As a backgrounder, the Papal Audience is held on Wednesdays if the Pope is in Rome, giving pilgrims and visitors the chance to "see the Pope" and receive the Papal Blessing or Apostolic Blessing from the successor of the Apostle Peter during their visit.
Anyhow, the Pope was introduced to where the pilgrims of each language group were from, with loud cheers from the people of that place, and sometimes with a song from a choir from that land. He then spoke to them in their native language. At the end of the Audience, the Pope will pray, together with those attending, the Our Father prayer in Latin. At the end of the Prayer as Head of the Catholic Church, he will impart his Apostolic Blessing upon the crowd which also extends to loved ones that are sick and suffering and blesses any religious articles that people have brought with them for the purpose of the blessing.
Hint: if you attend a papal audience: don't worry about how near to the front you are; just try to be close to the route the popemobile takes!
In all honesty, a Papal Audience is altogether different than most would think. Anywhere from three to five thousand people (or even more) gather in St. Peter's Square for each papal audience and sit and listen while the Pope greets the crowd in many different languages. Many tourists plan their visits to Rome years ahead of time, and the anticipation of coming to Rome and attending an audience with the Holy Father can be quite overwhelming. How sad that they will come back home without the long sought-after photo of themselves embracing his holiness to mount in the family room. That photo was to be kept for generations to show their children, grandchildren, and anyone and everyone else who would be willing to listen to their stories about the audience with the Bishop of Rome.
Truth be told, photographs are allowed at the general audience, but the problem is that the chances of sneaking up close enough to get more than the top of his crown are not that great, as can be gleaned from my photo below:
It is easy to sense the letdown on the faces and in the hearts of the faithful pilgrims (like me) who flock to the Vatican on any given Wednesday for this weekly event. People from all over the world fly to Rome, then head to the Vatican by bus, by taxi, by car, by subway, and even by foot, with their golden ticket to the General Audience in hand. There is a fleeting moment when it becomes apparent to them that they are sharing that long anticipated intimate experience with the many thousand others who have gathered in St. Peter's Square with the very same tickets in hand, and this realization can indeed be desolating.
I would argue, however, that most people (me included) take this letdown in stride and do make the best of it. They line up for a place to sit (you'd better come early if you have plans of sitting down), or just stand up in the square and stretch their necks to get a glimpse of the Pope, who sits about 150 meters away underneath a canopy. The "hopeful popefuls" like me can still return home and tell our children about our escapades in Rome, our visit to the Vatican and the audience with the Holy Father, but in our hearts it is usually nothing like what we expected. But mind you, just the experience of being there was still well worth it.
Can you see the Pope (in white) under the canopy?
Anyhow, after the papal audience, we went shopping for religious articles. It was actually fun looking at different religious artifacts which I never saw before. Looking back, I actually enjoyed it. You should know my penchant for shopping by now, right? haha
I think it’s apropos for me to emphasize at this point that there are 4 major basilicas in Rome that are considered “must see” for Catholics – St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Paul’s Basilica, Basilica of St. John Lateran, and Basilica of St. Mary Major. A little bird told me that if you are able to go to these 4 basilicas, you would gain plenary indulgence.
So, in order not to miss an indulgence, we left at 1:30pm for the Basilica of St. Mary Major (Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore). Founded in the 4th century, the Basilica is one of the five great ancient basilicas of Rome. Its 18th-century exterior conceals one of the best-preserved Byzantine interiors in the city.
This is the Basilica also known as Our Lady of the Snows, due to the tradition that it snowed on August 5th and left an outline on the hill for the Basilica to be built upon. According to tradition, the location of this basilica was chosen by the Blessed Virgin Mary through a miracle of snow falling on the original hill where the basilica is now erected. This feast, Our Lady of Snows, is currently celebrated annually as reflected in the official Latin title of the Basilica. The name of the church reflects two ideas of greatness ("major") - that of a major (or papal) basilica and that of the largest (major) church in Rome dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Of all the great Roman Churches and basilicas, the Basilica of St. Mary Major enjoys the most successful blend of different architectural styles. Its colonnaded triple nave is part of the original 5th century building. The Cosmatesque marble floor and delightful Romanesque bell tower (the highest in Rome), with its blue ceramic roundels, are from the medieval period. The Renaissance saw a new coffered ceiling, and the baroque gave the church twin domes and its most imposing front and rear facades. The mosaics are St. Mary Major's most famous feature.
However, the basilica is also famous for its excesses and instigated some violent demonstrations by the Protestants who vehemently opposed the decoration of the entire ceiling with gold leaf when thousands were starving.
The development of the city has taken away the impact of Santa Maria Maggiore's commanding position on the summit of the Esquiline Hill, but the church is still considered by many to be the most beautiful church in Rome after St Peter's.
The high altar of the basilica is a papal altar, used only by the pope himself, or a priest given specific permission by him. It is traditional for the pope to lead a mass here on the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, every August 15th. A porphyry urn on the altar contains the relics of St. Matthew and other martyrs. Beneath the altar is a kneeling statue of Pope Pius IX.
Beneath this, St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church and author of the Latin translation of the Bible, is buried in the Bethlehem crypt. The crypt is built to resemble the cave of the Nativity in Bethlehem. In the right transept is the chapel containing the elaborate tomb of Pope Sixtus V and decorated with frescoes and reliefs of events from his reign.
