

This is the Church of St. Mary Magdelene

They had about eight statues like this that represented virtues rather than Saints.

St. Francis of Paola revives a child.

More police

Because of a wedding I was finally able to see inside San Pietro in Montorio.

This next one is taken from the Janiculum Hill. The North American College is on the back end of the hill.

Above is San Pietro's from the outside.

Interesting trees.

This is their version of Memorial Park in Omaha, but they shot a cannon off at noon every day.

Yes the smoke in the background is Rome burning from the demonstrations.

Chiesa di Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, you translate it.

Below is from the Church of San Salvatore in Lauro

Below are relics of St Pio of Pietrelcina, but not his body.

One of many monuments.

Below is the Church of St. Saba.

I presume this is one of his bones.

This is the Basilica of St. Gregory the Great, which doesn't seem to open as scheduled.

On the left is Constantine's arch and on the right is the Coloseum.

Below are the pictures of the Church of SS. Quirico and Giulitta

This is an ethnic Church of St. Bernardine of Siena

Below is the Church of St. Nome di Maria.

Below is the Church of Santa. Maria di Loreto al Foro Traiano

This is right up the hill from the seminary. Church of St. Onofrio

A monument to a dead poet, Torquato Tasso

Above is St. Jerome.

Lunchtime: There is a salad just like this with each meal. Flat Stanley is slowly learning to eat his vegetables.

These rolls usually could be used for hockey so we eat them with oil and Parmesan cheese.

If Flat Stanley keeps eating so much pasta he will no longer be flat.

The meat is usually served as flat as Flat Stanley.

A Roman monument.

Above: Can you see the line of ants going across horizontally. Their parade was about ten meters long.

A church that is seldom open.

Old Roman ruins.

The Basilica of Holy Cross in Jerusalem.

I haven't heard of this miracle.

St. Helena, mother of Constantine, who found part of the true Cross. Below is dirt from the Holy Land.
I leave Thursday to walk on more of that.

There Stations of the Cross.

You are not allowed to take pictures in the relic chapel but you can take pictures of the pictures.

Across from St. John Lateran. We will visit this in a few weeks.

These are the sacred steps. The statues are at the base of the steps. I am preparing to go up the steps on my knees on the day we visit St. John Lateran. It will take more prayer.