The chapel centers on a reliquary containing part of the Holy Crib, which was carried to Rome by Christian refugees during the Muslim conquest of the Holy Land in the 7th century.
A museum below the church contains Roman remains that were found here in the 18th century, including a section of Roman road, a mosiac pavement, two wells, a series of arches and narrow passages cut into the bedrock. Today, the church remains one of Rome's most fascinating churches and is well worth a visit.
After my traditional 3 wishes and photo ops, we proceeded to Saint John Lateran Basilica.
Dedicated to John the Baptist and John the Evangelist, the Basilica of St. John Lateran (Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano) is the oldest and ranks first among the four great “patriarchal” basilicas of Rome. The Basilica is Rome's cathedral, the seat of Christendom in Rome. It is also the cathedral of the bishop of Rome, the Pope, and is thus known as the "Cathedral of Rome and of the World."
The first basilica on the site was built in the 4th century when Constantine donated the land he had received from the wealthy Lateran family. That structure and its successors suffered fire, earthquake and the ravages of war, but the Lateran remained the church where popes were consecrated until the popes returned from Avignon in the 14th century to find the church and the adjoining palace in ruins.
One of Rome’s most imposing churches, the Lateran’s towering facade is crowned with 15 colossal statues of Christ, John the Baptist, John the Evangelist and 12 doctors of the Church. There are six papal tombs inside. The papal altar is said to contain many relics, including the heads of Saints Peter and Paul, and part of St Peter's wooden altar on which St. Peter himself celebrated Mass.
St. Peter’s Chair
Most Catholics think of St. Peter’s Basilica as the Pope’s main church, but they are wrong. St. John Lateran is the Pope’s church, the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome where the Bishop of Rome presides.
After my traditional 3 wishes and photo ops, we proceeded to La Scala Santa (The Holy Staircase).
Situated opposite St. John Lateran Basilica, the Holy Stairs are reputed to be those walked up by Jesus, preserved at this former Papal palace. The 28 marble stairs carefully preserved in this handsome building are traditionally the steps walked up by Christ on his way to trial before Pontius Pilate. St. Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, was a pioneering collector of relics, and the staircase is supposedly among her finds, brought to Rome in 326 AD.
Devout pilgrims (me included) mount the steps on their knees, praying. The rate of progress is very slow and looks suitably punishing. The Scala Santa is encased in protective walnut wood boards, although there are holes cut through above marks which are supposed to be Jesus' blood (you won't be able to see through these unless you do the kneeling).
Less devout visitors can walk up the alternative staircases on each side, since the Holy Stairs can only be ascended on one’s knees, a devotion much in favour with pilgrims and the faithful, especially on Fridays and in Lent. At the top you can see into a small and lavish private chapel which goes far back in the history of the Lateran Palace, former seat of the popes. This chapel, first mentioned in the 8th century and called the Sancta Sanctorum or Holy of Holies, was the private oratory of medieval popes.
In the Catholic Church, plenary indulgence can be granted for climbing the stairs on one’s knees. Pope Pius VII in 1817 granted those who ascend the stairs in the prescribed manner an indulgence of nine years for every step. Finally, Pope Pius X in 1908 granted a plenary indulgence to be gained as often as the stairs are devoutly ascended after confession and communion.
Personally, this was perhaps one of the unexpected highlights of my trip. To be presented with an opportunity to experience Christ’s passion in such a physical way was truly exceptional. Besides, not everybody will have the opportunity to do this, right? So, I braced myself for the daunting task ahead. Climbing the first 3 steps was a breeze. Then I slowly felt the pain, mounting with every step. It was too late to back out as the steps behind me were already filled up with other pilgrims, each determined to climb their way to the top. With my dogged determination, enhanced by ardent prayer, I was able to reach the top in one piece. But you know what? As soon as I reached the top of the stairs, the pain simply vanished! Honestly! As if the pain never existed. Isn’t that amazing?
Looking back now, it was a good thing I didn’t know at the time what I was in for. I didn’t realize it was that excruciatingly painful. Walking on one’s knees, to begin with, can be painful, but to ascend the stairs is something else! But I did it!
Thereafter, we proceeded to the Church of St. Alphonsus Liguori for our daily mass and to pay homage to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The Church is dedicated to St. Alphonsus Liguori, the founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, an influential religious congregation.
The church is one of the rare examples of neo-Gothic architecture in Rome. It is one of the last papal churches of Rome, although the Redemptorists have possession of the church and its related complex. It was built between 1855 and 1859, and the façade, embellished by a rose window, is made of brick and travertine and features three doors. In the central tympanum of the door is a polychrome mosaic depicting Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
The interior decorations, rich with marble, date from the end of the 19th century. The apse is crowned by a mosaic, depicting the Redeemer enthroned between the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph. Above the mosaic hangs the original icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, which was produced in Crete in the 14th century and given to the Redemptorists by Pope Pius IX in 1866.
We celebrated mass in one of the chapels ~~
…after which we went back to the hotel to freshen up, and thereafter had dinner at Matriciana.
After dinner, we returned to our hotel and I made use of the limited time by checking on my emails at the business centre, after which I called it a night.
To Be Continued....
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